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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 1

The Outlook

page 79

The Outlook.

The verdict of the general election was unmistakeable. Ignoring all the side issues raised, such as tariff details and land tenure, the country gave a decided vote for retrenchment. Two ministers were defeated, one being the Premier—a circumstance without precedent in New Zealand. Sir R. Stout's rejection has completely broken up the Stout-Vogel combination, and is perhaps the most satisfactory result of the election. To the ex-Premier himself it is the best thing that could have happened. Several prominent men on the other side were defeated, but they can be well spared. Both of the old parties were too far committed to existing abuses. One disturbing element affected the result. The so-called « Midland » railway scheme was expected to circulate a good deal of money in Nelson, Westland, and Canterbury, and these provincial districts gave almost a block vote for the late ministry. This only adds to the significance of the decision of the country as a whole. Major Atkinson has formed a ministry pledged to retrenchment, and mostly freetraders; they have a working majority in Parliament; while the state of the colonial finances is such as to disarm factious opposition, and to a great extent silence local demands for expenditure. Measures of reform, necessary as they are, must cause serious temporary inconvenience; but the outlook, on the whole, is brighter than it has been for years past.

The ministerial jubilee of the Rev. Horatius Bonar, author of many beautiful hymns, is to be celebrated in November.

The Bookbinder, « a monthly, journal for bookbinders, librarians, and all lovers of books » (London, Clowes) will be a welcome addition to trade and technical literature. It is ably conducted, and beautifully printed and illustrated. Every bookbinder should subscribe to it.

Nos. 1 to 3 of the American Art Printer are to hand. It is published bi-monthly by Mr C. E. Bartholomew, one of the founders of the old Model Printer, to which it bears a strong resemblance, though it is decidedly a better magazine. It is printed on a special surfaced and calendered paper, which shows up the type to the best advantage. A leading feature is the fine examples of color-printing published as supplements. The first is a specimen by Haight & Dudley; the second a splendid Egyptian vase, in brass-rule, type, and tint, followed by a good piece of color-work from England. No. 3 has a banner and a fine specimen of curved rule-work, brought out in tints. This and the vase are by the editor, Mr P. S. M. Munro, and are so good that many New York printers doubted that they were produced by typography until they had inspected the forms. There are also some beautiful reproductions of paintings and drawings by the « Ives » and other new processes. This paper marks the highest level yet attained in American art typography.

Mr R. L. Stevenson, the novelist, has arrived in the United States on his way to Australia. He is travelling on account of his health.

Have you no initial T, Art Printer, that you start Dorman's ad. with a J? And is it not a little hard on Figgins to turn him into Higgins?

At the R.M. Court, Hastings, on 7th Oct., J. H. Clayton, of the Star, was sued by A. A. George for £8 9s 8d, a disputed claim for overtime. Plaintiff was nonsuited, without costs.

Nine months ago the Hawke's Bay Herald premises were completely destroyed by fire. The new building, which has just been completed, at a cost of about £4,000, is a handsome brick structure, reflecting the highest credit on the architect, Mr Lamb. The internal arrangements are very convenient, and afford scope for all probable extensions of the business for many years to come.

The Wellington correspondent of the A. T. Journal writes: « One of the 'rags' here, and a wretched one at that—is produced by boy labor, from the reporters down to the machinist. » The legitimate printer, who pays fair wages, is injured by establishments of this kind—but he lives to see the place that once knew them know them no more.

The New Zealand Times office narrowly escaped being blown up a few nights ago. On the sub-editor, Mr Mansford, opening the door of his room and entering, he found the place full of escaped gas, and on examination found the three jets turned full on. Further investigation showed that the aperture in the door had been blocked—leaving little doubt that a dastardly attempt had been made to wreck the building. Mr Mansford had a match in his hand when he entered the room. Had it been alight, he probably would not have survived to tell the tale.

There is a daily paper in Dunedin, which we have never seen, called the Herald. In sore distress at Sir R. Stout's defeat, the editor sought consolation in poetry, and offered a premium « for the best sixteen lines of verse dealing with Sir Robert Stout's defeat for Dunedin East. » As a general rule, editors would prefer to give amateur poets a trifle to send their rhymes to « the other office. » Typo's devil has to mourn a lost opportunity. Had he known of the offer, he might have competed, with fair prospects of success. One Mr Julius Arnold took the prize with a poem beginning

The blow has fallen! and we stand aghast
To see the foe thus conquer in the field.

Some considerable degree of « frenzy » must have been wrought up to produce verses like these. « The foe » is good. The Herald published the unsuccessful essays as well, to the extent of a column, from which it appears that one competitor—a lady, of course—did hit the right nail on the head, concluding thus:

A knighthood from the Queen his honors closed.
Alas! alas! 'tis sad to tell,
From that time forth his fortunes fell.

To forfeit public confidence is hard enough for a public man, without having his defeat made the subject of rhymes which read like burlesque. The Herald may have succeeded in advertising itself, but it has been at the expense of Sir Robert.

Old-Established Good Going Printing Business in Dunedin for sale.—Apply to Cowan & Co., Crawford-st., Dunedfn.