	harper hpr gets bid from harcourt hbj harper and row publishers inc said it received an uisition offer from harcourt brace jovanovich inc to uire all of harper and row s shares at dlrs a share in cash harper said it will consider the proposal including such possible concerns as anti trust and other legal considerations on monday harper and row received a surprise dlr a share bid from investor theodore cross owner of six pct of the shares for the stock he does not own harcourt made clear in its offer that it will step aside if harper s directors and shareholders reject the bid harper said harper said the board has previously expressed a strong determination to remain an independent publishing enterprise harper also said that new world pictures a shareholder has requested a copy of harper s shareholder list to be used in soliciting proxies new world has shares of the total mln shares harper and row s stock closed off to after rising points yesterday shareholders are due to vote april on a shareholders rights plan designed to thwart hostile takeovers ivan obolensky an analyst with the investment banking for of sterling grace and co said harper and row is one of the few remaining independent publishers with a back list of authors stretching back years he said as long as the company maintains copyrights with the estates of deceased authors it controls all motion picture and television rights to the stories and he said new printing technologies make new editions a profitable business harcourt brace needs a back list of that nature and is willing to pay up for it obolensky said but he said harper and row has plenty of beef to warrant a dlr bid reuter 
