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A Terror to Evil-Doers.

Journalism to-day is the mightiest power in human hands, and rightly-directed, has achieved the noblest triumphs. The business of the Empire was lately put aside for a day while Parliament took in hand the redress of a private wrong—the case of a woman whose reputation had been aspersed by a modern Dogberry. An article in the Pall Mall Gazette had drawn attention to the case. Two years ago, the same paper, by its articles on « Modern Babylon, » raised a popular agitation absolutely without precedent, and triumphantly secured a reform in British law for which the society for the Protection of Women, with a host of titled and influential patrons, had for forty years striven in vain. We need not give any particulars of the latest press triumph—the Langworthy case—for the whole world is ringing with it, and for a few pence any one can purchase the detailed narrative. Here, again, the same newspaper has brought to the light of day an infamous crime, and has defeated a wealthy scoundrel who had successfully defied the highest courts in the land. Not only was he defeated in England; but the courts of the Argentine Republic have given their verdict against him, and, moreover, have the means of enforcing it. Of these courts, he had insolently written: « My lawyer, Dr Jose Marie Rosa, who is both judge and advocate, will speedily dispose of any case he [Mrs L.'s solicitor] may bring into court. » The Pall Mall Gazette's narrative, published in the Spanish language from day to day in the Nacion, has raised as strong a feeling of indignation in South America as in England itself. It is painful to see how sorry a figure the Times presents in the affair. That a paper with so grand a record and such vast wealth should have allowed it-self to be quietly muzzled by a firm of solicitors, and that nearly the whole daily press of London should have followed its example, is the most humiliating feature of the whole business. But the triumph is the greater for the Gazette. Four huge machines were running night and day to supply the demand for the paper while the narrative was in course of publication, and on the appearance of the appeal for funds to fight the case, money literally poured into the office from sympathisers with the injured woman. No knight of old ever did so much for the poor and oppressed as Mr Stead of the Pall Mall Gazette, and we hope the modern press everywhere, like the journal he so ably conducts, may be « a terror to evil-doers. »

Our article (p. 18) on systematic nicking of type, has brought us a very interesting letter from Messrs Caslon, the premier founders of England. Writing under date 27th June, they say: « We note your remarks on distinguishing sorts difficult to discern on the face, by a special nick. Very good notion if practicable; but we are sorry to say there is a huge practical difficulty in the way. To nick sorts specially would enormously increase the cost of type. A change of nick can be effected in two ways only: by shifting the mould for every character, or running a nick in with the plane after the type is fiuished—both costly and tedious processes. No printer would pay the extra cost for the sake of compositors who cannot see well enough. We note also that you appreciate our system of casting spaces and quads—every 'body' having its own distinguishing nick. »—We were therefore in error in saying our suggestion would involve « no extra trouble whatever, » and we are sure our readers, like ourselves, will value the information Messrs Caslon have so kindly given. Still, have they not overstated the difficulty a little? We instanced the extra nick distinguishing small caps. Figgins puts an extra nick near the top at the back; Miller and Richard a small one in front near the top; and Reed a similar nick at the back near the centre. The other associated foundries, so far as we are acquainted with their types, make no distinction. The extra nick in all these cases is very small, and appears to be put in by the second process mentioned by Messrs Caslon. That is to say, three of the five great English foundries habitually distinguish six sorts of each body-fount with a special nick, and make no extra charge. We recognize the difficulty of carrying out so elaborate a change as we suggested in the matter of Greek founts; but as regards the Hebrew, for example, no more trouble would be involved than is already taken with roman. A still more excellent way in regard to Hebrew is adopted by certain continental houses, who so emphasize the points of difference between the characters that they are readily distinguished. We did not make so unreasonable a suggestion as that type should be modified to suit defective vision—what we did was to complain of the manner in which good sight is impaired under the present system.

Printers who have long been afflicted with the soddened wood and rusty screws of the ordinary galley, will welcome the latest invention—a solid « all-brass » galley, brought out and patented by Mr Dearing, a practical printer of San Francisco. He believes it is « the coming galley. » So do we. There is a fortune in it.

At Dunedin, on the 13th inst., a deputation of master printers waited on Sir J. Vogel, pointing out the injustice done to them by allowing printed stationery, &c., to be imported free. They stated that if they imported envelopes there was a duty to pay, but if the banks, &c., imported envelopes with a line of print, they were admitted free.—Typo can only say that it is only by a very lax interpretation of the tariff (such as would not be tolerated at Napier) that such goods as described can be imported free. Envelopes do not cease to be stationery by being printed upon. Bound diaries, and even the little printed « birthday books, » with blanks for autographs, are classed as stationery, and are not allowed to pass as printed matter.

Mr Ivess, in a speech quoted elsewhere, narrated part of the history of the Timaru Herald. He might have added that not long before it came into his possession it was one of the most flourishing and influential papers in the South Island. Of its rapid downward career while in his hands, he gave some idea; but it reached still lower depths. The rival proprietor (against whom Mr Ivess had brought an unsuccessful libel action), bought the concern. The last issues of the Herald before the transfer Mr Ivess filled with flaming advertisements of a new paper to be published in the same town, and which he soon afterwards started. The new journal, some two months old, is now in the market, and Mr Ivess has taken over the Napier Evening News. We should be sorry to think that the ethics of journalism, as thus exemplified, should ever become the standard of the New Zealand press.

If the « distinguished colonist » occasionally makes himself ridiculous at home, the distinguished visitor to the colonies generally contrives to make things come out pretty even. We have in New Zealand been visited by a lady advertised as a celebrated journalist, lecturer, and elocutionist, who was good enough to publish her « impressions » of the colony. As a piece of fine writing, the record of these impressions is superb. The wooden houses of Invercargill were not exhilarating; the railways were painful; the Grand Hotel of Dunedin was « not a place to elevate the mind. » A critic reminded the lady that this was not the primary design of hotels; but that the one in question possessed an elevator for the body. All the natural features of New Zealand met with approval; but not until the lady happily fell into freethought circles in Dunedin did she find anything else worthy of commendation; and her article concluded with a fine anti-climax in the following patronising strain: « Mr Farra, the secretary of the Freethought Association, showed us over the Lyceum Hall. A tinsmith by trade, he is also a very intelligent man. Mr Bracken, the poet, is a very fine fellow. Then the Premier, whom we met there, struck us as one of Nature's and Fortune's favorites. He is decidedly a handsome man. »