381.  The volume thus purchased of the publisher at 4s. 2d. or 4s. 6d. is retailed by the bookseller to the public at 6s.  In the first case he makes a profit of forty-four, in the second of thirty-three per cent.  Even the smaller of these two rates of profit on the capital employed, appears to be much too large.  It may sometimes happen, that when a book is enquired for, the retail dealer sends across the street to the wholesale agent, and receives, for this trifling service, one fourth part of the money paid by the purchaser; and perhaps the retail dealer takes also six months’ credit for the price which the volume actually cost him.

382.  In section 256, the price of each process in manufacturing the present volume was stated:  we shall now give an analysis of the whole expense of conveying it into the hands of the public.

 The retail price 6s. on 3052 produces 915 12 0

1.  Total expense of printing and paper 207 5 8 7/11 2.  Taxes on paper and advertisements 40 0 11 3.  Commission to publisher as agent between author and printer 18 14 4 4/11 4 Commission to publisher as agent for sale of the book 63 11 8 5.  Profit—­the difference between subscription price and trade price, 4d. per vol. 50 17 4 6.  Profit the difference between trade price and retail price, 1s. 6d. per vol. 228 18 0
            362 1 4
7.  Remains for authorship 306 4 0

Total 915 12 0

This account appears to disagree with that in page 146. but it will be observed that the three first articles amount to L266 1s., the sum there stated.  The apparent difference arises from a circumstance which was not noticed in the first edition of this work.  The bill amounting to L205 18s., as there given, and as reprinted in the present volume, included an additional charge of ten per cent upon the real charges of the printer and paper-maker.

383.  It is usual for the publisher, when he is employed as agent between the author and printer, to charge a commission of ten per cent on all payments he makes.  If the author is informed of this custom previously to his commencing the work, as was the case in the present instance, he can have no just cause of complaint; for it is optional whether he himself employs the printer, or communicates with him through the intervention of his publisher.

The services rendered for this payment are, the making arrangements with the printer, the wood-cutter, and the engraver, if required.  There is a convenience in having some intermediate person between the author and printer, in case the former should consider any of the charges made by the latter as too high.  When the author himself is quite unacquainted with the details of the art of printing, he may object to charges which, on a better acquaintance with the subject, he might be convinced were very moderate; and in such cases he ought to depend on the judgement of his publisher, who is generally conversant with the art.  This is particularly the case in the charge for alterations and corrections, some of which, although apparently trivial, occupy the compositors much time in making.  It should also be observed that the publisher, in this case, becomes responsible for the payments to those persons.