_The Secretary_,
_The Board of Trade_,
_Toronto_

SIR--

The Council of the Board of Trade lately adopted a resolution asking that
Canadian Legislation be passed, giving effect to the Copyright Bill
proposed in 1895 by Mr. Hall Caine, "making it obligatory that a book
shall be printed and bound in this country in order to secure Canadian
copyright, and continue to be so printed and bound in order to retain such
copyright, and that upon failure to print in Canada within a reasonable
time, provision shall be made _by which the Government may issue to a
Canadian publisher a license to print in Canada_, subject to such
safeguards as will secure to the owner of such book a reasonable royalty
upon his work." The resolution is to be forwarded to the Boards of Trade
of other cities in Canada, together with the request that they join in
representations to the Government asking their consideration of this
important question, and urging the passing of this legislation.

This resolution emanated from the Wholesale Booksellers' Section of the
Board of Trade, of which Mr. W.J. Gage is the Chairman. The Report of this
Section presented to the Board recites, that in 1895 Mr. Hall Caine came
to this country, the duly accredited representative of English authors,
accompanied by Mr. Daldy, representing the English publishers, and that
after a conference with Canadian publishers, papermakers, printers and
bookbinders, a draft Bill was completed, which Mr. Hall Caine announced to
the Canadian Government as containing an understanding reached with the
Canadian publishers, and to which Mr. Daldy, on behalf of the English