Fisher Bill, which was passed at the instance of the Canadian Society
of Authors with the sanction of the Canadian Manufacturers' Association
and the Executive of the Employing Printers' Association, expressed in
formal resolutions laid before the Government, and with the tacit approval
of the Canadian publishers, placed the Canadian publishing trade upon a
firm basis. It was the final step in securing the establishment of the
Publishing Trade in Canada.

In June, 1900, Professor Mavor and I were called before the Select
Committee of the House of Lords and questioned as to whether in our
opinion the Fisher Bill was intended to be local in its operation and not
to conflict with the Imperial Copyright Laws. We gave the opinion that the
Bill was intended to be confined in its operation to Canada. This opinion
was accepted as a satisfactory explanation and the Bill received no
opposition in England and came into effect without disallowance. By
allowing this Bill to become law, the Imperial authorities gave that
further recognition to the Canadian publishers which successfully
established their trade, and put an end to the deadlock which had existed
between Great Britain and Canada for twenty years. Mr. W.J. Gage, the
Chairman of the Wholesale Booksellers' Section of the Board of Trade,
himself testified to the present prosperity of the Trade at a Banquet on
the 19th of last December, at which he entertained the Section, and
congratulated his hearers "upon the last year having been with them a year
of prosperity, and a year of prosperity with the Paper Trade as well."

What then is the reason for the present agitation? Does any one pretend to
assert that the present conditions under the Fisher Bill are not working
well?

Under the provisions of the Fisher Bill, it has become possible for any
Canadian publisher to go to England, make arrangements with the owner of a
British copyright for the publication in Canada of a Canadian edition, and
then publish here freed from the fear of an invasion of his market by
British, American, or any other foreign reproductions, whether the
publication was first in Canada or subsequent to publication elsewhere.

* * * * *

To summarize the position:--In 1847, the Imperial authorities yielded to
Canadian demands and permitted the introduction of the cheap American
reprints of British copyright books. This arrangement our own Parliament
terminated.

In 1886