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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 2
[trade dispatches]
This is the verdict of the Waipawa Mail:— « Typo is gaining not only a colonial, but a world-wide reputation. How can it be otherwise, when so much taste, artistic skill, and judgment are bestowed upon its production? Its technical columns are worthy of the great subject on which they treat. Every compositor in the land should have his Typo, and no one interested in the printing business should fail to support it. »
page 67
A number of interesting items in type are held over.—Our usual Wellington letter is not yet to hand.
Nil admirari is apparently a motto of the Russian Government, which prohibits the use of the note of exclamation in newspaper articles. This decree would have pleased the late Dean of Canterbury, who hated these signs, and nicknamed them « shrieks. »
We have to thank our Auckland correspondent for copies of the report and balance-sheet of the Auckland Typographical Association, for the half-year ending 31st July. The report is not a cheerful one. We need make no extracts from it, as the matters complained of are indicated in our correspondent's letter, and are the same as have been already many times referred to in our columns. A bad sign is the appearance of the names of men well known as good workmen in the « out-of-work » category.
Mr Larnach, ex-minister of mines, like most people who are free and unsparing in their criticism of others, is sensitive enough when attacks are made upon himself. In the House he complained of a « scurrilous and libellous » article in the N.Z. Herald, the purport of which was that he had simply found an excuse for being absent from Wellington, to enable him to draw his honorarium while attending to his own affairs. The fact was that he was suddenly called south by his medical man on account of illness in his family. It was well known that he was about to leave the colony and settle in Victoria, so that it was desirable the effect of the article should be counteracted. It was suggested that the printer should be called to the bar of the House, but this was negatived. (The House has had printers at the bar before, and did not know what to do with them when they were there.) A vote of sympathy with Mr L. was passed, and he has instituted proceedings against the Auckland Herald for libel, damages £2000, refusing to accept any apologies. A legal battle .jpg)
between two such pugnacious combatants as Mr Larnach and the former editor of the late Bell would be interesting. Mr Larnach has since handed over his honorarium—not to the Colonial Treasurer—but to a priest, for the benefit of a charity connected with the Church of Rome.
Thus humorously does one of our subscribers narrate his experiences in introducing Typo to his fellow-craftsmen:—It is hard lines, truly, when a fellow gets a paper which he prizes, and wants to bind up at the end of the volume, and gets that paper crumpled and dirtied by passing it round to let those persons see it whom he thinks will subscribe. Some time ago (so goes my parable) a certain enthusiast asked me (another enthu.) to try and push his paper, and sends me a copy for myself. How am I to push it? sez I. When I look at the numbers on my file I think aloud—well, the binder will never get those imprints off the margin, nor the creases out of the pages. With what pleasure I look at and peruse the clean copies of vol. 1—while my wife carefully puts them in the bookcase when she finds them in a state of pie over the room, but the copies of vol. 2—why, she takes them up gingerly by the corners and throws them into my waste-paper basket (i.e., an old candle-box). Everyone I lend them to enjoys them very much—on the cheap—but when I mention « Only 6d a month » all interest flags and they are handed over with the remark— « Very well got up, must be a good man that turns it out— knows his trade," &c; or the sarcastic one will say « How much commis., Tom? » In fact, they will do or say anything but invest. « Too technical » says the news hand. « Not enough gossipy yarns in it » says the sporty comp. « Oh, he's only showing off his sorts, » says the bilious one. The new hand from London observes that « it is not supported by the N.Z. trade because it is too good for the colony. Show these fellows one of the Yankee typos, no better got up, and they'll buy—in fact, they'll do anything, but they will not support Local Industry. » (This is sarkasm.) « What are those little half-circles in the letterpress? » I was asked by one of our too-common knows-all-the-latest comps. « Quotes, » sez I. He wants to know if I'm joking. « Oh, no. » « Then does H. make them himself? » « No, » sez I, « he follows copy. Notice it? » and the inquisitive one retires into his gully. However, I have been rewarded. I was showing the copy of the July number, which I received this morning, to our head reader, with whom I have spoken several times on matters touched upon from time to time in Typo—punctuation, &c.—and he turned over a leaf or two—looked for a minute or two at your literary column, smiled, and then said to me— « This is certainly a paper which deserves support. Will you put me down as a subscriber for a year? » « With pleasure, » quoth I, and he paid me down there and then, and I enclose the same in stamps—term to commence with this (July) number.