« No news is good news » is a paradox which is commonly accepted as an established axiom. If there can be any doubt as to its application generally, there is not the slightest objection to my applying the saying as regards matters printerian in this district during the past two or three months, which is the reason for the non-appearance of my monthly budget in this column. The usual briskness of the holiday and almanac season was experienced, and during the two or three months of the season all the Society men in the city were in employment. During that period, however, many of our best men have left the colony to reap something out of the harvest of prosperity which Victoria was enjoying. Something like twenty comps. left this district for Melbourne and Sydney, all of whom secured frames almost on arrival. At one place alone, (Fergusson & Mitchell's, who had just taken possession of new premises) there were employed at one time and in the same room some eight men who just a few months before that time had worked together in the Government Printing Office in this city. Truly, life has its vagaries. I have heard from correspondents that N. Z. acquaintances turn up at the turning of almost every corner in Melbourne. But the boom has gone and we only hear its echo now, consequently many of our emigrants will be wishing they were immigrants.

It is announced that Mr G. M. Reed, one of our well-known journalists, having been in turn connected with the Southern Cross, Star, Bell, and Herald, all of Auckland, has received the editorship of the new Melbourne evening paper, the Evening News.

It will be remembered that just before the close of the late year the Wanganui Chronicle office was destroyed by fire, although a dog on the premises tried hard to warn some inmates of the danger. When Mr Carson applied for his insurance recovery, the office informed him that they would reinstate the machinery. To this he objected, on the ground that the machines were ruined. The matter was put to arbitration, Mr Blair, of Lyon & Blair's, acting for the insurance side, the result being that the machinery is to be set in working order again, and Mr Carson receives a sum of money as compensation. He has gone to Melbourne to purchase new plant. During the time of disablement the Chronicle has been turned out at the Herald office.

The Board of the Wellington Branch has been attempting for some time past to induce the master printers of their city to form an Association, but the one answer is— « Cannot trust each other. »

I have noticed a very pleasing phase of the Reciprocity question during the past month, namely, the number of cards conveying fraternal greetings to different companionships in this city from Australian offices. Some of the cards are of pretty design and composition. A line in one of the cards has taken my fancy, so I will give the same wish to all my readers:— « May you never be out of 'sorts.' » Not only does this custom encourage general good feeling and unity among the craft, but it tends towards the cultivation of art in printing. Not only among ourselves is this influence felt, but it will spread even unto other trades and professions. Encourage art printing.

Mr R. A. Butcher, well known in journalistic circles in the Wairarapa, now represents the South Wairarapa Advocate in the Featherston and Martinborough districts.

I take the following from the Post— « Herr Schleringer, curator of the Newspaper Museum at Aix-la-Chapelle, has written to Mr F. A. Krull, German Consul at Wanganui, expressing his warmest thanks to that gentleman as the originator, and the Hon. George Fisher as donor, of the collection of New Zealand journals forwarded to the institution. The names of both gentlemen will, says the writer, be incorporated for all time with the collection, which will form a great ornament to the museum. »