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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 4

[trade dispatches]

The Mataura Ensign of the 6th inst. is « the largest paper ever issued in Gore. » It contains 91 columns.

The New Zealand Graphic is the name of an attractive weekly issued by Mr H. Brett, the enterprising publisher, of Auckland. For the information of those who may hereafter desire to complete their files, it should be noted that the first number is « marked and numbered » Vol. vi, No. 32. The new weekly has a neat engraved heading, and the original matter is well written. It begins the serial « Blind Love, » by the late Wilkie Collins, the illustrations to which—as, in fact most of the engravings—are from imported blocks. Presswork and paper are excellent; but the composition and arrangement of the matter are open to improvement.

A Santa Barbara burglar prized open the till of the local Press and found it empty. With characteristic humor the editor remarked that the fact that the would-be thief wasted his time on a newspaper office proved him an amateur.

It is reported that Mr R. E. N. Twopenny, late editor of the Otago Daily Times, intends to be a candidate for parliament at the next general election; and that Mr Chantrey Harris, late proprietor of the Wellington Times, is about to take up a farm.

The Bay of Plenty Times has altered its size from four pages double demy to twelve pages demy—a decided improvement. It has also widened its columns. Nine-tenths of the New Zealand papers that are printed on broadsheets would gain in neatness of appearance as well as in every other respect by coming down to demy size.

Mr H. B. Bridge, sub-editor of the Wellington Evening Press almost from its commencement, having joined the Wellington Times under its new management, was presented by the staff of the Press on the 11th June with a valuable collection of books as a parting gift. The literary and typographical departments had joined in making this testimonial, and warm expressions of goodwill were interchanged.

The Australian floods have certainly demonstrated the pluck of the newspapermen. The Central Australian, issued in the wrecked city of Bourke, says in its issue of 22nd April:— « We do not apologize for the present small-sized issue. We know that every consideration will be shown us. Our steam machinery is under water. Our stock of paper &c., is piled up all round; we work this issue off on a small model machine by hand power. Our comps have never left their posts; water is covering portions of the floor in our composing rooms and is feet deep all round, rations are carried in, and the office is our home. The river now seems almost stationary, and if no further rise occurs and if our walls keep up we will endeavor to publish regularly. We sympathise with our contemporary, whose office is feet deep under water notwithstanding all efforts to keep it high and dry. Better times are coming. »

Cole's « Book-buyers' Guide » contains his essay on Federation, winding up with thirty predictions as to a kind of millennium to be reached by the year 2000. These were sent out as a fly-sheet four or five years ago, and in connexion with them a comical incident occurred. A « crank » in Hawke's Bay, styling himself « The King of the Prophets, » had been in the habit of publishing extraordinary predictions as to earthquakes, &c., and had just been favored with a special revelation, announcing his own speedy decease. He was in some concern as to the man who should be worthy to wear his prophetic mantle, when Mr Cole's sheet came under his notice. Straightway he wrote to the worthy Melbourne bookseller, formally appointing him his successor, in addition to which he advertised the appointment in the Hawke's Bay papers. He was somewhat hurt that no acknowledgment ever came to hand, but he never revoked the appointment. The « crank » still lives, so that Mr Cole is not yet entitled to the distinction of being « the King of the Prophets. »

page 70

There are five New Yorks, nine Philadelphias, and twelve Bostons in the United States. And notwithstanding this, the American people are supposed to excel in the inventive faculty.

An American paper says that the use of violet ink is not an affectation. It flows more freely and is therefore more distinct, and dries more quickly than any other, rendering blotting unnecessary. It never changes color nor shows a sticky appearance.

An American librarian has entered a protest against delicate white bindings for books. Beautiful at first, they soon present a more deplorable appearance than any other style of binding. He is quite right. No book intended to be used should ever be bound in white.

Mr F. J. Kilroy, representative of the great firm of R. Hoe & Co., was presented lately with an inscribed gold locket and chain by the staff of the machine department in the Melbourne Age office. He had successfully superintended the erection of the Age new machinery, the most rapidly productive south of the line. This splendid mechanism will print and fold ready cut and pasted together either 8, 10, or 12 page copies of the Age at the running speed of 24,000 per hour, an 88in. wide web of paper passing through the machine at a speed of between nine and ten miles per hour.

The Maoris have at last something to say in reference to the hap-hazard nomenclature of localities; and as they long ago named every locality in the islands, they have some right to be heard. Hoani Nahe, « for self and people, » writes thus to a Thames comtemporary:— « Sir,—We the natives of the Ngatimaru in tribe assembled at Kirikiri, in consequence of the death of one of our chiefs, held a meeting on Thursday to consider the names or nuisances of some of the Thames districts, as we find mistakes occur in addressing our letters by the European address, and we have decided to petition the Thames County Council to have the original name Hauraki to the Parawai district (so called by the Europeans), and we would esteem it a great favor if you would insert the above in your valuable paper so as the European people may learn that Parawai is Hauraki from the landing of the Tainui when she came in the gulf with a north wind, thus the meaning. »