"The New Writer's Cramp: Taxation Threatens Literary Paralysis."

A complaint against tax policies that unduly affect creative artists, including authors.

Bates highlights that author royalties fluctuate more than the earnings of most others, and addresses the high taxes on a sale of a copyright, film license, or serial license. In passing, Bates notes that "I should have found it incredibly hard to keep going during the first 10 lean years of my career if it had not been for the generous kindness of a famous and wealthy bibliophile [Lewis Sterling] who showed his faith in me by purchasing some of my original manuscripts — a demonstration of faith, alas, given to very few now."

A month after the publication of the article, the Telegraph published a letter ("Taxation of Authors, Correspondents' Views Assessed") by Bates that addresses responses to the article. Later in 1952 Bates would write another piece for the Daily Telegraph called "What Future for the Young Writer?"

In the Daily Telegraph (London, August 4, 1952, attached).