The Publishers' Association was established in 1896. Mainly through the influence and the exertions of Sir Frederick Macmillan, the net book scheme was officially recognized by the Publishers' Association. It has grown ever since that time and has undoubtedly been the salvation of the Bookselling trade in this country, and it is hoped that it will lead to further and better conditions for every one connected with the trade. This question of underselling is so closely associated with the general condition of the Bookselling trade that I have decided to reprint in this chapter the following article which appeared in the "Publishers' Circular" and was written by me in 1915. Though a development in some of the particulars has been obtained, there is still much to be done. As the article was reprinted and distributed by the Associated Booksellers, and I also receive so many congratulatory letters respecting it, I feel that it may probably be of service when some of the details of the trade are again under discussion. I have omitted from the article such portions of it as time has shown to be unnecessary. What I have here reprinted I hope may be found of interest. SOME NOTES ON BOOK-SELLING In using the term "bookselling," it is intended in this article to include all those businesses, exclusive of authorship, which are interested in the making, distribution, and selling of books, and while offering a few suggestions to these trade organizations, there will be no attempt to dogmatize on any particular sphere of it. As their working conditions are so continually changing, these must therefore fall in with modern requirements or give place to others which can accommodate themselves to the altered conditions. Since the origin of printing there have been differences and grievances, many of them imaginary, in connexion with the trade of bookselling. Some of these complaints are characterized as a decay of the author, the book, or the bookseller; sometimes it is the over-production of books or their cheapness, due to underselling or to outside firms being allowed to trade in them, but all these complaints either die a natural death or turn out to have little foundation, and the trade goes on in much the same way as it has done for centuries past. There is occasionally a reason for some of these criticisms, and although there have been variations in both the production and the distribution of books, yet many of the salient features remain the same as those existing in the early days of bookselling. Before suggesting a solution of some of the difficulties which we find current in the bookselling trade to-day, let us inquire into that of book production. Foremost among the real or imaginary difficulties is the question of over-production. This is, from many points of view, an important question with distributors of books, both wholesale and retail.