Now, we come to the next clause of these exceptions.
Mr. CURRIER. Just an instant. Would the people you represent object seriously to an amendment to subdivision 3, on page 16, which would strike out all after the words "United States" where they occur?
Mr. CURRIER. In the tenth line of subdivision 3.
Mr. OLIN. Are you reading from the printed form of the bill?
Mr. CURRIER. I have not compared them. I have been using the library print all the time.
Mr. CURRIER. Now, strike out all after the words "United States," in the twenty-fifth line, down to the fourth section.
Mr. OLIN. I am now speaking merely for the publishers, whom I do represent generally, and not for these other associations.
Mr. CURRIER. I was simply asking if the people whom you represent would make serious objection to that amendment.
Mr. OLIN. Speaking only for the publishers, I think they would. I think they would wish to be heard fully on that before any such change was made.
Mr. CURRIER. Right in that connection, let me call your attention to the first subdivision, beginning on line 13, which deals with the importation for an individual.
Mr. CURRIER. We would understand, would we not, that that was a practical prohibition of importations by individuals?
Mr. CURRIER. Do you imagine that a book would ever be imported by an individual under that provision?
Mr. OLIN. I should think they would be habitually, and to a much larger extent than at present; and I will give you my reasons for it.
Mr. CURRIER. Would it not be a considerable inconvenience to secure the permission of the proprietor of the copyright?
Mr. CURRIER. We would be glad to hear you on that, because it occurred to me that that was an absolute prohibition, in effect.
Mr. OLIN. I am glad to have my attention called to this, because this is a matter where we have not been able to make any compromise. There are no representatives of the public who could discuss such a compromise, and we come before the committee to submit it to their judgment as to its fairness in the first instance.
What I want to call the attention of the committee to is that the effect of this is simply to put the business back, as to importing one copy, to the condition that existed before 1891 as to importing all copies. We would be very glad, the copyright proprietors would be very glad, and the public would be very glad if it could altogether go back to that condition; that is, if you say books shall not be imported without the consent of the copyright proprietor. The copyright proprietor would then, as he did before, import books and put them into the trade and sell them freely.