has the bookseller as a separate factor) would be placed on a firmer foundation and in the position which, by its literary association, it deserves. In recommending closer co-operation between the Publishers' and Booksellers' Associations in the internal arrangements of the bookselling trade, my object is to advocate centralization, but with a liberty which should not be abused. How often a publisher wishes to bring before the various distributing agencies of the trade some work in which he has invested intelligence and money, and which is not a machine-made book! If such co-operation can be freed from jealousies, what better medium could be found for disseminating information than a central association formed of the above-named organizations? At first there would be much give and take, but if there could be a sub-committee of each association formed which would meet and discuss questions to be submitted to the respective central councils, matters would soon run smoothly, and if the respective presidents or secretaries could be so in touch with each other that preliminary difficulties could be made plain, there is little doubt that results satisfactory to the trade would follow. That important results would follow is practically certain. Take, for instance, the present arrangements for the Annual Meetings of the Publishers' and of the Associated Booksellers. The only attraction of the former is the chairman's address, which, although often eloquent, seldom leads to either a discussion or suggestions, with a result that everything is cut and dried in the most orthodox and dry-as-dust fashion. Almost the only difference in the Booksellers' Annual Meeting is that it brings members together from all parts of the country and helps to promote social intercourse. Festive gatherings and outings are a greater attraction than the business agenda, and the business man must often have forced upon him the fact that time which is frequently taken up in dinners and receptions could be better spent in discussing business questions. It can scarcely be denied that the two trade associations are capable of far greater usefulness than they at present achieve. In looking through a recent number of the "Publishers' Weekly," I was much struck by the practical way in which the annual meetings of the book trade of America were conducted. From the report of their proceedings I find that some twelve different subjects associated with the bookselling trade were discussed, among them being the following: Undue Competition of Jobbers; Postage Extra; Self-addressed Circulars issued by Publishers in their interest rather than the Dealers; Discounts to Lending Libraries; Uniform Discounts according to quantity purchased for every dealer alike; Failure to include Juvenile books in the net class.