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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 2

From the Empire City

page 26

From the Empire City

Wellington, 27 April, 1888.

The Government Printer is taking on sessional hands. He informed me that they would not be moving into the new office until after the House opened. In fact, as a consequence of « red tape » I am of opinion that all the information on the subject may be classed—surmise—and it very often happens that surmise is swallowed up in surprise. I understand that Mr J. Costall, overseer, (next in command to Mr Didsbury) will no longer have the overseeing of a room of men, but his work will be more of a clerical kind, while Mr Burns, next in command, will take charge of the two time-rooms—his own and Mr Costall's. Mr Burns will thus have charge of about thirty men. He is the printer of « Hansard, » while Mr Costall does the Gazette. I will send you a description of the new office next month.

The annual job « Transactions of the Philosophical Institute, which has been printed for several years by Messrs Lyon & Blair, is finished, and four hands have been discharged. I think they have all secured session frames on the Government.

I have seen the first number of a new Dunedin venture—New Zealand Punch, printed at the Caxton Steam Printing Co.'s offices. So far, three numbers have appeared, the first being the best production. It is a lithographed journal. The general appearance is similar to the world-renowned parent—so much so, that both comp. and artist must have had « the specimen » lying on the frame. Both the Christchurch Press and Lyttelton Times offices have tried their hands at making a Punch, but have had to give it up, having never secured the right flavor. If I remember right, the one from the Press ran for 15 months, the artist being a Mr Cousins, who went home some time ago to inherit some property. The Times production did not live so long. Whether or not our local-option friends will go in for putting down this Punch remains to be seen. There is a toned-paper picture of Mr Scobie McKenzie, m.h.r., given with the first number, and it is not a very good likeness of that popular gentleman. The journal is not quite original, there being some old chestnuts between the covers.

There is a general movement among camps in Christchurch to form themselves into some sort of combination. It is to be hoped that the effort will be more successful than those of the past. The piece-rate on the Lyttelton Times is now 10d per 1000.

I hear that there has been a meeting of the props, to decide what to do with the Timaru Mail, as it is in a very bad way. There is one rumor of moving the plant to Blenheim, while another says that two energetic Timaru typos are to take over the business.