Prominent American publishers have told me repeatedly that our Canadian
Copyright Law as it stands, is superior to anything they have had in the
United States for the benefit and encouragement of publishing.

It was once the custom for the English author, when dealing with the
American publisher, to throw in Canada as an inducement to complete the
deal. Mr. Thomas in his address to which I have referred stated that this
is still the custom. Mr. Thomas knows better than this, for, whilst this
was undoubtedly the custom some years ago when Canada and her trade were
little known or regarded in England, it is not the custom now. Rudyard
Kipling, Hall Caine, Benjamin Kidd, Crockett, Doyle, Hope, Parker, Miss
Fowler, Miss Cholmondeley, Miss Montresor, Marie Corelli, all now deal
with Canada as a separate market, and contract directly with Canadian
publishers. This custom is growing rapidly and more books are now directly
offered to Canadian publishers than can be safely taken, having regard to
the present state of the market.

Those who at present comprise a majority of the Booksellers' Section of
the Board of Trade desire to have a Canadian copyright law of their own,
to secure authority which will enable the Canadian Parliament to pass an
Act which would separate Canadians from the rule of British copyright
legislation, and necessarily, too, from its benefits. It goes without
saying that if this is effectuated Canada will be excluded from the
Copyright Union and also from protection in the vast market of the United
States; and as a further consequence the works of Canadian authors would
again become public property outside of Canada, and the British publisher
would surely retaliate.

And what end will be gained by all this? Nothing but the right for
Canadian publishers to print in Canada the majority of British or foreign