A BRIEF SURVEY OF THE FIELD.
By Editor
We refer to the territory for which the London house is called upon to furnish publications. 1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with its 38,000,000 of people; its greater London, with 5,633,332; its ten cities outside of London, with a population ranging from 200,000 to over 500,000; with its sixty-two cities, with a population each of over 50,000; its numerous smaller towns and villages, the remotest of which can be reached from our office in twelve or fifteen hours, furnishes a population sufficient to employ our present canvassing force over twelve years in visiting the people once. Suppose we say that the canvassers will be able to reach but one-third of this vast population, then, with our present force, four years will be required to go over the ground with one book. When we consider how readily the publications are going, and the fact that this is, in an eminent sense, a nation of readers, we see in the United Kingdom alone a territory almost unlimited in resources, calculated to build up a publishing house and make it a financial success. But we stop not here. 2. SOUTH AFRICA.—The Colonial possessions of Great Britain in that field are becoming more important every year. The book business is already assuming large proportions there. The population is rapidly increasing, and twenty-five canvassers are already at work there. Africa looks to London for books, and she should not look in vain. The predominating languages in South Africa, outside of the native races, are the Dutch and the English, and the printed truth in that form most acceptable to these people should be speedily placed in their hands. Shall this be done or not? 3. AUSTRALASIA.—England's active, wide-awake colonies of Australia and New Zealand are outstripping almost every other territory in the sale of our literature. These Colonies are anxious to get their books from London, but we have been able to furnish them only to a limited extent because we had not the money with which to produce the books. Urgently they are asking us, When can you supply us with books from London? What is to be our answer to Australasia? Other Colonial possessions of Great Britain we will not mention here. The territory already referred to is sufficient for our present consideration.