WCP5071

[1]¹

14^th Nov[ember] [1]900

D[octo]r A R Wallace.

Dear Sir,

In reply to your former of the 11^th inst[ant].,² which was brought before our weekly Board meeting yesterday. We shall be prepared to accept your modification of the extant agreement re[garding] "The Wonderful Century",³ excepting with regard to 2 (b)(c) 21[?], would not be feasible to apply for you & your representatives whenever we have a chance of a special sale at a reduced price. Sometimes we have booksellers here who make large purchases on the spot. Moreover we know better than an author what sales of this description are advantageous; and our interest is precisely the same as yours in getting full-price for books where we can. We do not object to giving 15% on such sales, though, where quantities are bought, the extra 5% may possibly mean the loss of an order.

If Messrs Macmillan⁴ & other publishers waive the "corrections" [2] [MS damaged] limitation, they make an <exception in> your case; & we are prepared <to do> so also, exceptionally.

We think some indication may be given in the title of the book that it was practically a great[?] work, though our advertisements would do this. Perhaps a careful sub-title would suffice.

We hope you will see your way to waive your points [1 word illeg.] 2 (b)(c). We would at once give in after it, did we not know that by so doing we should be acting against the interest of the book, considered quite independently of you or ourselves. If you can devise any scheme, not in restraint of trade, whereby you might feel assured that your interests were represented to the full, we should be quite willing to adopt it.

Yours very truly