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The American, not the English letter of this name.Among the fundamental principles of decoration is this—that one art should not attempt to borrow the effects of another. Neglect of this rule has led to most of the mistakes made by designers of typographic ornaments. Even when bringing to their work much artistic skill, they have often quite overlooked the special nature of the material with which they were dealing—its limitations on the one hand, and its peculiar advantages on the other. It is customary in some quarters to depreciate the value of type as an artistic medium, on the ground of its conventionality—the exact repetition of any given figure being an outrage upon the æsthetic perceptions of the critics. Hence, to avoid that which is the distinguishing characteristic—and therefore the special beauty—of art-work with types, designers have descended step by step from imitation Japanese vignettes to such depths of perverted « art » as are represented by « slobs, » « curlicues, » « button-holes, » « ragged-edges, » « ink-spots, » and such lunacies in letter-designing as « Owltype » and « Mikado. »
Among the decorative appliances of the printing office, this is the most important. It is the simplest, the readiest in use, and—with the sole exception of the plain Rule Border—of most general application. Under the heading of « Rules, » we have already pointed out the important distinction between the single-unit or lineal border, and the one in which there is a succession or repetition of units, uniformly described in these articles as the « running » border. The « unit » —a term we shall have occasion to use very frequently—is the smallest or ultimate portion into which a border may be resolved, as fully defined and illustrated in vol. ii, p. 85. The simplest mark or sign, though possessing in itself no decorative quality whatever, becomes an ornamental border when repeated at regular intervals. The point is the simplest possible character, and the short dash or hyphen comes next in order. Neither of these possesses singly any ornamental quality; but in regular repetition, either of them will form a running border:—
And by the mere addition of a plain rule on each side, a very respectable effect is produced:
The above illustrates the simplest and most elementary of borders, as well as the most economical—the border of one character.It is to be found in many forms in old printed books; but was despised in the period of florid ornamentation which marked the early part of the present century. It is now coming greatly into favor among the more artistic printers, and numerous new designs, both in metal and brass, embody this principle. Typefounders have also found it worth while to hunt up matrices long discarded as obsolete, and the simple old patterns have had a large sale. Such, for example, as these:—
One of the latest productions of a large American foundry is called « Nic-nacs, » consisting merely of dots and very small square, triangular, and lozenge-shaped figures—cast uniformly on the centre of a nonpareil em. The Art Printer was enthusiastic in their praise. Probably nothing so cheap and simple in punch-cutting was ever before offered to the trade; but it has been found to fill a very useful place in art-printing. The special usefulness lay not in the nature of the character itself—which was not decorative; nor in its regular recurrence only—which constituted it a border. It is found chiefly in the fact that the interval of recurrence is a regular one, having a fixed relation to the body of the type, to other borders and rules as well as to the more elaborate combinations, and to the regular standard measures of columns and pages. Fulfilling the last of these conditions, the usefulness of these ornaments became at once apparent. As borders—and in a greater degree as adjuncts to rule-work and other borders, or as ground-tints—they had a wide range of usefulness. It is in the neglect of the third condition that the English designs fall short. Had they all been cast on the centre of an em of pica, or any other multiple of nonpareil, their usefulness would have been increased tenfold. One is cast to a small-pica em; another is small-pica x pica, and another, long-primer x two-line emerald. They are therefore adapted neither to regular measures, nor to work in combination with any other border.
There are many varieties of the one-character border, some very ornamental. We show a few, some of which are principally used as ground-tints:—
In light and open work, such ornaments may with advantage be spaced apart, and in most cases a rule on one or both sides adds to a printer has used the ordinary characters of a body-fount in this fashion. In themselves, they may be unobjectionable, but their familiarity, and their association with ordinary work, spoil the effect. We do not regard such as this as judicious or legitimate ornament:
The more familiar the symbol, the less it is suited for decoration.
Combination rules of similar character were once much in vogue, and may be found in good-class bookwork of forty years ago. The variety and artistic beauty of modern rules and borders has superseded devices like this, which nowadays suggest the « 'prentice hand. »
« 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. »
I noticed the following paragraph from the Sydney Bulletin of December 15, 1888:— « It is reported from Victoria that Mr C. O. Montrose, a well-known New Zealand journalist, is dead. » Charles Otho Montrose was very well known in Auckland some years ago, where he became a journalist of note. He was, when the craft first made his acquaintance in Auckland, a messenger in the Daily Southern Cross office, then he became « follower » to the reader, and afterwards a reporter, in which line he showed much ability. He occupied the sub-editor's chair on one of the papers for some time. He wrote a « History of New Zealand, » which appeared in the Observer some years ago, and was judged by critics to be a very good work.
Among the passengers by the Mariposa, the last-arrived 'Frisco mail boat, was Mr R. J. Creighton, the well-known New Zealand journalist, on his way from San Francisco (where he has been resident for several years past) to Australia. Mr Creighton's mission is in connection with the renewal of the Pacific Mail Service, which has always been a matter he has taken a warm and active interest in. Many old friends have welcomed Mr Creighton during his brief stay in our city to-day. Mr Creighton will be remembered as having been a part-proprietor with the late Mr Alfred Scales of the Daily Southern Cross. He was also editor of the Cross for some time. Mr Creighton afterwards became a member of Parliament for an Auckland constituency. He is stated by some of our journals to have been for some time past New Zealand Government Agent at San Francisco, just before taking which appointment he had been Private Secretary to the Governor at Honolulu.
Mr Brett is now advertising the Observer and Free Lance for sale, with a great reduction on the original plant—not in price, but quantity—his object doubtless being to render it impossible for any one to start the ringing of a Bell again.
The Hawera Star says of Harding's Almanac:—
This is always one of the most welcome annuals with us; for not only are its contents of a capital order, but as a specimen of typography it is to our mind the best produced in the colony. There is a master's hand in it, and the craft cannot but be pleased at the production.
Herr Julius Klinkhardt, Leipzig, sends us a copy of his fourteenth specimen-book, representing something over a year's work in the production of novelties. A remarkable book it is, containing 48 large quarto pages, closely filled with specimens, and adorned with elaborate borders, besides three large folding sheets of finely-engraved poster-cuts. The two outside pages, in three colors, are remarkable specimens of intricate and artistic composition, The first few pages contain specimens of English and American styles of job-letter; these are followed by an original design— « Merkur-Kanzlei » —a very pretty and novel sloping German Text, in two series, light and heavy-faced, six sizes each. The « Miniature » border, 59 pieces, is one of those neat and minute designs in which German printers delight and which are the English comp's special aversion. Nearly one-half the sorts are on half-nonpareil body. It is very effectively displayed in the specimen sheet. In marked contrast, a sheet of poster and handbill borders, for one and two colors, follows—bold and handsome designs. « Altdeutsche » initials come next, in five sizes, 16- to 120-point. The style (which we do not admire) is heavy black scroll-work, relieved with an interlaced pattern. As an example of German thoroughness, this series is worthy of note. To correspond with these initials, we find in other parts of the book, every class of book-work ornament—head-pieces, tail-pieces, and corners, large and small. Several double pages are entirely occupied with this « old-German » style of scroll ornament, nearly a hundred pieces in all being shown. So that a large book could be decorated throughout with these initials and ornaments, all in perfect harmony, without repeating a single character. Some pretty Gothic initials for two colors follow, and next we have a page of typographic ornaments, 87 in all—the prettiest thing in the book. It contains every variety of the little vignette ornaments now so much in favor—turn-down and pinned corners, cobwebs, flowers, fans, cupids, birds, perched and flying, insects, medallions, and little silhouette figures. Every piece is a study, and the series is the most complete and useful of the kind yet produced. We have next a page containing twenty-four of Professor Strohl's head-pieces on a smaller scale than the original series. These ornaments have been in the hands of the trade for eight years, and the issue of a second series is sufficient proof that they are still popular. There are several pages of sketchy and artistic vignettes produced by the zinco-engraving process; fine electrotype portraits, in two sizes, of the new German emperor and empress, of the dowager empress, of the kings of Saxony, Denmark, and Sweden, and the prince-regent of Bavaria, of the Pope of Rome, of Bismarck, and von Moltke; and some hundreds of newspaper and jobbing vignettes. The book is a fine example of artistic skill and business enterprise combined.
Messrs Schelter & Giesecke have come out with an original set of « Amoret » initials, for one and two colors—one of the prettiest sets yet designed, with a background of foliage. So far as they are shown there is but one figure to each initial. The series differs from all preceding ones in the use of letters of the missal style instead of plain roman.
From James Conner's Sons, New York, we have a large quarto specimen book. Most of the new faces have been already noted in our pages. A noticeable feature in the title-page is the neat and accurate manner in which a groundwork has been cut away to admit a medallion. Such effects as these are out of the question with the appliances of an ordinary printing office, besides involving a waste of material which it requires the resources of a foundry to supply. The book opens with admirable roman faces, modern and old style.
Among the styles new to us is a fat-faced « Backslope Titles, » two sizes. « Belgrave » is a pretty heavy-face square-footed ornamental style, with lower-case. « Stylograph » is something like MacKellar's « Grolier, » but neater, and with more restraint exercised in the form of the caps. « Stylograph Text » is an upright script, with caps approximating to the old English character. « Curved Egyptian » has a good effect, though some of the individual letters are ugly. « Nubian Condensed » is a quaint and pretty fancy style, with lower-case, which will commend itself to tasteful printers everywhere. « Light Mediæval » is an ornamented roman, flourished too much to be readily legible. « Puritan, » caps and small caps, is a good eccentric, something in the « Mother Hubbard » style, but lighter. « Grotesque Ornamented » is irregular, but effective. Three original series of Greek, Hebrew, and Rabbinical, are new to us. The Greek is sloped, and is too light-faced for our fancy. The Hebrew and Rabbinic are well cut; the former in eight sizes—nonpareil to 2-line english.—The Messenger for the last quarter of 1888 contains a heavy narrow letter called « Nero, » in four sizes, 36- to 72-point, with caps, lower-case, and small-caps. It reminds us of several recent American designs, but has a character of its own. « Metropolis, » with lower-case, is not unlike « Cosmopolitan, » by the same foundry, but is not so freely flourished. On an enclosed card we have the latest novelty, « Alden, » a pretty light ornamented condensed style, in four sizes, 10- to 24-point. « Utility » ornaments, in two series, consist of ornamented corners and centre-pieces, some of which are neat and effective. A good many of the sorts of series No. 1 are repeated in No. 2.
The Printers' Bulletin, representing the Boston and Central Foundries, contains several novelties. The « Quincy » script is shown in two smaller sizes, 36- and 24-point. « Coburg » is an exaggerated old-style expanded roman with lower-case—three sizes. « Venus » is a shaded tint-faced roman; « Raphael, » the same with the addition of lower-case. « Mantua » is a hair-line roman with lower-case, the only characteristic feature of which is, that the points of the A, V, and W are rounded. « Dürer » and « Rubens » are very heavy solid condensed letters with lower-case—the latter nearly as tall as the caps.
Marder, Luse, & Co. shew « Trinal » —three eccentric founts, caps only, intended to work together. The larger sizes have extra sorts with straggling processes from top or bottom, which extend above or below the other sizes when used as small caps. « Rule ornaments, » like Barnhart's « Wave, » are in imitation of rule-twisting, and much more economical.
The Lindsay Typefoundry, New York, show in four sizes—12- to 36-point—a new condensed ornamented style with lower-case, called « Gretchen. » It is quaint and graceful, and will be an acquisition to the job printer.
Farmer, Little, & Co. send us a complete supplement to their specimen-book of 1885. All the new job styles it contains have been reviewed in former numbers of this paper.
The Patent Typefounding Company show an original condensed style with lower-case called « Holbein. » It is neat and striking, in an American style now much in vogue. The same firm have also brought out some very plain and pretty initials—condensed latin letters in white on stippled ground.
The value of trade exhibitions in centres where members connected with any industry regularly come together is being better recognized every day. Our friends of the paper, printing, and stationery branches are invited by the Middle German Paper Union to send contributions to the trade exhibitions which are now held in Leipzig at Easter and Michaelmas on the occasion of the celebrated Leipzig fairs. As Leipzig is the recognized centre of the continental book and paper trades, there can be no better opportunity for bringing colonial productions immediately before the eyes of our continental friends. Mr G. Hedeler, of Leipzig, who is a member of the Exhibition Committee of the Union, has undertaken to furnish information and assistance to intending exhibitors from these colonies.
The event of the past month has been the libel action of Larnach against the Auckland Herald, in which the defendants were fined £500, and were further cast in costs amounting probably to an equal sum. This was a more flagrant injustice even than the case of the Nelson Mail, recorded last month; but the fault in this instance lay not with the law of libel, but with the stupidity or prejudice— possibly both—of a jury. There was one point in common in both cases, in each instance to the extreme disadvantage and great cost of the unlucky newspaper. The ordinary and reasonable rule that a matter should be judged where the alleged offence was committed, was set aside. The Nelson Mail with its witnesses was dragged over to Blenheim, where the friends and partizans of the plaintiff were in great force; and the Auckland Herald case was tried nearly five hundred miles away, in Wellington—the most hostile locality in the colony. In the Nelson case, the plaintiff appears to have been actually libelled, though not by the defendant. In the Auckland case there was not (except in the most extreme technical sense), any libel at all. We could, if we chose, almost fill this paper with the indignant comments of the press on this scandalous case. In addressing the jury, Mr Justice Richmond said: « Society could hardly be held together if any one who possessed some money and types to start a newspaper could publish under the plea of public interest any calumny on a person who took part in public affairs. » If his Honor had known anything of the low-class papers of the colony, he would never have made this remark, which was singularly impertinent to the case before him. The state of things which he treated as imaginary is exactly what exists, and is largely owing to the present libel law and the vagaries of good men and true like the twelve humorists of the Empire City. The Wellington Press justly remarks that such verdicts place respectable papers, conducted by men of substance, in peril every day, and leave the liberty of public criticism only to disreputable prints, in the hands of men who are not worth powder and shot. During the past two years there have been published many wilful, cruel, and gross libels—some against gentlemen in high positions, others, more cowardly still, affecting private reputation. Some of these have been very notorious, and have aroused public indignation, but not one of them has come before the Courts. The offenders presumed upon their own insignificance and impecuniosity, and on the magnanimity of their victims. Ten or twelve civil actions were tried, only three successful; but all exceedingly costly to the journals concerned. Here is a summary of the working of the libel law in two years. One criminal case—an editor, attacking a corrupt public body, inserts a stupid squib against the secretary. Six months' sentence; business ruined; dies in three months, leaving widow and family. Civil cases: (1) solicitor against newspaper, puts paper to over £200 expense; knows he hasn't a leg to stand on; withdraws at the last moment—doubtless well satisfied. (2) travelling actors travel to South Sea Islands leaving accounts unpaid, newspaper notes the fact, press agent sends item by wire. Leading actor comes back, institutes two actions for £1000 each; recovers £150 from newspaper and £200 from press association. (3) fraudulent bankrupt is deeply hurt by unkind comments of newspaper man; claims £300; gets nothing; (4) professional man, misbehaving himself, is caned, and takes his assailant before R.M. Court; claims £50,000 of paper for reporting magistrate's remarks; gets nothing. (5) rival editors attack each other in their respective papers; one who comes off second-best claims £300; gets £25. (6) married couple addicted to drink; wife takes poison in evening; child tells father, who takes no action; wife found dead in morning; inquest; newspaper comments; widower claims £1000; loses case; mortgages property to lawyers to raise funds for second action, and files schedule; claims another £1000; again unsuccessful. (7) Justices squabble on the bench; clerk of court gets mixed up in affair; newspaper comments; clerk claims £200, and does not get it. (8) privileged members of public body make statements regarding officer which cannot be substantiated; aggrieved party claims £1000 of newspaper reporting board-meeting, and recovers £100. One or two cases too trivial to note, complete the wretched list. In Mr Larnach's case, the so-called libel arose out of a statement made in the House by Mr Hobbs, a fellow-member, and the facts, as represented by him, were very severely commented on by the Herald. Mr Hobbs, it turned out, was not correct in certain particulars in no way material to the issue. Like an honorable man, he apologized, and received in return a grossly insolent telegram, which Mr Larnach contrived to have read in the House. The proprietors of the Herald also apologized—an action perhaps less prudent than highminded; for the unlucky apology, which was acknowledged by Mr Larnach in his own peculiar style, appears to have prejudiced their case. It was a well-known fact—though not allowed as evidence—that the plaintiff had, as was stated, made all arrangements to leave New Zealand, and had taken his passage to Melbourne. He made no secret of his reasons for departure—the colony, where he had gained much of his wealth in trade, was depressed, and Melbourne, where money was plentiful, and speculation rampant, was a more inviting field for his enterprise. The fortuitous and quite irrelevant circumstance of the illness of a member of his family—made the most of by a smart lawyer—appears to have completely diverted the jury from the real issues, and there may have been even more obscure causes for their extraordinary verdict. The plaintiff is the man who comes worst out of the whole affair; and not the least unseemly part of the business was his ostentatious gift, while legal proceedings were pending, of his « honorarium » to an influential religious sect.
Lord Onslow is reported to have publicly stated that New Zealand « abhorred the great principle of freetrader. » He will find his error when he comes to New Zealand. It was only by most unworthy double-dealing that the policy which was condemned by the great majority of electors at last general election lias been forced upon the country. What the colony heartily « abhors » is the present tariff. Out of our hundred newspapers, those of any standing which support protection may be told off on the fingers of one hand.
The new curate at Wanganui, Mr Chapman, fell foul of the press at his first public appearance. At the meeting held to welcome him, he said he did not care for what the papers said, and « was sorry to see a reporter present. » He is not the first man whose heart has failed him at such a sight, though few will admit it. Mr Chapman's sorrow, let us hope, will lead him to repentance—it may be taken to imply that he is dimly conscious that his unguarded sayings will not stand the test of print. The Chronicle, which happened to be the paper represented on that occasion, has dealt firmly but kindly with the erring cleric.
The beautiful specimen-sheet issued by the Flinsch Foundry as a supplement to this month's issue of Typo, will interest our readers. In a small compass are shown five styles of job-letter, thirty-one founts in all, eleven borders, and two series of ornamental tail-pieces. These are all original productions of the foundry; they have been selected from their large stock as specially suited to English printers, and the sheet has been compiled and printed expressly for circulation in our journal. The prices, which are set forth in each case, are reasonable, and we have no doubt that those of our readers who are looking out for new styles of standard letter, will add some of these beautiful faces to stock. Pending the appointment of an agent in this colony, orders may be sent through the proprietor of this paper.—The London and Provincial Ink Company again issues two supplements, one containing press testimonials as to the excellence of their products, and the other showing a specimen of lithographic ink.
The fine classic series of initials, by Otto Weisert, of Stuttgart, running through our first two volumes, has been greatly admired by our readers. The handsome initial A in the present issue is from an alphabet brought out about ten years ago by Genzsch and Heyse of Hamburg, and which has never been surpassed by any other series of the kind. The heading « Typo » is in the new « Amoret » series by Poppelbaum, of the Krebs Foundry, Frankfort on the Main.
The Nelson Mail of 3rd January says: « There was a discussion at the Education Board to-day—it is unnecessary to specify the subject—which we believe ought, in the interest of the public, to be reported fully, but we have had nearly enough of reporting the proceedings of the Education Board, and therefore are compelled to refrain from letting the public know that with which, under a more satisfactory condition of the laws which at present muzzle the press, they would certainly be made acquainted. But 'once bit twice shy.' The member who brought the matter forward suggested that it might be advisable to go into committee to discuss it, but so far as he was concerned he did not care whether they did or not; he should speak hrs mind plainly without fear. 'Yes,' replied Mr Shephard, 'that's all very well, it is not you who need to fear; it's other people.' »
Mr Joyce, we are glad to learn, intends to take up the matter of libel law reform next session, and to introduce a bill modelled on the provisions of the new English statute. The two recent libel cases are suggestive of defects in the present law with which the English act, so far as we know, does not deal. It would be well to enact that in all cases of alleged newspaper libel, the case must be heard in the place of ordinary publication of the journal concerned.—The Welling-ton Post regrets that Mr Joyce has taken the matter up. With all respect, it considers that as a private member his standing is not high enough to enable him to carry it through successfully. It suggests that the press should formulate its views as to the amendments required, and submit them to the ministry, who could then bring in the bill as a Government measure. This is very well—if the press is willing to wait until a New Zealand ministry chooses to introduce a measure of reform!
The death of Pellegrini has removed from artistic circles a man of unique talents and undoubted genius. It is not too much to say that the success of the cynical and bitterly sarcastic paper Vanity Fair has been due to its weekly cartoon by « Ape, » the singular pseudonym adopted by the late artist. His portraits were unmistakeable—cruel in their fidelity to every weak point or mannerism in the subject. The turn of the head—the characteristic way in which the coat or hat was worn—every wrinkle in the garment—were represented—all with a touch of exaggeration, but never such as to destroy the likeness. For nineteen years a celebrity has been every week thus placed in the pillory, and the Vanity Fair gallery includes every man who has in any way distinguished himself during that period. The artist in all cases worked from observation of the characters themselves, and his portraits were invariably drawn from memory. In most instances they were sketched promptly; but not necessarily, as he has been known to produce a marvellous likeness three or four years after he had seen the subject and taken mental note of his peculiarities. His style was not that of the good-humored satirist—the utter absence of kindliness or human sympathy in his work is very noticeable, and causes a feeling of pain to any one who turns over his gallery of portraits.
A contributor to the Berlin Neue Musikzeitung elaborates the theory that the character of a man is to be predicated from the special vowel which predominates in his laughter. For instance, persons in whose laughter the letter a (sounded as ah) is dominant are open jovial honest folk, who delight in noise and movement. Laughter in e is an indication of the phlegmatic and melancholic. Children almost invariably laugh in i, and this is also observable in persons of a naive, docile, modest, or undecided character. Laughter in o, which the writer regards as the most dignified of all the laughing tones, is the mark of noble and bold tempers. The worst of all the laughters is that in u, which is the characteristic of the misanthropical.—Last year the editor of this paper devoted some study to the subject of the mental effects of vowel-sounds as exemplified in language, embodying his conclusions in a paper read before the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute last August, and briefly summarized in Typo, vol. ii, p. 67. It was suggested at the meeting that the principles laid down, though they might apply to the English language, could scarcely be of general application. It is therefore interesting to find that the German writer, following up a different line of investigation, attributes to the vowel-tones as characterizing laughter, precisely the same mental effects as the present writer assigned to them in language.
Referring to the late libel case, the Mataura Ensign says:— « We cannot help asking what the money is for. A gentleman was, under misapprehension, accused of meanness, but as soon as the truth appeared he received full and most public apologies. Can it be contended that he has suffered to the extent of £500?.. Everybody is amazed. If this case correctly expounds the law of libel, it is high time that that law was the subject of some considerable amendments. »
We are sorry to read that the Auckland Free Library is being plundered; the thieves being apparently possessed of some amount of education and literary taste. The « run » is chiefly upon Maori grammars and lexicons and the rare old works relating to the early history of the colony—in fact it has been found necessary to place the latter in a special apartment under lock and key. Sir George Grey's magnificent collection has not been spared, Captain Cruise's Voyages in New Zealand (1824) having recently vanished.
A « shield » of photo portraits of New Zealand press men was one of the exhibits of the late Melbourne centennial exhibition. It was reproduced in lithography by a Melbourne firm—apparently not very successfully. The editor of the Hauraki Tribune, who has seen a copy, says: « We hope for the sake of humanity that they are nct all good likenesses. » The Marlborough Express says: « Where the features are distinguishable they are hideous. For ferocity, villany, and imbecility, they would be hard to match. » One « amiable and cultivated gentleman with a slightly æsthetic touch about him, » comes out « like Captain Kidd, the pirate » !
A large Auckland firm has a somewhat primitive letter-box to their warehouse—a slit in the door through which letters fall to the floor. Towards the end of the present month, an employé, noticing some scraps of paper at the entrance to a rat-hole in the cellar, picked up what proved to be a fragment of a cheque for £21 12s. Other scraps showed that the cheque had been sent by one of the firm's travellers in the south; and fragments of orders for goods were also discovered. During the New Year's holidays, while the premises were closed, the rats made free with the correspondence, and but for the fortunate discovery of the fragments, much trouble would doubtless have arisen.
Our Government has original ideas of economy. Formerly, the Customs officials were equal to the task of checking invoices and assessing duties; now a retired draper has been appointed as an « expert » at a salary of £800. He wanted £1000, equal to the salary of the Premier; but the Government appear to have thought the income of an ordinary minister of the Crown sufficient for a gentleman who combines in his newly-created office the duties of landing-waiter and private detective. Acting on his advice the Government have lately seized a shipment of pianos, and sold them at a good profit, the unhappy importers receiving ten per cent, on invoice value, or less than actual cost landed in the colony. The ex-draper probably knows as much of pianos as he does of printing-machines or brass-rule; but there seems to be no appeal from his decisions. Trade should flourish under conditions like these!
The telegram editor of the Colonist expanded the message relating to the death of a celebrated writer, in a way which, (says a contemporary), was calculated to make angels weep. Here it is: « Obituary—Lawrence Oliphant, diplomatist, the author of Cancer on the Lungs, from which he suffered intense pain during the last five months. » —The humorous comp. of the Wanganui Chronicle, finding in his copy that « the edge of the footboard was across the nape of Mr Thain's neck, » substituted « footpath » and « nave » for two of the principal words.—A press directory may be misleading, if the editor has not his wits about him. Commenting on the Sir Robert Morier incident, a contemporary says, « The Cologne Gazette, a journal which, although probably of hardly the same standing as the Zeitung published in the same city, is still an important German organ » —oblivious of the fact that Cologne Gazette and Kölnische Zeitung are synonyms.—A South Island paper refers to a « mauvais suet. » —A lawyer down South assured the court that he spoke « without a cedilla of exaggeration, » and a local paper remarks that the word « scintilla, » which was probably intended, would have been equally misplaced.—The « Néue Freie Présse » of Vienna, is quoted by a contemporary whose ideas of accentuation are original.—A country paper demands the removal of a school inspector on account of his « glaring impartiality. » Some people are indeed hard to please.—Another country paper makes the startling announcement that « an insect resembling a waiter » has been discovered at Ormondville. By the « waiter » is probably meant the Hemideina deinacrida, a very large insect of terrifying appearance, known as weta by the natives.
The third volume of Cassell's Picturesque Australasia is published, and fully maintains the high reputation the work has already secured. In
We have received from the Government Printer a batch of official publications. A Manual of the Grass and Forage Plants useful to New Zealand, by Thomas Mackay, is issued by the Crown Lands department. Only the first part is yet published, treating of plants which have been or should be introduced from Britain and other countries. It is an excellent book, of a practical kind, and contains numerous colored lithographed plates, mostly of familiar old-world forms, such as the cabbage, carrot, and sunflower. The coloring is not in all cases true to nature, the very green ear of maize (plate xxv) for example. The lettering on the plates is too large, and they are all incorrectly headed « Fig. » instead of « Plate. » —From the same department we have the Crown Lands Guide, No. ix. It is a considerable time since the issue of No. viii, but the whole plan of the work has been changed, and in every respect the publication is a vast improvement on its predecessors. No special knowledge is now required to identify sections of land offered for sale—every lot is properly classified, and the nature of the land clearly described. The present Government, in the matter of land administration, compare very favorably with their predecessors, and appear to be conducting the department on something like business principles.—From the Survey Department there are four large sheets illustrating and describing some of the more remarkable scenery of the colony. One of these is devoted to the central thermal springs of the North Island; another to the interior cold lakes of the South Island; another to the western lakes and sounds of 'the South Island; and the fourth to Aorangi (Mount Cook), its lakes and glaciers. These are all illustrated with beautifully lithographed views of the scenery, and with locality maps. It is time that the Survey office dropped the name « Middle, » as applied to the South Island. It is quite obsolete, except in official publications.—Several publications of the geological department are included in the parcel—the Reports of Explorations during 1886-7—a large octavo of lii—270 pp., illustrated with maps and sections, and reports on the Tarawera eruption of 10th June, 1886, by Professors Hutton and Thomas, profusely illustrated.—The same department also issue Studies in Biology, by A. Purdie, m.a., No. 3 being devoted to the common mussels (Mytilus latus, edulis, and Magellanicus). One other publication is included in the parcel—the Registrar-General's Report on the Statistics of New Zealand for 1887. For all practical purposes this invaluable digest is sufficient, and though it may be advisable to compile the enormous and intricate tables annually issued by the department, we cannot but regard the printing of them as an unnecessary expense. It may, for example, be useful to know how many Irvingites or Romanists there are in New Zealand, but what possible object is served by printed tables showing the manner in which they are distributed in every town, village, and road board district in the colony? A new feature in this year's report is an appendix containing « dates of some of the principal events in the history of New Zealand. » The list contains about two hundred and fifty items, and as far as it goes is useful; but might be revised and made more complete. Some of the dates are left blank, and we are doubtful of the accuracy of some that are given. We would like to see dates of decease of some of the prominent men connected with New Zealand—ex-governors and others. The deaths of ex-Governor Fitzroy and ex-Premier Domett, for example, are not mentioned—in fact the deaths of men of note who have died in the colony, and actually in harness—as for example, Sir D. M'Lean and Mr Macandrew—are ignored. These and similar matters are sometimes to be found in almanacs, but often incorrectly given. On the other hand, the murders and skirmishes in the troublous times of thirty years ago are carefully noted, making a very black list. Surely the « history » of the colony is something more than a catalogue of ministerial defeats, Maori outrages, visits of princes, and days of thanksgiving for their recovery from illness! We hope that this table is only the nucleus of a much fuller and better one in future volumes.
From Messrs Innes & Co. we have received the sixth annual issue of the Hawera Star book almanac. The directory has been expanded to include the whole of the coast between Wanganui and New Plymouth—a field covered by no other publication. The volume maintains its reputation as one of the best-printed in the colony. Not only does it exclude the annoying colored insets, but it does not admit a single advertisement among the pages devoted to reference matter—in that respect, we believe, standing alone among New Zealand almanacs.
Mr Law's action against the investigating committee of the Bank of New Zealand, will result, says the Evening Post, in « the singular spectacle of a Judge of the Supreme Court being sued in his own Court for libel. Mr Justice Gillies, to whom the Auckland Supreme Court district is assigned, is a member of that committee, and his name was attached to the report which is alleged to have contained the libellous statements. It is rather a matter of regret that a Supreme Court Judge should have so identified himself with the transactions of a trading corporation as to render himself liable to be made a party, especially in the position of a defendant, to legal proceedings in a Court over which he presides. »
The libel action, Larnach v. the proprietors of the Auckland Herald, was heard at the Supreme Court at Wellington on the 21st January. Sir Robert Stout appeared for plaintiff and Mr Gully and Mr Skerrat for defendants. The plaintiff alleged that on July 19, 1888, defendants falsely and maliciously published an article commenting on his departure from the colony when Parliament was in session, to enter into business in Melbourne, having first asked leave of absence on the plea of illness in his family, and continuing to draw his honorarium, wherefore he claimed £3000 damages. Defendants admitted the publication, but denied malice, and said that the subject-matter of the alleged libels became, and was a matter of public interest, and thereupon they published the comments set out in plaintiff's statement bona Me for the public good, and without sinister and malicious motives. They also denied that the said publications were libellous. The evidence taken was brief, the writers of the articles complained of deposing that they commented without malice upon what they supposed to be the true facts of the case. Mr Justice Richmond in summing up said that the facts upon which comment was based by public writers must be established on reasonable evidence. A verdict for plaintiff, damages £500, was returned. A movement having been set on foot to pay the fine and costs by public subscription, the Herald proprietors declined the proffered assistance.
The St. Louis Stationer, of which No. 2 has reached us, is the latest and not the least of the trade journals in the United States. It contains forty-eight large quarto pages, in a colored wrapper, and is liberally supported by advertisers. The title on the wrapper is an ingenious combination of wood-engraving, rule-twisting, and typography. On the subject of international copyright, the Stationer is « against monopolies in state and nation. » A paper by Mr E. Ennis on this subject occupies a prominent place and is full of very obvious fallacies. He first demonstrates that literary work is public property, and that original thinkers and writers are bound to give and are not entitled to sell the result of their thought and labor. (This is no exaggeration—his words are: « Words once uttered, like the Hashing lightning, should belong to humanity. You might as well sell water or fresh air as ideas or thoughts. » ) This is very fine, and it fully justifies the action of any one thirsting for knowledge who should choose to rob a bookseller's shop. A finished literary work is an embodied idea, no doubt—so is a minted com. A printed poem consists of « words once uttered » —so does a bank-note, and the former no more « belongs to humanity » than does the latter. Infringement of copyright is theft, and as vulgar and wicked as any other dishonesty, however it may be veiled in fine language. International copyright he compares with American slavery and finds it the greater evil, as « tending to enslave the mind. » But with grand inconsistency, he would have a strict copyright for American authors, whose productions, apparently do not « belong to humanity. » « If he [the author] be a foreigner and wants protection in our market in which to sell his productions, let him become a citizen of our free republic » &c, &c, &c. This is good, with all the empty talk about humanity—which is invariably to be found associated with the narrowest and most selfish local prejudices. The (foreign) author may starve and die, and the world may lose the benefit of his ripest thought; but « humanity » does not profit, except in the individual person of the Yankee pirate.—The same paper contains the curious alphabet of the Cherokee language, constructed, as is well known, by a native (partly of European descent), who had never been taught to read or write, but who had come into possession of some printed and written papers, and had formed an idea of their use. Roman letters, figures, scroll marks, often reversed, inverted, or turned sidewise, compose this unique alphabet of seventy-five characters, which in type, is suggestive of the Fonetic Nuz.—An original article on the « Modern Newspaper, » foreshadows the abolition of the leading article, and the scientific and literary essay department, and the complete surrender of the columns to the reporter, the telegraph agency, and the advertiser. « Essays and editorials will be confined to magazines and trades papers. » There is much force in the suggestion. The modern daily of the colonies, and still more the overgrown weekly reprint, with its news, its essays, its politics, its sermons, its prize-fight department, its sporting « tips, » its reviews, its poetry, its science (?),—is a monstrosity. It is elevating in one page, and demoralizing in another. It aims at universality, and fails in every department. It is enormously expensive in production, contains hundreds of columns, and every reader wading through interminable wastes to find what interests himself, declares there is « nothing in it. » Every day literature is becoming more specialized, and the younger journalists of to-day will probably live to see the « mammoth » daily and weekly sheets now in vogue become as extinct as the beast whose name they bear.
The American Art Printer No. 3 follows very quickly on the last to hand, but is dated as far back as May-June, 1888. It contains a finely-printed two-page supplement, exhibiting fine qualities of black and colored printing-inks, a beautiful portrait in stipple, and a fine specimen of rule-and-color work produced in the publisher's office. Four business cards are shown and criticised; the first strikes us as the best; but there are seven workings in register—a somewhat expensive job. As an exponent of the progress of high-class printing in the United States, the Art Printer takes a leading position.
The American Lithographer and Printer for 27th October, contains title-page and an exhaustive index. This paper occupies a deservedly high position in technical journalism.
The Inland Printer for November contains over eighty quarto pages. It is full of practical articles and fine plates illustrating new engraving processes. Two remarkable specimens of rule-work and color-printing appear in this issue, the editor having offered handsome premiums for the best examples.
The Printers' Bulletin, the organ of the Boston Typefoundry, contains well-engraved portraits of Messrs Schraubstädter & St. John, of the Central Foundry, and of the late Mr J. K. Rogers. Brief biographies accompany the portraits. It also shows some new styles of type—noted elsewhere.
Paper and Press for November contains notes of several important inventions in various branches of the art, to which we intend to devote some space at an early date.
The B. and V. Printer and Stationer contains a forcible article signed « J., » entitled « A Plea for Art in Letterpress Printing. » He advocates the cultivation of taste in typography, and the education of printers in the use of types. Typo is not alone in the crusade for « the advancement of the art of printing. » « A Talk about Type » is an interview with Mr A. Sauvé, the new London typefounder. He says the English founders « create very few new faces. The vast majority are copies of what are produced abroad. » He says a good deal about standards, but does not enlighten us as to his own.
The Export Journal of Leipzig, has been awarded a Silver Medal at the International Competition in Brussels. The honor is well deserved.
The Copenhagen Typografiske og Litho-grafiske Meddelelser (an unwieldy title!) comes out with a new design on the wrapper, which is printed in tints. The whole paper is marked by neatness of composition and good presswork. It contains some very good engravings by the « Liimtype » process of Prof. Husnik, Prague.
The Indian and Colonial Importers' Guide (Adams Bros., London) contains numerous illustrations of stationery novelties.
Mr James Salmon sends us an alphabetical illustrated price-list. Among the new inventions illustrated we see an ingenious « knocker-up » (such as is called a « jogger » by the Yankees) for keeping the paper perfectly square on the machine after delivery by the flyer.
Mr J. J. Field sends us price-list and samples of his chemical and non-corrosive inks and his gum mucilage. We have for several years past known the inks produced by this house to be among the best in the market—their perfect solubility and freedom from sediment being strong points in their favor. We have also tested the gum, and find it excellent.
Messrs Joshua Jones & Sons, London, send us samples of « fine art border cards, » lithographed in monotint. There are three sizes, six patterns in each. Every design is a gem. We decidedly prefer them to the American « steel-plate » cards produced by a ruling machine in imitation of indian-ink work—many of which are vague and poor in design, and will not bear close examination.
Messrs John Haddon & Co. send us their new illustrated catalogue of types, machinery, and materials for printers, bookbinders, and stationers. It contains a fine selection of the newest type faces, plain and combination rules, borders, and ornaments. Every requisite in machinery and material is also shown. The catalogue occupies over sixty large octavo pages. From several years' dealings with Messrs Haddon & Co., we can confidently recommend the firm to colonial buyers.
The Lyttelton Times apparently places party above all other considerations, and exults over the result of the Auckland Herald libel case. We venture to predict that should the Times find itself—as any journal might—in a similar position, it would not meet with the sympathy from the press generally hat its Auckland contemporary has received.
The Advance is the name of a new religious and literary weekly, published in Melbourne.
The Wanganui Herald comps. had an unhappy new year. The two inside pages fell through, and had to be entirely re-set, causing considerable delay in the issue of the paper.
We acknowledge with thanks the St. Louis Stationer, a paper and printing trades journal, from No. 2 (October, 1888.) We have more fully referred to this excellent monthly elsewhere. (Mem. Please send us No. 1.)
The Marlborough Express has isued as a supplement, a large and very neatly-printed broadsheet calendar.—The Catholic Times has issued a large sheet almanac in blue and brown, containing all the festivals of the Church of Rome.
Two religious newspapers in Queensland—Joy Bells and the Evangelical Messenger, have recently disappeared from the field. The Rev. H. Youngman has just started a new paper in Brisbane entitled the Queensland Christian Witness and Methodist Journal, which it is hoped will meet with better success.
The Bay of Plenty Times is now issued twice instead of thrice weekly. Since the paper passed into the hands of its present proprietor, it has decidedly improved; but it has not proved a profitable concern, and the change, therefore, will be of benefit to all interested. How two, and for a time three, papers, kept up the struggle for existence in this small community is an insoluble problem.
The Germans have been carrying matters with a high hand in Samoa, and, as the following extract from the local Times shows, have made things lively for the press:—« Mr Jones, the Government printer, paid a visit to our office yesterday. He represented to us that he was violently assaulted at the Occidental Hotel last Sunday evening by a party of sailors from the warship Adler, who were under the impression that Mr Jones was our editor. Mr Jones, after a tussle, escaped into a room, the door of which our German friends besieged, but they immediately left off when they were informed of the mistake they had made, and apologized to Mr Jones. The editor is really sorry for Mr Jones, but candidly speaking, he cannot regret the mistake. »
The Samoan Times has been suppressed by the German invaders from 19th January. Of what use is the British consul?
The South Wairarapa Advocate is the name of a recent venture. It can scarcely be called a new paper, as it is (except the title) almost identical with the Star lately started at Masterton. It is not a good sign when a newspaper comes out in this way under different titles. We have seen an East London paper with as many as seven or eight—one for every parish in the vicinity. The system is not fair, either to subscribers or advertisers.
By the recent fire in the Town and Country Journal office in Sydney, the whole of the contents of the composing and machine rooms were competely lost, besides the extensive plant and stock of blocks and engravings used in illustrating the weekly newspaper. Altogether seven printing machines, a large stereotyping plant, two gas engines, twelve type-setting machines, and 569 type-cases were destroyed. The stock of paper and plant, which was kept in a store at the rear of the main building, escaped with but trifling damage.
A tradesman down south called on an editor, and presenting a double-barrelled gun at his head, demanded an apology for and a full retraction of the suggestion in the previous issue that he had joined the Salvation Army. In his next issue the editor « retracted » thus: « Certainly the gentleman did not look like one converted, nor moreover, like one who was ever likely to be. To so say that a man capable of shooting an editor in cold blood has been converted is, we consider, a gross libel on religion, from which we shrink. »
We had a word or two in our May number (p. 40), about the projected Melbourne evening Star, which was to be brought out by a company, and to cut out the old-established Telegraph. It was to be run on strictly society lines, and was warmly taken up by the Melbourne T. A., many confiding comps being induced to take shares in the concern. We see by the Journal that the company is now defunct, and the shareholders have not been able to get their deposits returned. The Secretary of the Association, (who received and paid in the money) has had to place the matter in the hands of the Society's solicitor.
The Auckland Herald says:— « Mr Samuel Johnson, now resident at Waipawa, sends to the editor of the Herald, for presentation to the Auckland Muesurn, two copies of The Albertland Gazette and Ocean Chronicle. Mr Johnson was one of the early Albertland settlers, and came out in the Matilda Wattenbaeh, and the journals now sent for preservation to the Auckland Institute were printed on board of that vessel. The contents are exceedingly interesting even now, and one can easily fancy that in, say fifty years here-after, the descendents of those who came in the Matilda Watteribach will peruse these pages with deep interest. We understand that Mr Johnson has a bound copy of all the issues of the Albertland Gazette, and we hope that he will see his way to present that also to the Auckland Institute as a valuable historical memorial.))—We well remember the references to the Gazette, and the numerous interesting extracts published in the Auckland papers when the Albertland settlers arrived.
The American compositresses are about to issue a magazine called the Printer Girl.
O'Donovan Rossa claims from the New York Herald $100,000 for libel! Is it possible that any charge against him could be a libel?
The Torch, and Colonial Book Circular is an evidence of the importance the colonial markets are assuming in the eyes of the English book trade. Started early last year, this new monthly has already gained a good footing. One of its features is a comprehensive Bibliography of Australasia, a work of great value and immense research, pubblished in instalments. This periodical is admirably printed, on fine paper. Messrs John Haddon & Co. are the London agents.
A new line in journalism has been struck out by the Writer and Reader, specimen copies of which have reached us from London. The special idea of this new review is to « admit an author's remarks on his own production to appear, » to « inform the reader of the object or intent of the book. » a As authors are a much misunderstood race, they ought to avail themselves freely of this new method of removing misapprehensions, and confounding unfriendly critics. Lest the object of the paper should be misunderstood, it is expressly laid down that « nothing in the form of criticism from an author will be admitted. » The paper is ably edited, and having the advantage of a wide field and being conducted on an original plan, should prove a success.
The Fielding Star says:—A valuable historical document, of which a copy is now given, is in the possession of Mr Baker, Clerk to the Court, Fielding. We understand it' is the intention of Mr Baker to send it to the Auckland Museum as a voucher of the true and intrinsic value of the body of a New Zealand slave taken in war, who was intended to be killed and eaten on the next day, but was rescued by purchase by Mr Baker's father « in the good old times. » « This is to certify that I, Te Potai, do give up and renounce for ever all claim to Tahi, my slave, to Mr Charles Baker in consideration of the payment duly delivered, in kind as under named, being two blankets. In witness thereof I have hereby affixed my mark, this 17th day of December, 1831. Te Potai (his mark). Witness—Thomas Chapman (Church Mission), John Hobbs (Wesleyan Mission). »
Mr David Payne, of the firm of Payne & Sons, printers' engineers, Otley, died in November last.
An English telegram of 7th January, records the death of Mr Halliwell Phillips, Shakspearean critic.
Au English telegram of 24th January, records the death of Pellegrini, the caricaturist of Vanity Fair.
We regret to have to record the death, on the oth January, of Mr T. G. Smith, youngest son of Mr J. T. Smith, printer, Christchurch, aged 33 years.
We regret to note the death, on 23rd December, at the age of 59, after a painful illness, of Mr Lawrence Oliphant, diplomatist, and author of works chiefly of a philosophical and mystical character.
Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Coupland Harding, at his registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—May, 1888.
XXVI.
Borders of one character, described in our last article, are obviously the most elementary. They necessarily consist of a unit that is the same and in the same position on all four sides of the work, and is therefore at the same time running-piece and corner:
No sooner does the second element—the separate corner—come in, than designers go astray. A corner becomes necessary when any design which is horizontal at head and foot becomes vertical at the sides. Here is a very simple and a more elaborate form, in illustration.
The first fundamental requisite of every border of more than one character is, that it have an appropriate border on its own body.
This condition is fulfilled in the borders shown above. Further, if the border is not symmetrical—that is to say, if the inner side differs from the outer, as in the second example above, it should have two corners on its own body, one inner, and one outer. For it is evident, that if this border be reversed,
the corner is no longer appropriate. These corners should be square, not quadrants. If quadrants are introduced,
they should be as extras. In devising a border, therefore, the foundation pieces should always be:
It is evident, from any specimen-book, that all borders do not fulfil these conditions—in fact, those that do are exceedingly rare. Why should they? some one may ask. Why should not the artist who designs a new border have perfect freedom, and follow the dictates of his own fancy? Why should the primary corners be square, on the same body as the border; and why are inner as well as outer corners essential?
The answer is, that all designs have their practical as well as their artistic side, and that the former is even more important than the latter; as, however beautiful a border may be, if it cannot be adapted to the work in hand, it must lie idle in the case. There are several good reasons why the primary corner should be on the same body as the running-piece. In the first place, it simplifies composition. There is not always room for a large corner, which necessitates a blank either inside or outside—perhaps both. Again, the border may be required to work close up to a brass-rule or to another border, which cannot be done if the corner is larger than the other pieces.
The square inner or secondary corner is equally important in all cases where the border is unsymmetrical. In symmetrical designs, the primary corner B inverted is exactly equal to the secondary corner C. In unsymmetrical borders, the inverted corner B, as we have shown by two examples, breaks the pattern in exactly the same manner as a running-piece put in upside-down. In such borders, the secondary corner C is necessary, because it is often desirable to reverse a border, working the inside outwards. A fringe, for example, may be either within or without another border. The objection of inflexibility, so often raised against type ornaments, almost disappears in the case of a border that turns freely inward or outward on its own body. We have very few examples of such—our best, Schelter and Giesecke's « Preciosa, » is, unfortunately, almost microscopic:—
In the first illustration, the thick line, outside at the corner, is brought inside by the border turning upon itself and crossing; the second and third show the border in its regular and inverted forms, and the fourth, the two in combination.
We have referred to the fringe pattern. MacKellar's « Drapery » is a good example of a defective combination. Possessing both exterior and interior corners, it has neither in the primary form. The border is to 9-point (German), the exterior corner (a quadrant) to 18-point, and the interior (a square) to 12-point. Consequently, neither rule nor border can be worked close to the fringe on either side, except by the wasteful and troublesome process of mitering the running-pieces. In this case we have a combination of thirty-two characters, and two of the fundamentals forgotten. In fact, the 12-point square corner was an afterthought, and is not to be found in the original synopsis of characters. The diagrams B and C above, are from mitred pieces.
The foundation or essential pieces of a border being indicated by letters and the non-essentials by figures, the sorts may be thus classified:—
Running Piece.
A1, A2,…. Running pieces of various lengths for justification, differing only in number of units.
Outer Corner, square, on its own body.
B1, B2,…. Outer corners, extra, different styles, on its own or larger bodies.
Inner Corner, square, on its own body.
C1, C2….. Inner corners, extra.
Wherever practicable, the border should fill the body—it can then, as we have explained in regard to the fringe, be composed close to an exterior or interior border. This rule is very commonly neglected, especially by the English founders. They will buy strikes of a German Cicero (2-line emerald) border, and cast it on great-primer, with a white space on one or both sides. The buyer who orders from printed specimens is not aware of this defect until he opens the parcel. The new and pretty English « Lace » border, of two characters, has this fault. It cannot be connected with an interior pattern, as nothing can be brought nearer to it than the groundwork shown herewith. Another defect is that the running-pieces are somewhat shorter than the standard of the body, causing trouble in justification.
There is only one other variety of characters in running borders, which we shall class as D—any further development constituting what is called a combination.
D, D1, D2,… Centre-Pieces.
These are not essential except where the unit is a long one, and they should then always be so graduated to such regular sizes as to admit of the border being justified to a nonpareil em. Like the sorts B1, necessary characters are supplied. To send out a border with B1, B2, &c., without B, is like making up a body-fount with appropriate two-line letters, but no caps. Yet it is done every day.
There should be no display of the artist's fancy in the sorts B, C. They should accurately continue the pattern in the form of a mitre. To ascertain exactly what the corner of any given running border should be, cut a specimen of it with a pair of scissors at an angle of 45° through the centre of the unit, and make a corresponding cut in the opposite direction. Lay these together, and the result is the true corner. For the inner corner (C), cut in the reverse direction. By cutting at regular distances right and left of the centre, a variety of corners may be made, all appropriate, and sometimes striking and effective, but generally weaker than the regular one, as the pattern is as a rule fullest at the centre of the unit. In the larger corners (B1, C1), and the larger centre-pieces (which should always correspond with corners on the same body), the pattern may be interlaced, scrolled, or otherwise varied according to the artist's taste; but such ornaments should never displace the fundamental characters already described.
Our craft has been in a somewhat sad state during the past month, and is likely to continue so until the House begins its session again—but when that will be there is no chance of guessing. Some twenty comps in the Government Printing Office are now on half-time, and are thankful even for that small mercy.
The fifteenth half-yearly report of the Wellington Branch of the N.Z.T.A. has just been issued, and was presented this evening at the general meeting. The following is a précis of the report:—The Board of Management regret to record a period of severe depression in the trade, with anything but a cheering outlook, there being a number of hands unemployed, and twenty on « half-time » at the Government Printing Office, with no immediate prospect of improvement. This has caused a heavy drain on the funds, as a number have been compelled to claim unemployed benefit. The rule regarding these benefits requires your immediate attention, as, if the rule is to be administered as printed, the amount of subscription per week will require raising, or else levies to augment the funds must be struck. There has been a deal of dissatisfaction regarding this matter, and your Board press it as an urgent one. In accordance with Clause 2 of the last Annual Report, an advertisement was inserted in the Evening Post and the leading country journals, notifying that compositors in this provincial district must join the Association prior to the 31st December, or a fine of £2 would be inflicted for not doing so when application was eventually made. This had the effect of bringing a few men to the front who would otherwise not have joined. During the half-year the Secretary has had to write and answer (jointly) no less than 148 letters to various parts of the colonies. The Federated Trades Union Council invite the discussion of an « Eight-hours Day. » During the half-year the Board instructed the Secretary to communicate with the various overseers and readers in the city, with the view of obtaining their support as hon. members. The result has been that all the overseers in the Government Printing Office (except one), and all the readers, with one exception, have signified their willingness to do so. In the private offices no response has been made. Deputations have waited on non-union masters with a view to getting their offices on a fair footing, but the only result was the remark, « If the masters form an association, we will willingly join. » The Board were of opinion that, as they are now affiliated with the Trades and Labor Union, and the Australasian Typographical Union, the continuance of the Branch's support to the Executive Council of the N.Z.T.A. is no longer necessary, and would recommend the Branch at this meeting to take action to sever their connexion with the Council, on account of the heavy drain upon the funds. The attention of members was drawn to the increase of apprentices in the Government Printing Office, there being eight at present employed at case. This is more than is allowed by rule, and, if possible, should be reduced by the members working in that office. The number of members on the roll is 80, as against 96 at the last Annual Meeting. The receipts for the half-year amount to £93 4s 7d (inclusive of bank balance and cash in hand at beginning of half-year.) The expenditure aggregates £74 12s 4d, leaving a credit balance of £18 12s 3d—besides this there will be due as refunds from the Executive Council a considerable sum of money for advertising, out-of-work and travelling allowances.
In the anniversary supplement of the Evening Post (January 22) was an article written by Mr Wallace, headed « The 49th Anniversary of New Zealand. » Several remarks in this historical article have been corrected by correspondents, such as names of vessels, and dates. The latest correspondent is Mr W. H. J. Seffern, author of « The Early Settlement of New Zealand, » which has already appeared in a New Zealand paper, and which is still running through the European Mail. The particular portion of Mr Seffern's letter to which I would draw attention is the latter part, which reads thus:— « I would suggest to you the formation of a New Zealand Historical Society, to which all who feel interested in the past history of New Zealand could belong. There are many, I feel sure, who would contribute information, which will be lost if some means are not taken to obtain it whilst they are living. To my knowledge valuable records have been destroyed after the death of old settlers, merely because those who had the disposing of them did not know their value. I have written to the Registrar-General on this subject, and I hope someone in Wellington will take the matter up. » I understand that one of the features of the Dunedin Exhibition is to be a collection of literature, documents, and relics bearing upon the history of New Zealand. To my mind, the Jubilee Anniversary of our colony would be the most fitting year to form, and Dunedin, at the time of the Exhibition the place to establish, the society suggested by Mr Seffern.
On Wednesday last (13th) a new publication made its appearance in this city under the title of The Effective Advertiser, being a well-edited 4-pp. demy-folio advertising medium, price free gratis for nothing. Mr D. Haggett, late foreman of the Timaru Herald job office, is the owner.
After an appeal to its subscribers and the public, which has been heartily responded to, our Watchman has issued a guarantee that it will come out regularly during the next twelve months.
Mr H. B. Vogel, of this city, evidently inherits some of his father's well-known literary ability, and has also a taste for literary work. In the Young Folks' Paper for January—a London publication of wide circulation—a very well written although rather mysterious tale appears, entitled « The Haunted Saloon, » to which his name is attached as the author.
After the holidays trade slackened considerably, and several hands were dismissed. No new papers have been started nor have any old ones gone under. Nobody is dead, and no picnics or sports have been held.
The value of odd volumes (says the B. & C. Printer and Stationer) is more than many think. It happened some few years back that a country bookseller sent up some books for sale to a well-known firm of auctioneers, and among them were three volumes of the « Complutensian Polygot, » edited by Cardinal Ximenes in 1517. Asked his reserve price for these, he said « Five shillings, » but the auctioneer advised him to make it £10, which somewhat opened the bookseller's eyes. Still, these were only three volumes out of six, but the bookseller's feelings may be guessed when the dispersed volumes for which he was ready to take five shillings sold for £59. This, of course, is an extreme instance, but odd volumes of the « Collection of Old Ballads, » 1725, and of Durfey's « Pills to Purge Melancholy » 1716, are by no means to be despised even from a marketable point of view.
The Western Star (Riverton), has an able article on the prophetic business—astrological and Biblical. Referring to Zadkiel's Almanac, it states that for the fifty-eight years of its publication it has been edited by the same man. This is not correct, as the original Zadkiel died some years ago. He was one B. J. Morrison, Commander, r.n., a learned but eccentric gentleman, who was as firm a believer in astrology as any of his readers, and who wrote The New Principia (published in 1868), to prove that the Ptolemaic theory of the universe was after all the true one. He is not to be confounded with those who hold that the earth is a plane; he maintained that it was a rotating sphere, the stationary centre of the solar system. As the book is scarce, we quote some of his results: Mean distance of the Sun, 365,006.5 miles; of Moon, 27,304 miles; rate at which Sun and Moon travel through space, 261.63 miles per hour. Semi-diameters of planetary orbits in miles: Mercury, 137,341; Venus, 259,938; Mars 556,156; Jupiter, 1,899,240; Saturn, 3,422,195.
Great as is the variety of more or less ornate scripts for circular work, new faces are still being produced. Messrs V. & J. Figgins have sent us some sheets of their latest productions, and the first thing that strikes us is « Circular No. 3. » The lower-case does not differ very materially from an ordinary old-style italic, but the caps are more in the nature of script. The type is cut with the care and accuracy characteristic of English letter-founding. We do not like the cap F—it slopes too far away from the work to which it belongs, leaving an unsightly gap at the foot of the letter, and in a lesser degree the P has the same fault. It is difficult to suggest a remedy, except the American device of a « mortise, » but this would not improve matters when the capital was followed by the letter l. Double-pica ronde is a fine legible letter, without kerns. Nonpareil italic sans completes a useful series, and minion antique—cast also on brevier to line with roman—is a letter which suits any kind of work. « Sanserif No. 7, » with caps, small caps, and lower-case, is as good as any letter of the kind ever produced. « Open Memorial » is in the missal style—its distinguishing character being that the letters are open instead of black; and an appearance of solidity is given by shading and outlining. The « Primrose » borders—21 characters in all—are somewhat heavy and stiff. The two centre-pieces, 10 and 12, are the best. English founders have not been very successful with the primrose from a decorative point of view.—We take this opportunity to correct an error—not of our own—in our October issue, relating to the ornaments of the late Austin Foundry. Messrs Figgins inform us that they bought the entire stock-in-trade, punches, matrices, electros, ornaments, &c, with the sole right of reproducing them.
Messrs J. M. Powell & Co. send us a broadsheet containing specimens of large zinc combination rules, with fine sets of square corners from 4 to 8 ems.
Herr Poppelbaum, of the Krebs Foundry, Frankfort on the Main, shows in the Neuigkeiten some original faces. « Halbfette Mediæval Kursiv » is a heavy old-style italic,—a face we have not hitherto seen attempted. It is bold and striking, and is shown in five sizes—6- to 18-point. « Bismarck-Fraktur » is a new and beautiful face in the old German character, which seems likely to hold its ground against the roman letter for years to come. « Schmale fette Gotisch, » seven sizes, is a biack condensed German of very neat appearance. « Alt-deutsche » initials is a set in the heavy scrollwork style, very similar to the letters we described last month in our notice of Klinkhardt's novelties. A double page is occupied by some fine headpieces and pierced ornaments; there is a pretty set of seventeen silhouette vignettes; thirteen pretty and simple original borders (three characters each) in the new « leaflet » style; and lastly the « Deutschen » border, a new combination on 8- and 6-line emerald bodies, containing 46 characters. The border consists of arabesques on a tint ground, and with the exception of a few justifying sorts, consists of square pieces. It is very artistic in conception, and well wrought out, and there is nothing gaudy or meretricious in the design, which ought to become a favorite. In a double page it is effectively displayed in colors, enforced by outlines in rule-work and finished off by smaller borders.
The Lindsay Typefoundry, of New York, has shown a good many new styles lately—all useful and in good taste. « Mathilde, » 18- and 24-point, with lower-case, is a new and graceful face, and larger and smaller sizes are in hand. « Priscilla » is a neat and light-faced French clarendon, with lower-case, pica body.
The Dickinson Foundry show in seven sizes « Quaint Open. » This is an uncouth style, and we cannot but regard it as a mistake.
Open letters are coming into sudden favor in the United States. Marder, Luse, & Co. show four styles—all on the same principle—in outline, the line of uniform thickness throughout. « Contour » No. 1 is a thick sans with lower-case, seven sizes; No. 2, four sizes, an ornamented antique; No. 5, a wide sans, three sizes; No. 6, four sizes, an ornamental antique. With letters like these much larger lines can be introduced in light display work than with solid or tint-faced styles. It does not appear whether or not they correspond accurately in design with solid-faced founts by the same firm—if they do, it will be a great inducement to printers to huy, as fine effects might be produced in two-color work.
Under the title of « Sansom, » the Johnson Foundry have brought out a rather pretty old-fashioned script, with a little more flourish about the caps than is in good taste. It is in three sizes, 18-, 24-, and 30-point. There is something seriously wrong in the metal or the kerning of the two larger sizes. There is a dismal display of broken letters in the specimens in the Inland Printer. The fault does not appear to lie in the printing, as the 18-point size in the same page as the 24-, comes off unscathed, and the delicate « Grace » script in the same sheet has suffered no damage.
Barnhart Bros. & Spindler have brought out a new and very pretty script called « Grace. » It is on 30-point body, is light and delicate in appearance, and has two sizes of lower-case. « Arcade » is a good expanded ornamental latin, with several original features. « Huron, » with lower-case, three sizes, is an eccentric style, but not too fantastic to be readily legible. « Freak » is not badly named. It is shown in four sizes, all with lower-case, and looks more like the work of a fantastic penman than a type design. « Vandyke » in three sizes, is irregular, but effective. « Dante » is a fanciful expanded latin in seven sizes. For all purposes we would prefer a plainer style.
« Gazelle » is a rather pretty fancy light italic brought out by the Cleveland Foundry in three somewhat large sizes—24-, 36-, and 48-point.
The Illinois Typefounding Company show two new styles— « Alpha, » in four sizes—an old-style titling, with the serifs sharply spiked—and a good « Condensed Old-style, » in six sizes.
Among the Parliamentary Papers just to hand is a return of Government advertising for the year ending 30th September, 1887, moved for by Mr Buchanan. The return as laid on the table specified the names of papers and amounts paid to each; but the printed return is (very properly) confined to a summary, occupying two foolscap pages. The total amount for the year is £9,691 17s 1d. As the return was ordered on the 10th November, 1887, it appears to have been an extraordinary time in hand. Its preparation cost £25, and the printing, £1 3s.
The local Standard records that « a young man is about to lay claim to a £250 house, and an orchid at Rangiora—the house being built on a section which he holds the title-deed for, and he also holds the title for the section of the orchid. » —For telegram blunders a Napier comp holds the belt. In Georgio's account of the assassination of General Gordon, he was made to say that « Gordon was sneaking round the balcony of the seraglio » —the correct version being « smoking on the veranda. » —A mixed metaphor of singular beauty was worked off by a member of a North Island education board who complained that endeavors were being made « to shunt a teacher by a side-wind. » —A Reefton paper, in a leader, refers sarcastically to « the ridiculous paradise of what is called by courtesy the Victorian Fleet. » —An East Coast paper tells of an old settler whose life, in the time of bygone native troubles, was more than once « saved by the meditation of friendly natives. » —Referring to the delay in connexion with a recent judicial appointment, a contemporary says:— « A judge of the Supreme Court holding his position on the surface of the Government is a grave misfeasance. » —A Dunedin coroner's jury has been guilty of a « bull » in the following curious verdict:— « That the infant was found drowned, but whether it was born alive or dead there is no evidence to show. » —A writer in an Auckland religious weekly attributes the passage « It is more blessed to give than to receive » to « our own great prophet—the Bard of Avon » !!
Recent libel actions have attracted so much attention to the defective state of the law in this colony that no one can doubt that a change for the better is near at hand. There is, however, another matter—in some points closely affecting the law of libel—where reform is even more imperative. We refer to a certain survival from a semi-barbaric state of society, known as Parliamentary Privilege. As it exists in this country, the term by which it is known is not sufficiently comprehensive. For under our system of local government—far better in theory than it has turned out in practice—we have a multitude of village and district governing bodies, from school and licensing committees up to land boards and county councils—all possessing the very dangerous power of giving public utterance to damaging and possibly untrue statements without incurring the usual responsibilities. We hold that such a privilege is wholly unjustifiable. It is not only the source of irreparable injury to individuals, whose characters may be defamed with no opportunity of redress or even of public vindication; but it is demoralizing to the body possessing the power, and is undoubtedly one of the great causes of the lowered tone in the representative chambers in these colonies, so generally acknowleged and deplored. The idea that the independence of a representative is endangered by those checks and safeguards which are found necessary in every other station of life, is altogether fallacious. Even if the moral standard of the members of our legislative and administrative bodies were conspicuously high, the privilege would be an injurious one; but under a representative (?) system like our own, in which extraordinary precautions seem to be taken to make the election of good men difficult and that of men of opposite character easy—the danger is intensified.
Every day's experience proves that those laws which tend to repress the varied developments of private malice are absolutely necessary. The laws against slander and libel are far more effective than the individual conscience in securing the observance of the ninth commandment. And the spirit of the law being in accord with the highest conception of the general welfare, the individual as well as the public conscience is thereby strengthened—the moral and civil restraints operating strongly in the same direction. We hold—and we do not know on what ground our position can be assailed—that there cannot exist any circumstance in which the removal of those restraints is beneficial. The law of libel as applied to the press should be the law of slander as applied to a representative. It should be in either case held to be no offence, but on the contrary, a meritorious action, to give every publicity to a libel (in the legal—not popular sense) when it is (1) true, and (2) for the public benefit. But in either case, the party circulating the damaging statement should bear the full personal responsibility of his action, and on him the onus of proof should lie.
A slander uttered in the halls of Parliament is immeasurably more injurious than one merely circulated by the press. The representative position of the speaker gives it an apparent authority it would not otherwise possess. It secures a permanent place in the official record of proceedings. By means of the press it is spread far and wide. No more solemn responsibility can attach to uttered words than to those spoken under such conditions. Yet the speaker is legally entirely irresponsible, and too often acts as if he were morally in the same position. In time, the tendency of this licence is to bring the whole representative body into deserved contempt. If it were known that members could be required to substantiate their statements, and would be held personally responsible in the same manner as private citizens, the effect upon themselves would be salutary, and the public would benefit in a corresponding degree.
In the local bodies the evil is becoming deep-seated, and is one of the chief obstacles to their usefulness. In a late libel case in the South Island, the idle tattle retailed by certain members, and which entailed heavy expense upon an unoffending newspaper, would probably never have been uttered but for the mischievous protection afforded by « privilege. » We are glad to note that one of the offenders has come liberally to the assistance of the newspaper; but this in no way affects the principle—that parliamentary privilege is evil and nothing but evil.
There are other « privileges, » all granted by members to themselves—the so-called « honorarium » ( « salary » would be vulgar)—free railway passes; gold medals, to avoid the indignity of producing so repulsive an object as a railway ticket; immunity from civil process at certain periods—all of which, so far from securing independence, tend distinctly to degrade, to demoralize, and to lower the tone of our representative bodies. Were the numerous and deserving class of journalists—who on the whole are very far superior to the average « representative, » —to be granted like immunities and privileges, the result in a single year, would inevitably be such a loss of independence and such a falling-off in the moral tone of our newspapers as would be most disastrous to the colony. Fortunately, such privileges will never be granted. Press-men will continue to earn their own living and to bear the responsibility of their own actions (it is being made to suffer vicariously for privileged people that they complain about)—and though we may have no cause to be proud of our representative bodies, we need not despair—for there will still be an independent press.
We do not often have to make a correction of a correction; but from a printed circular sent us by Messrs Stephenson, Blake, & Co., we learn that they were, as we at first supposed, the originators of the combination brass rule borders, and that the statement, taken by us from an English trade journal, attributing this important invention to another house, was not correct. Messrs S. B. & Co. say, « No specimens of ornamental brass-rule, produced by uniting two or more rules so as to form a self-contained design, was ever issued until we introduced them in 1882. » —We also take the opportunity of correcting an inaccuracy in our article on brass-rule, p. 85 of last volume. We mentioned the withrawal from the market of certain brass leader rules because they could not be cut with sufficient accuracy. We are informed that the want of accuracy was not in the cutting but in the rolling, and the demand did not warrant the firm in erecting machinery to do the rolling themselves.
The last chapter of « Roundabout Papers, » in the Printing Times, concludes with the following valuable practical suggestion: « We would further counsel machine-makers to devise some means of registering or gauging the amount of pressure of the cylinders of letterpress and litho printing-machines, so that printers and machine-minders might not be working entirely in the dark as at present. Good blocks and new type may be ruined by being run through the machine, even once, with excessive pressure, whilst, with enough and only just enough to give a perfect impression, blocks and type would hardly be injured at all, whilst in litho machines the breaking of stones would be frequently avoided. By the introduction of a pressure gauge, instead of guessing pressure as now, and too frequently erring in using far more than is actually necessary, practice would enable the machine-minder to know before-hand what pressure was required, and he could then regulate it accordingly. Every ounce of needless pressure, though it may seem a matter of small moment, means extra work for the engine; that is, extra consumption of fuel or gas, and extra wear and tear of machinery, and, in the case of letterpress work, extra wear and tear of type and blocks; and all this waste produces no better result. In the litho hand-press pressure is to some extent gauged by the resistance offered in pulling the table through; and in the letterpress by the lever being too much to pull over; but, in the machine, the minder, unless he pulls the cylinder over by hand instead of power, has no means of knowing what pressure he has put on. We urge machine-makers to take this point into consideration. »
On another page will be found an advertisement from Herr Otto Weisert, of Stuttgart, who announces that he has a large stock of body-founts, borders, and electrotyped initials and book ornaments of his own manufacture and of original designs; and that he is prepared to supply printing offices with a complete outfit if required. We have frequently referred to the beauty of Herr Weisert's original designs in ornaments, initials, and borders; and the large initials to our articles on « Design » in vols. i-ii, from Nos. 2 to 24, were from his establishment.
Stone's Otago and Southland Directory for 1889 has reached us. This is beyond all comparison the best and largest annual in the colony; like the preceding issues, it is strongly bound in scarlet cloth, and is well worth the price (12s 6d) at which it is published. Its plan has been extended to include the district of Waimate, which, though outside the Otago boundaries, is in close business relations with Dunedin. The alphabetical directory alone occupies 267 large 8vo pages. The printing reflects great credit on the Star office, Dunedin. In the hundreds of pages of advertisements great pains have been taken in the composition, the display is excellent, and, (except in two pages) we see no sign of « rushing up. » The press-work throughout is beautifully clear and uniform; and as a great part of the work is printed in nonpareil, this is an important feature.
A very interesting libel case (says the Printing Times) was decided on the 23rd November, in favor of the Press, thanks chiefly to the sensible and explicit ruling of Mr Justice Denman. The jury evidently were inclined to convict, for they sent up a question to the judge:—Can it possibly be for the public good to publish a libel? To which the judge answered with commendable emphasis, that it was clearly possible to publish a libel for the public good, and the jury at last returned a verdict for the defendants. The mischief arises from the word libel, which conveys to the juror's mind something that is morally wrong. But, as it may sometimes be the highest form of public duty to publish a libel, it is to be regretted that some other word cannot be found to describe the publication of true statements, which are nevertheless calculated to hold up individuals who deserve it to obloquy and contempt.
Professor Roger de Coey, of the Royal Athenæum, Ostend, has a large work in hand. His application to the New Zealand Government is of such a comprehensive nature as to be startling. At all events he deserves credit for his desire to have full and authoritative information. He has written has follows to the Hon. the Minister for Education:— « Sir—I have in contemplation a work to be called 'The Contemporary Literatures of the Anglo-Saxon Race,' which I intend to write upon a plan, and with a purpose, until now, to my knowledge unattempted. As it is not within my power to visit your colony at present, and it is absolutely necessary that I should have from the beginning a clear and definite idea of all the facts connected with New Zealand literature from the foundation of your colony until now, I take the liberty of applying to you for such help as you may be willing to afford me. I understand that your department is prepared to give information on subjects connected with your colony to any author who may apply for the same: and if, in believing so I am not mistaken, I hope you will kindly lend, give, or indicate to me such works as may further my objects, i.e., books and reviews bearing on New Zealand literature from the foundation of the country forwards. » The reply of the Department has not been made public.
In an article on the books of the season, the Daily News writes; The illustrations of gift books are not at present what we should wish to see. Perhaps it is hopeless to wage war against « processes. » They are cheap, and cheapness is esteemed. They please artists, because they reproduce the artist's drawing much more faithfully than « washed » drawing, at least, can be reproduced by wood engraving. The nature of the process appears to demand a particular kind of shiny paper such as is common in the illustrated American magazines. Few people can admire this paper for its own sake. Once more, the sort of texture which is essential, apparently, to this fashion of processing is always an irritation to the eye and tends to blotchiness. The truth seems to be that drawings with the brush, in washes, are not the best sort of drawings for the illustration of books, however excellent the designs may be in themselves. Meanwhile this business of « processing » is killing wood-cutting, which will soon be a lost art. It can hardly exist by endeavoring to compete with photographic mechanism in reproducing the actual drawing. Woodcut must return to what it can do well, but then the public taste has moved very far from the methods of Dürer. In the same way the delicate copperplate engraving of the last century is scarcely ever attempted at present; perhaps only in France, and then only for the small sect of bibliophiles.
The Nelson Jockey Club have discontinued their advertisement in the local papers for economy's sake, and in future advertise only in a sporting weekly. The local papers thereupon decline to publish « nominations. » The action both of the club and of the press is to be commended. While there are no sporting papers, it may be considered necessary to fill valuable space in the daily papers with racing items; but as soon as there is a recognized organ this necessity ceases. The sporting man can subscribe to a paper entirely devoted to his favorite pursuits, and the general reader will be relieved of what is fast becoming an intolerable nuisance.
The « amateur casual » business succeeded very well in the case of Mr James Greenwood when he figured as Joshua Mason, engraver; but his imitators sometimes fare badly. One in Dunedin has had a woful experience. He poked his nose into the Benevolent Asylum and the Lunatic Asylum with very little result and without detection, his qualifications—natural or assumed—for the latter, deceiving all the officials. In an evil hour he tried the jail—which is more than a joke, as a conviction, however obtained, always stands recorded. He succeeded in being arrested for vagrancy. A contemporary thus relates the bitter sequel.—Anticipating at the most seven days, he was disagreeably surprised to find the two J's. P. make it 14 days. Arrived in the jail, the vagrant « gave himself away. » He disclosed who he was, whereupon he was instantly brought before the doctor, and examined as to ability to work with the hard labor gang, and packed off at once to the Heads. Hard labor and fare, to one loving neither, was a dear price to pay, and it is doubtful if the prison authorities will not, before it is all over, have rather the laugh of the vagrant. He has the melancholy satisfaction of knowing, however, that if the justices who sentenced him had had the slightest idea of his character, the sentence would have been three months.
Business men have been looking long and anxiously for the promised revival in trade; but as yet there are no signs of its appearing. The colony has been blessed with the most productive year on record, but the lean kine of arrears have swallowed up the fat kine of production. The exports of the year reach the unprecedented amount of £7,767,325—an increase of nine hundred thousand sterling on those of last year. The significance of these figures may be better understood when it is remembered that the entire population of New Zealand is only a little over 607,000. Two millions have been borrowed, and to a large extent expended by the Government. Now for the other side. The spending power of the people has decreased one-twentieth. Imports have fallen in the year from six and a quarter millions to five millions nine hundred thousand. The additional taxation which was to have placed the colonial finances in better shape has been diverted by a protective tariff to the aggrandizement of private capitalists. One of the most significant signs of the real state of business is to be found in the number of firms of old standing who have found it necessary to pledge their stock and other belongings unreservedly to financial institutions in consideration of advances. All last year's profits—and a good deal more—have gone to the wholesale pawnbroker! Better times, we trust, are ahead; but the congratulations of some of the Australian papers are, to say the least, premature.
Several of our contemporaries appear to be in quest of the Champion Mean Man. Perhaps this little narrative from the New Zealand bush may assist them. Two years ago, when the Norwegian settlement of Norsewood was nearly blotted out by the wide-spreading fires, the local pastor set to work betimes to secure his only treasure—his greatly-prized library. As the fire approached he dug a deep hole, and was about to consign his books to a temporary tomb, when word was brought him that an invalid woman who lived alone in her cottage was in danger, and that in the general confusion no one was attending to her. He got out his horse, and with no little difficulty got the sick woman upon it, and conveyed her several miles through blinding smoke to a place of safety. When he returned, his dwelling and all his belongings—books included—were represented by a heap of ashes. One of the books was borrowed—from a fellow-country-man. The owner demanded its equivalent from the minister, and failing to get it, sued him and obtained judgment for the value of the book (which he said cost £2 10s when new), or the return of a similar copy. The pastor chose the latter alternative, but found that the work was out of print. After a good deal of trouble he found a second-hand copy, which he bought for £1 10s. The lender refused to take a second-hand book, and brought another action, in which he was again successful, but judgment was recorded without costs, and with some remarks from the court which were certainly not uncalled-for. We do not assert that the foreign gentleman in the bush is entitled to the Belt—but if any one can show a better claim, now is his time to put it in.
Shellac Cement for Rubber.—Powdered shellac is softened in ten times its weight of water of ammonia, whereby a transparent mass is obtained, which, after keeping some little time, becomes fluid without the use of hot water. In three or four weeks the mixture is perfectly liquid, and when applied it will be found to soften the rubber. As soon as the ammonia evaporates the rubber hardens again—it is said quite firmly—and thus becomes impervious to both gases and liquids. For cementing sheet rubber or rubber material in any shape to metal, glass, and other smooth surfaces, the cement is highly recommended.
Working of Blue and Green.—If you want to get the best results with blue ink, especially ultramarine, as well as the more brilliant greens, don't use hard rollers. Use good fresh glue-and-molasses rollers, and do not carry too much color. It is common to notice a mottled or speckled appearance in solid blue surfaces. In other cases a stringy appearance is seen. This indicates either too much moisture or too much oil in the rollers—a simple matter, but one to be watched with care. Attention to these remarks will remedy the mottled and streaky appearance of the various tints on the array of music titles often seen in the windows of our prominent music stores.
To Split a Piece of Paper.—In interleaving books, making scrap-books, and the like, it is often desirable to separate an engraving from printed matter on its back, or separate two pictures printed back to back. There are two ways to do this, says the Manufacturers' Gazette. 1. Lay the paper to be split upon a piece of glass, soak the paper thoroughly and press it smooth. Then with a little care the upper half of the sheet can be peeled off. leaving the engraving on the glass. Let this part dry, and it will come off the glass readily. 2. A better plan is to paste a piece of cloth or strong paper to each side of the sheet to be split. When dry, pull the two pieces of cloth apart suddenly and violently. Soften the paste with water, and the two halves of the sheet will easily part from the cloths. It is well to experiment with printed sheets of no value until the trick is mastered.
Substitute for Gum Arabic.—A substitute for gum arabic, which has been patented in Germany, and is likely to be largely used for technical purposes now that good gum arabic is so scarce, is made as follows, according to the American Druggist: Twenty parts of powdered sugar are boiled with seven parts of fresh milk, and this is then mixed with fifty parts of a 36% solution of silicate of sodium, the mixture being then cooled to 122° F, and poured into tin boxes, where granular masses will gradually separate out, which look very much like pieces of gum arabic. This artificial gum copiously and instantly reduces Fehling's solution, so that, if mixed with powdered gum arabic as an adulterant, its presence could be easily detected. The presence of silicate of sodium in the ash would also confirm the presence of adulteration.
Glue Stamps.—Herr Anton Gerhard, of Emden, writes to the Nurnberg Stereotypeur: « I have ceased using rubber stamps in my business, and now use glue stamps, for which for stamping purposes I use letterpress ink. The glue stamp I make in the following manner:—Upon the composition I place several leaves of tin-foil; over this a piece of felt is placed and the whole pressed tightly. I loosen the press at once and take out the tin-foil matrix, which is now ready for use. Oil the matrix slightly and surround with oiled bridges or reglets; then pour fluid glue mixed with a trifle of roller composition over it. After the same gets cool the layer of glue will loosen itself slightly from the matrix and become sufficiently hard, but still remains elastic. The glue I use is pure carpenters' glue. During the first few days the glue may appear somewhat soft, but it soon becomes nice and hard, and retains sufficient elasticity. I am very well satisfied with the stamp, as it prints in an excellent manner. »
The newly-appointed Customs « expert » has been making things pretty lively for importers. Several large confiscations have taken place during the past few weeks. A contemporary says he has proved « a good investment » for the Government. It is exactly in this light, apparently, that he is regarded. It is asserted that a recent seizure was made solely on account of the clerical error « shirtings » for « skirtings » in an entry, making a difference of £5 in £1000 duty; and that the error would in any case have come to light before the goods were delivered, without any « expert » assistance at all. Moreover, this nondescript officer may, if he think fit, claim a percentage on all seizures in addition to his « screw. » Some of the importers will probably seek redress from the Supreme Court, when the true value of our « expert » will be discovered.
« Alongside the word 'depression,' (says the Mataura Ensign) should be buried the word 'loan,' and upon these twain the soil should be carefully filled in and stamped down. » —It would be well if the actual facts could be as easily disposed of!
A valued correspondent has sent us some notes on the early history of the Southern Cross newspaper, Auckland, which we intend to publish in our next issue. We have also been favored with the loan of a highly-prized relic—a quarto card printed in commemoration of the first anniversary of the Cross as a daily, in May, 1863. We have set a reduced copy of this document, which will appear with the article. On the card are twenty names—two proprietors and eighteen members of chapel. Of the twenty, ten are known to have departed this life, one being Mr C. A. Haszard, who was a victim of the Tarawera eruption in 1886. Our correspondent has been able to gather particulars regarding all the other members of the companionship, with one exception—that of C. Stewart. After leaving Auckland he worked for some years in the job department of the Hawke's Bay Herald and afterwards of the Hawke's Bay Times, after which he left for Australia. Our correspondent has been unable to ascertain whether he is now living or dead. If any of our readers can furnish any recent particulars concerning him, it will add to the interest of a very interesting chapter in press history.
Great interest has been taken in Apia in the case of libel brought in the High Commisioner's Court by the German Consul against Mr Cusack, the proprietor of the Samoan Times. The ground of the charge was based on comments reprinted from a San Francisco paper on an article by Mr W. L. Rees that appeared in the Nineteenth Century recently. Mr Cusack applied for an adjournment till counsel could be retained on his behalf, but the Deputy Commissioner would not grant an adjournment. The case was, therefore dealt with summarily, and Mr Cusack was fined £20 and costs. The amount of the fine was subscribed by the American and British residents.—Mr Cusack, who cannot see that he has been guilty of any offence, has decided to appeal. The action of the Deputy-Commissioner is regarded as a contemptible truckling to the German party—who, on their part, were greatly disappointed that Mr Cusack was not sent to prison. As our readers are aware, they revenged themselves by suppressing the paper. We hope Mr Cusack will obtain a reversal of the decision, and compensation for the loss and indignity which he has suffered.
Yes, I'm Mrs Peter Snow, an editor's wife. I well remember the day when Mr Snow asked me to become his wife. I confess I liked Mr Snow, and thinking it would be a fine thing to be the wife of an editor, I said « Yes, » as prettily as I knew how, and I became Mrs Snow. I have seen ten years of married life, and I find my husband to be an amiable good-natured man. He always spends his evenings at home, and is in that respect a model man; but he always brings a pile of exchanges, which is only limited by the length of his arms, and reads while I patch the knees and elbows of his pantaloons and coat. After we had a Quaker meeting of an hour's length I broke the stillness by asking:
« Mr Snow, did you order that coal I spoke to you about? »
« What did you say, my dear? » he asks, after a minute's silence.
« Did you order that coal I spoke to you about? »
« Indeed, my dear, I am sorry, but I forgot all about it. It shall come to-morrow. »
Another hour's silence, which is relieved by the baby's crying, and rather liking a noise of that sort I made no effort to quiet him.
« My dear, » says Mr Snow, after he has cried a minute or so, « you had better give the baby some catnip tea to quiet him; he troubles me. »
The baby is still. Another hour passes without a breath of noise. Becoming tired, I take a lamp and retire for the night, leaving Mr Snow so engaged with his papers that he does not see me leave the room. Toward midnight he comes to bed, and just as he has fallen asleep the baby takes a notion to cry again. I rise as quietly as possibly and try to still him. Then another baby begins to scream at the top of his lungs. There is no other course but to awake Mr Snow, so I say:
« Mr Snow! Mr Snow! »
The third! time he starts up and cries, « What, Tom! more copy? »
As though I was Tom, the little imp running about the office! I replied tartly:
« No, I don't want any more copy—I have had enough of that to last me my lifetime! I want you to see what Tommy is crying about. »
Mr Snow makes a desperate attempt to arouse himself; as Tommy stops to take a breath he falls asleep again, leaving me to pace the room in as much vexation as I can comfortably contain. The next morning at breakfast, when I give Mr Snow an account of his last night's troubles, he says:
« Indeed, my dear, I am very sorry the children trouble you. »
This is always the way. If I complain it is, « Indeed, I am very sorry. »
But should the very same thing occur the subsequent night directly before his eyes, very likely he would not see or know anything about it, unless it happened to interrupt his train of ideas. Then he would propose catnip tea, but before I can get it into the infant's stomach he would be far away into the realms of thought, leaving me not a little vexed at his stupidity.
He knows the name of every paper published in England or the United States, but he cannot for the life of him tell the names of his children. He knows precisely the year of every American journal, but he does not know the age of his own baby. He knows how every contributor looks, but I do not believe he can tell whether my eyes are black or blue.
They say Mr Snow is getting rich. All I know is, he gives me money to clothe our boys, and that, too, without complaint of poverty. I hope the world is right in opinion, and when I am satisfied it is I shall advise him to resign his editorial honors and spend a few months in becoming acquainted with his wife and children. The little ones will feel flattered in making the acquaintance of so literary a man.
The proprietors of the Sydney Evening News have given £500 to the various hospitals in Sydney, on account of the Sydney Morning Herald refusing to be recompensed for their generosity in connection with the disastrous fire at the News office.
At a recent meeting of the Nelson Education Board, Mr Harkness said he wished to speak on a matter of privilege. In the Evening Mail of the day after the last meeting of the Board, there was a paragraph to the effect that Mr Clayden had stated that he had hoped that Mr Harkness and Mr Hurst-house would have said something relative to the recent libel case, but on looking round he found that the birds had flown; and there were also some editorial comments on the same subject. The fact was that he was in the next room reading a paper, and heard nothing of what was said. Previous to the last meeting he had waited on the proprietors of the Mail with the intention of offering to pay a considerable sum towards their expenses in the recent action, but he was not very graciously received by the senior partner, and therefore he turned on his heel and left the office, feeling rather hurt. Since then he had again been to the office and had been received more courteously, and had made arrangements to pay a large sum. He wished further to express his great regret that the proprietors of the Mail should have been put to any expense through remarks that had been quite innocently made by himself and Mr Hursthouse.
We have received a bulky « Commercial Handbook and Directory » from a trade protection association; about one third of its contents consisting of (avowed) advertisements. When a company of this character enters into competition with ordinary publishers of books of reference, it might be expected to produce a volume which should possess some special features to commend it to the public. It has but one—an index of bills of sale and mortgages for the year, occupying about fifty pages. There is a very bare calendar, giving a few anniversaries—some of them incorrect. The « reference matters is continually interrupted by advertisements—which is not of much consequence, as it is itself of the same quality. The « tourists' guide » is a succession of puffs of hotels; « local industries, » of various advertising firms; and the so-called « commercial directory » is nothing more than a list of subscribers to the association. As a book of reference the work is not to be compared with the poorest local directory published in New Zealand, by private enterprise. It is no credit to the compilers, and is calculated to convey an entirely erroneous idea of the colony and its resources.
A Timaru bookselling firm, who lost the sale of their Christmas periodicals through neglect on the part of a shipping company, sent in a claim for £10, which the company refused to recognize. They therefore publicly exhibited the cover of the packing-case (which was marked « Mail Periodicals for immediate transshipment » ), with a placard stating that « This mail case was seventeen days in transshipment from Wellington to Timaru. »
Miss Lowe, the editress of the Queen newspaper, was appointed many years ago, when entirely without literary experience and not out of her teens. Sergeant Cox's quick eye for business, and extraordinary insight into what was likely to pay, were soon justified. He bought the Queen when it was at low ebb for about £700; its circulation under Miss Lowe's able editing soon rose, and at the present time it brings in over £12,000 a year.
One of our contemporaries has written a paragraph « to show one of the many unknown acts of our gracious Queen to stimulate the efforts of her colonies in development of their resources and to patronize the industry of the people. » It is a little disappointing, after so grand an introduction, to find that all he has to record is this—that her Majesty has accepted a gift of ostrich feathers from a colonist, and that her private secretary has sent the donor a letter of thanks!
Mr C. L. Garland, a former resident of New Plymouth, now on a visit to the hot springs for the benefit of his health, has just been returned for the third time to Parliament, by a large majority for the important constituency of Carcoar, N.S.W. Mr Garland is only thirty-four years of age, has not been quite ten years settled in New South Wales, and was absent from the colony during the whole campaign. He is a newspaper proprietor, and one of the leaders of the Freetrade party. In his wife, an Australian woman, he has found a true helpmeet. She exercises great influence on account of her personal worth, her many charities, and her rare abilities. In her husband's absence on Parliamentary duties she takes the entire management of his newspaper; and during the late political campaign she has fought the battle for him, calling meetings in nearly every polling-place in the great Carcoar electorate.
With the December number the Printing Times completes its nineteenth annual volume. In future, it is to be published at fourpence, instead of sixpence as at present. It is one of the most valuable and best-edited of our large list of technical exchanges. The admirable series of « Round-about Papers » is completed in the present number, and is to be revised and published in book-form at an early date. The concluding chapter, in which some important suggestions are made as to improvements in printing machinery, is well worthy of study. One of these suggestions, relating to a pressure-guage, we quote elsewhere.
For almost perfect harmony as well as simplicity of display, we have rarely seen anything to surpass a half-page advertisement illustrating some of James Conner's Sons' new styles, in the November issue of the National Publisher and Printer. The relative importance of the lines is admirably brought out by the selection of type; and there is not a curved line or waved rule even to break the simple directness of the work. It might well serve as a model to those who think that beauty of display lies in abundance of ornament, or laborious twisting of type-lines and rules. We can see but one minor point in which we could suggest any improvement. In the last line, the end-ornaments are too long and too prominent for the size of the letter. They had better have been omitted, and the line set in a more expanded style. The compositor who set the advertisement is an artist in display.
The Inland Printer for December contains portraits, with very interesting biographical sketches, of Mr H. 0. Shepard, the printer, and Mr A. C. Cameron, the editor of that admirable trade organ,
The American Lithographer and Printer is publishing a series of articles on heraldry. Some knowledge of this science is indispensable to all designers, and ignorance of its rules produces absurd mistakes. Nothing, for example, is commoner than the ill-omened « bar sinister » on fancy shields and advertising trade-marks. The Christmas number contains an art supplement, which is quite a gem of steel engraving, machine ruling, and lithographic printing.
Typographische Neuigkeiten is always interesting. Unlike many of the typefounders' circulars, it devotes much attention to the literary and practical portion of its contents. The number for September contains, in addition to specimens of novelties, a long article on lead-poisoning, by Dr. Baumuller, and three technical articles by B. Winkler, on initials and book-ornaments, and on the new borders produced by the firm. There is also a humorous column—an unusual feature in German trade papers—containing among other matters reduced copies of the clever sketches from the comic history of the invention of printing, published some months ago by Paper and Press.
Mr D. C. Pratt, 32 Church-st., New York, sends us illustrations and price-lists of his slates and slate black-boards, adapted for every purpose required in schools, lecture-rooms, or places where sporting and similar records are displayed.
Messrs S. Cooke & Co., Melbourne, send us a circular relating to Bailey's hot-air engine.
Messrs Ward, Lock, & Co., have sent us their new book list, occupying sixty large octavo pages.
Messrs J. M. Powell & Co. send us a circular relating to the improved Gordon platen machine; also a book of specimens of types by James Marr & Co., whose agency they hold. We have looked through the latter, and find a large variety of types, but no new original faces.
Messrs H. 0. Shepard & Co., Chicago, printers of the Inland Printer, send us a beautifully printed pamphlet containing a history of their establishment, adorned in the most extraordinary manner with specimen-book cuts. To illustrate (metaphorically) the growth of the establishment we have an electro of a stout man of apparently about thirty stone, who has just burst up the weighing machine on which he has taken his stand—with the motto, « Upon what meat doth this our Cæsar, feed, that he is grown so great? » « Removal became imperative, » is illustrated by a figure of an unhappy wight who has vacated his chair with great celerity in favor of a large and lively hornet. Some of the sketches are very rough and coarse, and in juxtaposition with such superb letterpress really amount to a disfigurement. The progress of the firm has been marvellous, and must be very gratifying to all lovers of good work. When, we wonder, will this colony become a profitable field for the artistic printer?
Mr G. B. Lilly, late of the Auckland Leader, is now proprietor and editor of the Queanbeyan Times (N.S.W.), a free-trade paper. « The selfish party » have lately been gaining ground in the free-trade colony; and we are glad to see that Mr Lilly is on the side of the people as
A long-suffering printer at Rangiora sued one Peter Day, a tradesman, for a long-standing account of £2 12s 6d. Peter pleaded the statue of limitations, and his creditor was nonsuited without costs. The Chairman of the Bench expressed his opinion pretty freely as to defendant's conduct, which (if he be correctly reported—for the Rangiora comps are eccentric) he characterized as that of « an unbleached man. »
A recent decision of the Commissioner of Customs classifies plain ruled paper as « writing, not otherwise enumerated, » and therefore liable to 15% ad valorem.
We notice the following among recent awards at the Melbourne Exhibition: First-class: Die-sinking, Bock & Cousins, Wellington. Second-class: Printing and bookbinding, H. Brett, Auckland; Cards, A. D. Willis, Wanganui.
We have received a copy of Mills, Dick, & Co's. Otago Provincial Almanac and Directory for 1889. With this work have been incorporated three other publications of the same kind, and the result is a volume of over five hundred octavo pages, containing a large quantity of varied information, and a goodly show of advertisements.
« The Vermin Department » is the name of a recent official extravagance. All that can be said in its favor is that it is admirably named—its object being to flood the country with stoats, ferrets, and weasels!
Mr Gladstone has contributed an article on the English-speaking race to a juvenile magazine published in Boston. His anticipations for the future are exceedingly brilliant, and he is hopeful that for another century the colonies may own allegiance to England.—Should the early dissolution of the British Empire, anticipated by some, become a fact, the G.O.M. will be recognized as one of the most effective of the solvents.
We have received from London some copies of Capital and Colonization, the organ of the Co-operative Colonizing Association, in which Mr W. L. Rees is the leading spirit. We notice that it has entered upon its second volume. Mr Rees is well known in New Zealand as a former member of the House of Representatives, and as a literary man of ability a long way above the average. His sanguine
It is a singular fact
I heard a voice last night; 'twas passing strange— 'Twas not my father's, though it told of him; 'Twas not my mother's, though it her recalled; 'Twas not my brother's, I have had but two— One is, and one is not—and yet the voice Had something in it which did both recall. I never heard the voice before, though oft I've caught its echo from the hills of life. To-night I heard it, and my soul rejoiced. I've seen myself before—but now to-night I've heard myself, and trembled as I heard. O man of science, what is this of yours? You have me, every tone and emphasis. I dare not say « I did not raise my voice, » I cannot e'en deny its softened tones. Oh, glorious truth. My God, he has a heart Which treasures up my sentences in full; As David sings, « These tears are safely stored Within Thy bottle, noted in Thy book. » The eternal mind and memory retains Each groan, each shout, or jubilant, or grave. Fear not, O Edison, one triumph more For truth. Go on and prosper truly thou, Child of true science manifesting all, For what doth manifest that that is light.
The Ellesmere Guardian is in the market.
A new weekly, entitled the Kaipara Times, has been started at Helensville.
We have to welcome another new exchange: the Typefounder, Chicago, Messrs Barnhart Bros. & Spindler's organ, from Vol. vi, No. 1.
A newspaper has been started at Brunnerton under the title of the Brunner News. It is reported that a second paper is likely to be started in the same town.
Mr W. P. Reeves, of the Christchurch Times, who is known as a clever parodist, has in conjunction with Mr G. P. Williams, issued a little volume of humorous verse.
Teignmouth Shore, long the editor of the Quiver, now takes charge of the religious instruction of the three daughters of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
A fire lately broke out in the composing room of the Hobart Mercury, after the paper had gone to press, and before it was extinguished considerable damage was done.
New Zealand possesses only one comic paper. It is called the Wanganui Parochial Circular, and is edited by a clergyman. It is not always quite original, however, as the editor occasionally works in an old « Joe Miller » adapted to local circumstances.
As students, the young Chinese appear to be coming to the front in the colonies. In the second class in a Melbourne college, the chief prizes fell to Mongolian youths. A contemporary quotes as follows from the prize-list:— « Class II: Science and writing, P. Ah Num.; classics, W. Chun Tut; mathematics. W. Suey Ling; drawing. Ah Loy copy-book average, Ah Loy. »
The latest « injustice to Ireland » has been perpetrated by a resident in Zululand, who writes complaining of the turbulence of « Sam Kelly » and « Dennis Hooley. » « Smo-keli » and « Dinizulu » is the usually accepted orthography, the gentlemen in question being aboriginals.
The plaintiff in the late libel case against the Auckland Herald, and his solicitor, with a view to piling up the damages, laid great stress on the enormous and world-wide circulation of the paper. Mr Larnach and Sir Robert Stout will scarcely be gratified to find their words circulated in the form of a flaring advertisement, headed: « Best Advertising Medium in the Colony. Sworn Testimony respecting it.—Some Opinions of Prominent Men. » Then follow, with minute details of name, title, locality, and dates, extracts from the evidence of the unhappy plaintiff and from the florid speech of his counsel. « Out of the eater came forth meat. » The Herald will get its fine and expenses back out of the unintentional advertisement.
The following Magic Square for the year, constructed by Mr T. B. Harding, is from Harding's Almanac:
—Adding the figures together in columns or groups of four, the number 1889 may be obtained from this square in thirty different ways.
Mr O. H. Rothaker, of the Council Bluffs Herald, Iowa, declares that « journalism is a beastly profession, anyhow. One-half the brains, expended in any other direction, would bring tenfold the results. » —Similar strong expressions sometimes escape from N.Z. journalists in unguarded moments—especially towards the fourth of the month.
At a school breaking-up in Sydney, a youth of twelve, being asked to quote the passage from Henry VIII, in which Wolsey instructs Cromwell in the duties of a patriot, declaimed as follows:
Be just and fear not: Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy country's, Thy God's and truth's. Then, if thou fall'st, O Cromwell! Thou fall'st like Lucifer—never to hope again!
—In connexion with the same play, a curious incident is reported from Christchurch. Arrangements were made for a Shakspearean display in aid of the funds of a convent, and a considerable sum was spent in costumes, &c, especially in the picturesque dresses required for the drama of Henry VIII. All went well, till the eve of the performance, when the local bishop, seeing staring announcements of « A night with Henry VIII! Come and see Queen Elizabeth! » etc., took a notion to read the play. The result was a peremptory command to omit that portion of the intended performance, which was done. The void was filled by an address on « the injustice of the Education Act. »
In the Christmas number of the Stationer we notice an account of a trade dinner given on the 14th November by Messrs John Haddon & Co. to their friends and employés.
The severest comment we have seen on the present state of New Zealand is in the Wanganui Herald. Writing of the colonial absentee proprietors who have lately had to pay income-tax at home, it says it wishes them a worse thing than has ever happened to them yet—to be driven back to New Zealand!
There may be an excuse for the absurd errors sometimes made by English writers as to New Zealand matters; but it has been reserved for an important Auckland paper to outdo them all. In a leading article full of the most amazing mis-statements about Hawke's Bay and its settlers, the writer descends to precise figures, and effectually « gives himself away. » He says: « In Waipawa county there are five road board districts containing 511,215 acres, and in these districts there are only five ratepayers! This, too, in a region which is fitted to support 100,000 people in ease and comfort. » The county of Waipawa contains thirteen road board districts and four town districts, and has a population of 7,451, and in that county there is no road district containing less than 25 ratepayers. A man who, with the Statistics of New Zealand on his shelf, puts in the mischievous nonsense which Tom, Dick, or Harry may choose to retail to him on the subject of land and population, should try some less responsible occupation than that of editor.
Mr William Rivington, of the printing house of Gilbert & Rivington, limited, died on the 12th November, in London, aged 81. The deceased gentleman was the first to adopt the principle of early-closing, and wrote extensively on religious subjects.
On the 18th November there died at Brighton, after a few days' illness, Miss Fanny Macaulay, the only surviving sister of the essayist and historian. She was born in 1808, and outlived her distinguished brother by nearly thirty years.
Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Coupland Harding, at his registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—February, 1889.
XXVII.
Continuing the subject of the simpler forms of Running Borders, we have to add in regard to the standard or regular corner (B or C) on the body of the border, that it may be cast in four several ways, without affecting the design:—
The L-piece, being the neatest form of corner, has its advantages, but is not so useful as the square, as it restricts the limits to which tbe size of the border may be reduced. Thus, in the half-nonpareil border, the smallest possible space enclosed, in either direction, is 2½ ems, or 30 points. On the other hand, the « Preciosa » border, of about the same body, may be set close if required, or made to enclose a single unit of space, and any larger amount desired, in gradations of one unit, or three typographic points. The mitred, or half-corner, is at present almost unknown, being confined to one or two recent German combinations. Now, however, that « angle quads » are coming into general use, and work is so often crossed with bands at an angle of 45°, the half-corner will be in demand, and it may in time to come form a part of nearly every new border. The blank spaces in the diagrams in the margin show where the half-corner could be used with advantage.
Having pretty fully described the elementary forms of which the simpler borders consist, it is fitting to examine some of these simple elements, and to see what use can be made of them. The simplest of all, the one-character border, is almost universal in its adaptations. As we have already seen, it is at once running-piece, corner, and centre; but it is more than this. It may be doubled, when a nonpareil border becomes pica. In the same way, it may be trebled or quadrupled. It may be worked as a single border within or without a double one. It may be wrought into ornamental or fantastic corners. It may be worked as a simple or compound « Greek Fret. » These are some of its uses; it is also available as a groundwork, and in more ways than one. First, of course, set solid. It may be set checker-fashion, or with even a larger proportion of white. This may be done with one color. Where three or four colors are used, a practically infinite variety of beautiful effects can be obtained, in exact proportion to the artistic skill and patience exercised. There is no pattern in Berlin-wool or cross-stitch embroidery that could not be accurately imitated. (In fact, these patterns, in art-needlework books, are commonly composed from type, the varied colors being indicated by squares of different patterns.) We have indicated only a few of the effects that can be produced with a single symmetrical character on square body. Of course a good weight of the sort would be required, and plenty of justifiers—but single character borders are certainly the cheapest!
We proceed now to the symmetrical border of two characters. The simplest form is that of parallel lines, on em body. This pattern forms two entirely distinct borders, according as it is composed side-wise or end-wise:
The same corner applies to each, but turned in a different way. (And here we may add that, even in specimen-books, we have seen these corners deliberately turned the wrong way, marring an otherwise unexceptionable job. But for this, we should not have thought it neessary to point out that corners used thus are incorrect.) The corner being used when required, the two-character border is capable of nearly all the applications of the single-character, besides possessing numerous special applications of its own. The running-piece alone is capable of producing an indefinite variety of patterns of plaited or mat-work, equally suited for borders or ground-tints:
We are dealing with patterns composed from a single sort, but we may add that the simple and beautiful plait designs have been almost if not entirely overlooked by typefounders' designers. Three extra sorts would enable any ornamental plait to be represented in type. These are: the em running-piece closed at one end, an em running-piece cut off diagonally by a boundary-line, and the half-corner already described. There is nothing fantastic or ridiculous about plait patterns, and where a groundwork is used, they are always chaste and appropriate.
The adaptations of a simple corner, either by itself or in conjunction with the running-piece, are so extensive as to require a separate article.
The South Islanders, as a rule, know as little of Maori matters and North Island history generally as the Australians or « the old folks at home. » A goldfields
The discussions which appear in scientific papers are every whit as foolish as any to be found in the every-day press. An American medical journal has been discussing « whether a belief in spiritualism is an evidence of insanity per se. » A cool proposition, to say the least of it! There would be some reason in debating the general question—whether the belief in any theory or alleged fact which can be disputed on rensonable grounds is an evidence of insanity per se—were not the dilemma involved so obvious. Either the whole of mankind are insane—for everybody believes something which his neighbor doubts—or the question must be answered in the negative.
The annual picnic of the employés of the Government Printing Office was held at Mrs White's paddock, Khandallah, on Saturday, 2nd inst. The weather was glorious, and fully 300 persons enjoyed themselves in the outing. The committee of management was composed of Messrs F. Chinchen (bindery), A. S. Dryden (piece composing-room), W. M'Girr (time composing-room), J. Phillips (machine room), B. B. Allen (clerical department), hon. sec. The usual picnic amusements were indulged in, while a goodly list of races were gone through. The chief events resulted as follows:—Office Boys' Handicap, Bob Gamble; Men's Handicap, Fred. Mountier; Apprentices' Handicap, Little and Page; Tug-of-war (Married v. Single), Single; Running Hop, Step, and Jump, T. L. Mills and Fred. Mountier. The Government Printing Office Handicap, the event of the day, brought in Mills and Mountier in the order named again out of a field of a dozen. Besides these events, there was plenty of races for the youngsters and youths—not forgetting the maidens. Tea, fruit, and confectionery galore was supplied, and everything was so well ordered and carried out that only praise was bestowed upon the hard-working committee for their exertions on behalf of the party.
I have taken the following from one of last week's copies of the Post:— « The Government have been offered a large sum of money for the right of advertising on the back of postage, stamps. The offer is, we believe, under consideration. » Here's enterprise for you! By gum, won't there be some rushing up for space! I think it would be a good idea for the Government to advertise themselves on our postage. Example: « To Let, any amount of Good Land. » « For Sale, some Good Cabinet-work. » « Wanted, some Money. » In short, the Government could well use up all the space to be found on the back of a postage stamp. I wonder who has made the application. D'ye think it is Pears, Beecham, Warner, Sapolio, or is it Typo's notice of enlargement? Now's the chance for Government to bestow upon us the boon of a free newspaper postage, such as is enjoyed by New South Wales and Queensland. If the advertiser's request is granted, we shall be one ahead of the U.S.A.
The half-yearly meeting of the Auckland Branch N.Z.T.A. was held at Robson's Rooms, Queen-street, on Saturday, February 23, when the report, of which the following is a. précis, was presented:— « In presenting the Report and Balance Sheet for the half-year ending January 31, 1889, your Board of Management are pleased to be able to chronicle a somewhat better slate of affairs in the printing trade in Auckland during the last six months than has for a long time existed. Since the publication of last Report trade has considerably improved, both as regards employment and the favor with which our Society has been regarded by those who have hitherto held aloof. The income from entrance fees during the last half-year has been greater than usual; nineteen new members having been enrolled. Your Board consider it a matter for congratulation to be able to say that, with few exceptions, every journeyman compositor in Auckland, and a large percentage of apprentices in the last year of their time, are now members of this Branch. These results have no doubt been brought about mainly by the publication of a circular, issued by the Board to the Trade in November last, and which has been forwarded to almost every Printing Office throughout the province; though your Board regret to say that only one or two applications for membership have been received from country offices, and these have been from the Thames. In terms of the circular those who wish to join the Association now will have to pay an increased entrance fee of £2. A change in the officers of the Branch has occurred during the half-year, caused by the resignation of Mr J. H. Kirkham, who was elected Secretary at the last half-yearly meeting. Mr F. Christmas was elected to the office of President in September, Mr J. Graham taking his place as Vice-President. Mr Kirkham has removed to Sydney, having accepted a position on the livening News. The Board thinks that some steps should be taken to give effect to a motion carried some six months ago. For the protection of females employed at the printing business every means should be adopted to induce them to join branches of the Typographical Association. In America some of the ladies employed in the business are Board members, and prove themselves in every way as good « men » as some of the sterner sex. The question of the advisability of admitting lithographers and bookbinders as members of the Association has occupied the attention of the Board, and as a strong desire has been expressed by members of these branches of our profession to be affiliated with us, the Board thought it advisable to relegate the matter to a Branch meeting to consider what steps should be taken to bring this most desirable addition to our ranks. The Board is pleased to observe that the Conference of the printing trade, recently held in Melbourne, is likely to bear good fruit. Though no official intimation has been received that the New Zealand Typographical Association has become affiliated with the Australian Unions, we believe the time is not far distant when this will be accomplished, and the compositors of new Zealand will be participators in the privileges at present enjoyed by their Australian brethren. In conclusion, the Board feels justified in congratulating both members of the profession and employers upon the improved prospects of the trade in Auckland, and there can be no doubt that if the proprietors combined to maintain a fair price for their work, as is done in other pait of the colonies, both they and their employés would soon experience such a prosperity as would redound to their mutual benefit.
Mr G. M. Reed, on the eve of his departure for Melbourne, was presented by his friends with a purse of sovereigns, Sir George Grey handing over the gift. The Auckland Industrial (Protectionist) Association also presented Mr Reed with an address. Sir George Grey, with his usual eloquence, described the ideal journalist—a rara avis, I fear. At the same time, the higher the ideal standard is fixed, the greater and nobler is the actual attainment. Sir George said, « Ability of the very highest order was required for the profession, honesty of the very highest class was necessary, and integrity also, so that no feeling of friendship, no party feeling which he might indulge in his own heart, for particular causes, must prevent the journalist from doing what is right. Those journalists who labored to keep the public in the right, whose lives were a continued series of mental labor day by day—occupied, it seemed to him, somewhat the position that the ancient Roman orators did in the forum, directing public opinion; in fact, they occupied a much higher position, because they formed public opinion on every event that took place throughout the world. »
Trade is in a rather poor state since the holidays gave in. The amount of matter in the papers is very light, and will remain so, I suppose, until Parliament meets, which time, Dame Rumor hath it, will not be before June. The competition between the Times and Press companies has been and still is ruinous to our trade. It was bad enough, goodness knows, when it was only with regard to the newspapers, but now it has extended into the job-work. When it was strictly confined to the papers, there was no one else in that line to suffer, but now that the rampages have extended into the domain of the jobbing printer, it affects many persons. I hear that the Times is taking work at so low a price that the other offices have no show whatever. Undoubtedly this state of things has done more to bring about the much-talked-of Master Printers' Association than all the efforts of the Canterbury Typographical Association. I understand that a company of masters are at work on the drafting of a schedule of prices, and have asked the aid of the Association as regards the fixing of wages, &c. I am also given to understand that the M.P.'s Association intend inviting the M.P.s throughout the colony to form associations, and to have a council of masters, so as to regulate the trade right through N.Z. I wish them every success in their efforts.
There is very little news indeed to chronicle this mouth, trade being dull and several comps out of work.
The half-yearly meeting of the Branch was held last week. The report shows that the number of members on the roll is sixty—14 new members were enrolled during the half-year, the majority of whom were from the country, no doubt in response to the Council's circular, while 4 members left to seek their fortunes in Australia. The amount of funds credited to the Branch is £87 14s l0d. With regard to the Otago Daily Times office, nothing of importance has occurred, there having been no improvement in the management of the paper so far as the Society is concerned.
Mr John Bilson, for many years assistant printer on the Star, left last week for Tasmania. He has taken a holiday, on account of bad health. As he has always been a popular man with the « ship, » he was not allowed to go without some expression of friendly feeling, in the form of a presentation from the members of the chapel, coupled with the wish for a speedy return to health and Dunedin.
The Secretary of the Dunedin Exhibition Company having written to the Branch's Board requesting the appointment of two printers to act as members of the Committee, the Board brought the matter up at the half-yearly meeting. After some discussion, Messrs W. Baird (news) and John Macindoe (jobbing) were appointed as the Branch's delegates.
It speaks well for the artistic insight of the Germans that they have been entirely unaffected by the big wave of typographic lunacy that has swept over the United States and swelled up high on the English and colonial shores. With a fertility of invention quite equal to that of their New-world rivals, they have never lost sight of the great objects of typographic design—artistic unity and beauty, and practical adaptation. And the result will be, that German borders, designed years ago, will continue to sell steadily when many of the recent Yankee notions have returned to their native pot. From the old and famous house of Wilhelm Gronau, Berlin, we have received a large parcel of original designs, forming a collection of which any foundry might be justly proud. One sheet is devoted to two series—light and heavy, of beautifully-cut plain scripts, and another sheet displays a set of gracefully-ornamented script initials. A double sheet exhibits three sizes of « Altgothisch, » with scroll initials for one and two colors; tablet initials; initials in the Holbein style, and other mediæval forms. The page is beautifully decorated with silhouette ornaments in one and two colors, and surrounded by a fine « Phantasie » border—9-line emerald, in four colors. A single sheet (125) contains four-and-twenty beautiful original head- and tail-pieces; and a double sheet (136), a pretty collection of varied polytyped ornaments, some of those pierced for insertion of type being specially good. In another page we have a combination of 42 characters, 12- to 24-point, and four sets of missal initials, for one or two colors. Another page shows a collection of 46 small tail-pieces, thirteen sorts of inner curved corners and semi-elliptical ornaments, beautifully designed, and a number of one- and two-color corners. Sheet 67 contains a fine collection of silhouette book-ornaments and tail-pieces. Another page shows a combination of 98 sorts, (Series Z), from 3-point to 12-point, and very effective illustrations of its display. Sheet 70 (double) shows the same combination displayed on a more extended scale. Sheet 71 shows 34 borders, mostly of heavy pattern, all on 12-point body. Some of the sorts appear to be counterparts of others (28-34, 25-42, &c.,) for two-color working, but they are not so shown. On the same page we note some combination corners, 33 characters, for use either as inner or outer corners—a very striking and useful series. Sheet 72 (double) shows some admirable two-color borders, initials, and fancy types, finely displayed. A quadruple sheet, in black and red, shows the « Renaissance » combination, 67 sorts, in every variety of display. Some of the sorts are cast for two-color work, with admirable effect. This is really a collection of quite independent running borders (which can be separately supplied) from half-emerald to 6-line emerald. An elaborate series of light line-ornaments, containing 185 characters, is displayed on a double page. There seems no limit to the adaptations of this beautiful combination. A double sheet, printed in three colors, shows a fine « Renaissance » border—of a similar character to Schelter & Giesecke's « Florentine » and « Holbein. » The figures are in white on solid ground, and the pieces are principally on 8-line emerald. The special feature of the border, which contains 54 characters, is the introduction of allegorical vignettes as part and parcel of the design. Of these there are fifteen, representing arts, sciences, fortune, &c. A new scroll combination in two sizes differs from its English prototype chiefly in the addition of suspenders and tassels—a feature borrowed from Caslon's « Banner. » Like the English scroll, it rolls to the left only. It is in two sizes, each containing eight characters, and is a pretty design. A double sheet (74) shows a dozen corner-vignettes—music, industry, &c., about 1½-inch square, all intended for the lower left-hand corner of the work, and a set of seventeen « Scherzhafte Ecken, » or comic corner-pieces, representing cats, dogs, monkeys, &c. These are not engraved with the delicacy characteristic of the other designs, and they all are furnished with a boundary-line intended to be continued with brass-rule. This we regard as a disadvantage, as it involves unnecessary justification, and a brass-rule rarely joins up well with an electro. On the same sheet is shown a good set of architectural ornaments—columns, pediments, cornices, consoles, &c., for combination. There are 28 characters in the series, which is one of the best of its kind.
Messrs Meyer & Schleicher, Vienna, send us a parcel of beautiful specimens of combination borders and ornaments. Two sheets (233, 264) are occupied with graceful corner-vignettes, allegorical in design, of various sizes, containing altogether 36 pieces. Another sheet contains seventy admirable silhouette tail-pieces, floral in design, most of them being shown in two sizes. There are also about half-a-dozen, on 12-point, intended for border-work. The « Holbein » border, 2-line emerald, 13 characters, differs greatly from the large combination known by the same name. It is a very neat and artistic border; the background in stipple, on which are white figures brought up on solid black, introducing the three effects of black, white, and half-tone. Some specimens of the design, in gold on solid grounds of blue and vermilion, have an exceedingly rich effect. Border No. 60, 37 characters, is composed of silhouette figures on a white ground, and is one of the freest and most attractive borders of kind yet produced. A compositor of ordinary intelligence would find no difficulty in its composition. We cannot say as much for the ambitious architectural combination No. 58, containing 86 characters, and a minimum fount of which weighs about 30lb. It differs from nearly every other architectural series in being cut in imitation of carved woodwork in the mediæval style. Without a model, very few compositors would attempt to compose it, and the design in the double sheet before us, beautiful as the details are—seems scarce worth the trouble. There is the unavoidable absence of unity in the composition as a whole—it looks too much like a structure put together with toy building-blocks. Sheets 261 and 263 show a very pretty and useful architectural series—pediments, gable ornaments, &c., with which are associated a number of inner corners on triangular body. There are in all 47 characters, and the set is not only artistic, but useful, and very reasonable in price.
The Johnson Foundry's Typographic Advertiser, No. 130, shows several new styles. The « Sansom » script, mentioned in our last, occupies the place of honor. It is evidently quite possible to work this long-kerned letter without damage, for there is not a broken letter in the two pages before us. « Gutenberg, » three sizes, is an eccentric with lower-case. Since the Central Foundry hit upon the « Harper, » there must have been at least a hundred of these cranky faces brought out in the States. An office could easily be stocked with nothing else—from the big poster styles to the 6 point imprint letters. « Gutenberg » has no special character of its own. « Ronaldson Gothic » is a cruel and futile attempt to introduce « old-style » peculiarities into sanserif. As these peculiarities are almost confined to the serifs, most of the letters remain as before. The B, P, and R, and the lower-case u, n, and h, are distorted, and have a « w.f. » appearance. « Ronaldson Condensed » is an elongated roman with the old-style characteristics exaggerated. Tonic sol-fa type, 8- and 10-point is shown, but without any synopsis of characters. Border 97, 25 characters, is a collection of the ragged and irregular ornaments lately introduced in the States, but so arranged as to combine into more or less symmetrical patterns. Much ingenuity is displayed in the composition and arrangement of these pieces. Those who know the « Astral, » the « Santa Claus, » and similar styles, can form an idea of this. The designers and cutters of such have wilfully and deliberately sacrificed every characteristic that gives type ornament its distinguishing beauty. « Mortised Ornaments, » 23 characters, are will set measures to 13, 15, and other odd numbers of picas—they must buy their borders elsewhere, that is all! We heartily welcome this series as a sign that the era of « slobs, » « ink-spots, » and « scribble » ornaments is passing away.
Bruce's Sixth Supplement (loth January—a much more sensible date than « Fall-time » or « Spring Season » as affected by some of the American houses) shows four new series. « Black Ornamented, 542, » in four sizes, is one of those tint-face broad styles with which every student of American fancy letter is familiar. It is complete with figures, and the caps and a few of the lower-case letters (extra sorts) are slightly flourished. One peculiarity of this letter is, that the shade, or heavy outline, is left-handed, and a still more singular feature is, in the caps, a difference of tone, or depth of tint, in different parts of the same letter. In the for instance, the first heavy line is light, the centre one darker, and the third darker still, producing the effect of a shadow on the right. As this is carried through three sizes, and characterizes other caps as well, we presume it is intentional. But it is not a good feature, as it produces an effect that every careful printer tries to avoid—the appearance of an uneven distribution of ink. « Black Ornamented, 543, » four sizes, is the prettiest and most successful of many recent attempts to combine the best features of old english and ornamented roman. It is neat, graceful, very legible, and far more suitable for the body of a circular than half the new eccentric scripts lately devised. The printer who lays in a large fount of the pica or great primer for this end will find no cause to regret it. « Ornamented, 1500, » is a very neat and pretty style of thin letter, gracefully flourished, and not over-ornamented. « Ornamented, 1561, » five sizes, is a condensed eccentric—a kind of « cross » between « Century » and « Art Gothics. »
« Aztec. » (caps only) is a new experiment in fancy styles, by the Union Foundry, Chicago. It is a condensed letter, in five sizes. Its special character is, that the perpendicular lines of the letters are dowel-shaped—thick in the centre, and tapered to a fine point at each end. The letter is finished by a very flat and fine serif. We do not admire the effect.
The Illinois Typefounding Company has produced a second series of « Clipper » ornaments, 24 characters. They are thick and heavy—black enough for the smaller sizes of wooden poster type.
Specks of Iron in Pulp.—The minute specks of iron that fall into paper pulp and afterwards produce rust-stains may be removed from the pulp by the use of magnets. A huge steel comb, with broad teeth set edgewise, is placed in the stream of pulp and water as it passes upon the machine. The teeth being made of magnetized steel strips, any iron particles contained in the pulp are thus withdrawn.—Paper World.
Camphor Oil for Cleaning Rollers.—The Germans have resorted to the use of camphor oil for the purpose of cleaning rollers, type, wood-cuts, machinery, etc. Essence of turpentine, petroleum, and benzine have been abandoned for various reasons. First, because camphor oil is cheaper; secondly, because it is hygienic and purifies the atmosphere of the workshop; thirdly, it is as efficacious, and as prompt as the products hitherto employed; fourthly, it is not greasy, and therefore leaves no deposit.
Reproducing Lace Patterns in Metal.—A process has been discovered by which the most delicate patterns, even of lace work, can be reproduced in iron by casting the metal on the fabric after the fabric has been carbonized. Molten iron can be run on the most delicate fibre in the carbonized state without injuring or affecting it.
Paper Type.—A process of making type from paper has been patented in England. The invention in its present state of perfection has been found fully adequate to succeed the large wooden type now in general use. Finely-divided paper pulp is mixed with paraffin oil or linseed drying oil, and pressed into forms in moulds. Heat under pressure consolidates the pulp. Paper type is less expensive and more durable than that cut in wood.
Photographing on Wood.—The art of photography opened a new field of pictorial illustration, and it was early sought to transfer the photograph to the engravers' block, but for a long time without satisfactory success. However for some years past the obstacles have been overcome, and this art has been successfully practised by a few photographers. The method has never been published, and the possessors have guarded their secret with the greatest care. The advent of the dry plate has given a new direction to photographic investigation, and by the happy thought embodied in Eastman's permanent bromide paper, the sphere of the draftsman on wood is rudely reduced, and the monoply of the photographer on wood has departed. Eastman now has in the market a bromide paper wherein the sensitive film is united to the paper by a soluble stratum and is liberated by an application of hot water. The paper is called « transferotype. » The Photographic Times says the sensitive film is -004in. thick, and when transferred to the wood presents no obstacle to the graver. This is an advance in the art of pictorial illustration for the wood-engraver, valuable almost beyond estimate, because it can be practised by any skilful photographer.
Lithographed Transparencies for Glass.—An English lithographer has wrought out a method by which stained glass can be cheaply and effectively imitated by lithograph transfers. The design is first printed on paper in very powerful colors, and when dry is varnished, as well as the glass or other surface upon which the design is to be produced. Both varnishes being dry, the impression is laid upon the surface and well pressed down, so that all air-bubbles may be forced out. The substance is now heated sufficiently to cause the varnish to become « tacky, » when the impression is well rubbed down; the substance is allowed to cool, and the paper is wetted, taken off, and the whole of the design is fixed in transparent colors. It is next thoroughly washed, to remove any composition that may have left the paper with the transferred colors, and wiped dry, after which it is subjected to a good heat, say 200° F., to harden the varnishes. It is then varnished on the printed side, and again baked and polished for better protection. The paper on which the design is first printed is prepared from plate and half-plate paper (preferably the latter), which is given two coats of starch prepared with boiling water, and a coating of gum-arabic dissolved in water, after which the paper is highly rolled.
Mould and Matrices for Stereotype Plates.—A new invention just patented consists, according to the British and Colonial Printer, practially of a dry method in the manufacture of moulds. The patentee, Mr G. Eastwood, 42, Whitefriargate, Kingston-upon-Hull, makes the moulds of two parts, viz., a facing and a backing. The face is composed of a piece of muslin covered with a sheet of tissue paper; the muslin is soaked with, and the paper (when more than one sheet is used) is pasted with, a composition which will keep the muslin in a flexible state, prevent the paper drying hard before use, render it sensitive to moisture, prevent contraction on application of heat, and harden the facing, when heated. The composition used for this purpose is formed of glycerine and starch, with or without a small quantity of common salt, suitable proportions of which are about 6 ounces starch, 1 ounce glyeerine, and 20 grains salt. The backing consists of a dry thick sheet of soft paper—blotting-paper, felt, or other suitable substances—capable of receiving and retaining an impression. The facing, composed of muslin and tissue paper, is dried cold, and when used should only contain sufficient moisture to render the paper slightly soft. The muslin should be kept firm, and wiped with a sponge containing the composition. In taking the matrix the facing is placed upon the type, paper-side downwards, and the backing of dry paper placed upon it. They are then covered with woollen or india-rubber blanketing, and rolled or pressed. The matix is claimed to be at once formed, and when removed from the type has simply to be warmed through. The heat quickly sets the composition and hardens the face.
The gathering and storing of records of days long gone by, of events almost buried in oblivion, of men departed to the bourne from whence no traveller returns, and of things lost to sight but to memory dear—is the favorite pursuit of the historian and the antiquary. A note from Typo informs me that any copy relating to our early days among the printers will always be marked « good, » and recommends regarding any such incidents or reminiscences, « When found, make a note of, » as genial Captain Cuttle hath it. Knowing that this journal always has a column to spare for antiques, and having lately been in conversation with some old identities in our craft, I have jotted down the following items regarding one of our pioneer papers:
The Southern Cross.
For the particulars which follow, I am chiefly indebted to Mr William Smith, of Wellington. The Southern Cross was first started in 1845, as a small weekly sheet, by Mr William Brown, of the firm of Brown & Campbell. In its early days, its lines did not fall in very pleasant places. Its vigorous exposure of abuses in official quarters made it obnoxious in high places; and as its charges could not be refuted, the authorities adopted the short and easy method of suppressing the paper. Redress in those days was slow and difficult to obtain, and the issue was suspended for some months. When it reappeared, in addition to its original motto Luceo non uro (I enlighten without burning), it bore the defiant lines:From Shelly's fragment, The Triumph of Life.
And the double motto was retained as long as the paper maintained a separate existence. It continued to progress, passing from a weekly to a semi-weekly, and eventually to a daily in 1862, continuing without interruption till 1878, when it was merged in its younger rival, the New Zealand Herald. Dr Martin was first editor of the Cross, succeeded by Messrs David Burn, William Brown (proprietor), Hugh Carleton, Bacot, McCabe, R. J. Creighton, D. M. Luckie, Chas. Williamson, and last but not least, Julius Vogel. In 1856-57 Mr James Wood, who came from the Melbourne Age, and afterwards started the Hawke's Bay Herald, was sub-editor of the Cross. Communication with the outer world in those days was very different from what it is now, no telegraphs, and very few ships arriving—perhaps one a month. My informant says: « I recollect upon one occasion going up to Mr Wood's house for copy for the next publication, and what do you think he gave me? Why, several extracts from Hogg's Weekly Instructor, saying that he had no more exchanges to cut copy from. Mr Wood was particularly fond of boating. I recollect starting on an excursion with him to the Thames in an open boat about 15 feet long, and when about half-way across the Hauraki Gulf the mast broke, owing to the high wind which prevailed, and we had to return to Auckland without accomplishing the object we had in view. I made a trip also to the Island of Waiheke on another occasion, accompanied by Mr and Mrs Wood, in an open boat, for the purpose of getting persons to register their names on the electoral roll. We were absent from the office about a week, having, with the exception of one night, to sleep in or under the boat. I never saw Mr Wood after he left Auckland for Napier, but have since heard that he is dead. Peace to his ashes! »
On page 27 is a reduced copy of a card presented to each member of the staff on the first anniversary of the Daily Southern Cross. Mr W. S. Bryce was the compositor. The typography is very good, and the gold bronze has kept its color well on the copy from which I have taken this. The size of the card is about 12x8in. It was not possible to maintain the proportion in the reduced copy, which is too deep as compared with the width; but otherwise gives a correct idea of the display. The original is set the wide way of the card.
I have often thought, on looking round at a busily-engaged companionship: It would be interesting to know all about these men—where born, where they learned their trade, what places they have worked in, and other events of their lives bearing on our craft. This curiosity is always to a greater or less degree apparent in human nature. After all, curiosity is the great incentive to education. Do we not always hear the questions: Who is he? and What is he? and is not biography the most attractive form of literature? So, when we read the names of the companionship just quoted, we ponder and say What has become of these men? Who live, and who are dead? Have any risen to affluence, or are they still at case? Of the twenty whose names appear here, ten or eleven are reported to have turned their flags and handed in their last revise. Of some of these, and of the nine known to be in the land of the living, I have gathered a few particulars:—
Ball, H., dead.
Brett, Henry, is the proprietor of that valuable and well-known property—the Star office, Auckland. Soon after the Star was started by Mr G. M. Reed, Mr Brett joined him in the concern, and under their management, the Star rose from the fourth or fifth, to nearly the first magnitude.
Bryce, W. S., is now holding cases on the Auckland Herald.
Cameron, J., dead.
Cowan, B., dead.
Creighton, Robert J., who was part-proprietor of the Cross with Mr Alfred Scales, became a conspicuous man in our early politics, being a Provincial Councillor, and when the provinces were abolished, he sat in the N. Z. Parliament for an Auckland seat. He left these shores some years ago, turning up in the Sandwich Islands as private Secretary to the Governor at Honolulu. During the last few years Mr Creighton has been our Government agent at San Francisco, and he was so lately as last month in our colony on business connected with his office.
Ellis, J., served his apprenticeship on the Southern Cross. He has seen many ups and downs (chiefly the latter) since those days of '63, being in turn printer, sailor, miner, travelled all over the two islands, and the last I heard of him he was on the wallaby in this island, after spending some time knocking about Wellington.
Freer, J. G., dead.
Gimbel, G. F., is the printer of the Auckland Herald.
Haszard, C. A. Left the trade, and was engaged for about eight years in teaching a native school in the village of Wairoa. He was killed in the eruption of Tarawera in June 1886, with his son, two daughters, and a nephew; his wife and two daughters escaping.
Hunter, G. E., dead. His son and namesake has been following the occupation of comp in Napier for the past sixteen years.
Lowe, J. H. A., dead.
Moss, B., I believe, is the proprietor of a newspaper on the Australian Continent.
Scales, A., dead.
Schrader, F., dead.
Seffern, W. H. J., has been for twenty-one years editor of the Taranaki Herald. He has written a series of interesting articles entitled « The Early Settlement of New Zealand, » from notes collected during a period of 34 years. These articles appeared in the European Mail and Colonies and India, and are to be published in book form at an early date.
Smith, W., is now, and has been for the last ten years, at case in the Government Printing Office, Wellington. At the outbreak of the Thames gold rush Mr Smith took the printership of the Thames Advertiser, which was owned by Messrs Corlett & Wilkinson, the former of whom is now manager of the Christchurch Press Company, and the latter proprietor of a job-office in Queen-street, Auckland.
Stewart, C., was a rolling stone. He was a comp of artistic ambition. We first hear of him in New Zealand thirty-two years ago, when he assisted at the birth of the Nelson Colonist. Typo has heard him narrate how, disliking the « open » old english title of the paper, (engraved on brass), he filled the white lines with melted lead, scraped down smooth, which made the title very black and solid. Some of the lead soon worked out, and idle devils poked and scratched the soft metal with bodkins, giving the heading the characteristic piebald appearance which it bore for thirty years. Some time in the 60's, he left the Southern Cross, and came to Napier, working first in the Herald and afterwards in the Times job department. His great piece of work was a brass-rule plan of the township of Clyde, on the Wairoa river, printed for the Provincial Government by Mr James Wood, then proprietor of the Herald. The job was well done, but used up a tremendous quantity of brass-rule, and ruined a fount of nonpareil music. Stewart went to Australia from Napier, and we last heard of him in Sydney. An unauthenticated rumor of his death reached this part of the world a few years ago.
Thomson, H, dead.
Warren, A. F., is senior reader at the Government Printing Office. He left the Southern Cross on the outbreak of the rush to the Thames Goldfield and went into business for himself in the sharebroking line in partnership with Mr Smale. After a time, he found it was not a paying speculation, and gave it up. He then proceeded to the Old Country in the good ship Yorkshire on a pleasure trip; and after returning from England to New Zealand, he joined the staff of the Government Printing Office.
An inquiry of historic importance has just closed its first chapter. The exceptional manner in which a still uncompleted case has been commented on by the press may be accounted for by the exceptional conditions under which the inquiry is held. The Times, on the one hand, is specially protected from the ordinary penalties attaching to libel for anything alleged or attempted to be proved in establishing its case; and on the other hand, the sixty or more members of the league implicated in its disclosures are protected from the legal consequences attaching to the grave crimes for which they are alleged to be in a measure responsible, should those charges be established. The great objection to comment on a matter sub judice—that it tends to prejudice the parties concerned—has therefore very little application in this case, and the only comments which have been taken notice of by the Commission have been of such an outrageous character that they could not be passed over in silence.
During the past two or three weeks, much nonsense has been written of « the collapse of The Times case. » The only « collapse, » so far, has been that of Parnell's case against The Times. Again, we have seen the statement reiterated that Mr Parnell has « cleared himself. » He has not done so, nor has he attempted to do so. Beyond a denial of the authorship of a certain letter or letters alleged to have been written by him—which denial he has repeated before the Commission—he has made no attempt to clear himself or to force The Times to a proof of its statements. As we stated last August, the action in the Scottish courts was taken solely with a view to hamper the commission. It put The Times to great inconvenience and expense; Mr Parnell made no endeavor to bring the matter to an issue, and after a lapse of six months has ignominiously withdrawn, paying his opponent's costs.
The Commission was appointed to inquire into the explicit charges in The Times' articles on « Parnellism and Crime, » supplemented by the evidence adduced in O'Donnell's abortive action. The Commission required the charges to be formulated, and they were accordingly arranged under fourteen heads. Most of these charges have been fully established. The so-called « forged » letters formed a part, and a part only, of the fourteenth section of the charges. This portion The Times has withdrawn. It could do no otherwise, after the failure of the witness who alone could establish the genuineness of the letters, and who admitted, under cross-examination, that he had himself forged some of the documents. His final confession states that the whole of the first batch of letters supplied to The Times, and part of the second, was genuine. That The Times took extraordinary precautions to prove the authenticity of the documents is clear; that the whole of the first batch was genuine seems also exceedingly probable; but a single proved or admitted, forgery was of course sufficient to break down the entire case resting upon the compromising letters. And the « vindication » of Mr Parnell rests solely upon the word of a man whom his own party denounce as a renegrade and a perjurer.
Perhaps no case was ever conducted under greater disadvantage than that of The Times. The desperate nature of some of the secret organizations interested was only too well known to the witnesses. Every man who came forward with any revelations of importance was well aware that he did so at the risk of his life. A witness giving evidence freely in the morning would receive a communication at the mid-day adjournment that would effectually seal his lips for the rest of the inquiry. « Contradict all evidence in cross-examination, and all will go well, » was the telegram sent to one of the witnesses. The alternative was not expressed, but would be well understood. False evidence against the league was suborned and offered to The Times expressly to be withdrawn and contradicted before the Commission, for no other purpose than to discredit witnesses. The torrents of abuse hurled upon Pigott by the « national » press are not because he committed perjury or forgery; but because he did it for the other side. A still more unconscionable scoundrel, one Pat Molloy, who perjured himself freely, is the hero of the hour with the « national » press—because he outwitted The Times, and paid £5 of their money (obtained under false pretences), into the « Parnell Defence Fund. »
The case for the league opens next month, and The Times will have the opportunity it has so long sought. It will have some of the leading men of the league in the witness-box. We venture to say that the « four hundreds witnesses will never be brought forward. The second part of the inquiry will be very brief; but if The Times has even half-a-dozen of its principal opponents under cross-examination, we shall hear very little more of « the collapse of The Times case. »
We need scarcely draw attention to the new feature our paper presents this month—its neat wrapper, printed in two colors. Typo no longer appears, as our American cousins quaintly put it, « in shirtsleeves. » The advertisements on the wrapper will be indexed at the close of the volume, and those who bind the monthly parts are recommended to preserve the wrappers and bind them together at the end as an appendix. The printing is by the celebrated firm of Raithby & Lawrence, Leicester; and all orders and communications relating to advertisements in this department must be addressed to our London agents, Messrs John Haddon & Co., 3-4 Bouverie-street Fleet-street, London.
In the days when the British army « swore terribly in Flanders, » profanity in daily speech was as prevalent in England as it is to-day on the continent. There has been a marked improvement in our own day, both in literature and conversation, and open profanity is now a grave offence against the ordinary rules of social intercourse. But society is still far from observing the dictum, « Swear not at all," and most, if not all. of the common expletives are as profane as the old English oaths that have gone out of fashion. « The deuce, » popularly identified with the devil, is really the Latin word Deus = God. To use the terms « Goodness » and « Gracious » as expletives, is to swear by the Divine attributes—else what meaning is there in the vulgar exclamation « Goodness knows » ? « Dear me! » is the Italian Dio mio! = « My God. » « Dear knows, » is in itself meaningless, but compared with the Italian expletives is easily understood. Cant expressions such as these are incompatible with correctness or grace of language, and should be carefully avoided on that account alone—quite apart from their half-concealed profanity.
Since the establishment of the County system, a very ugly and objectionable abbreviation has come into common use— « Cr. » for « Councillor. » In the old Provincial Council days, none of the members were described as « Cr. » They were then « Mr Jones, » « Dr Smith, » « Capt. Brown, » as the the case might be. Legislative Councillors are never called « Crs., » and why should county councillors be so distinguished? A country contemporary, in a district where there is a town board, has gone farther still, and prefixes « Cmr. » (commissioner) to the names of the members! If this unsightly practice continues, we shall yet see uncouth abbreviations devised for harbor board members, members of licensing committees, of education boards, and the score of other local bodies. We hope that the leading journals will combine to exclude all these hideous and useless prefixes. Otherwise, the wearied reader will probably discover, in the colonial paper of the future, abbreviations like these: « The remarks of Lcmr. Jones about the hotel were uncalled for. » « Rbdmr. Johnson was in error. » « Mhr. Williamson's resignation is reported. » « Hbrdmr. Collins opposed the purchase of the new dredge as a waste of the ratepayers' money. »
First Anniversary Dinner,
If I have been extinguished, yet there rise a thousand beacons from the spark I bore.
Luceo non uro.
'The Daily Southern Cross,'At the Criterion Hotel, Otahuhu
on
Saturday evening, May 16, 1863,In Commemoration of the Establishment
of the
first morning newspaper in Auckland Province
Members of the "Daily Southern Cross" Chapel- Ball, H.
- Brett, H.
- Bryce, W. S.
- Cameron, J.
- Cowan, R.
- Ellis, J.
- Freer, J. G.
- Gimbel, G. F.
- Haszard, C. A.
- Hunter, G. E.
- Lowe, J. H. A.
- Moss, R.
- Schrader, F.
- Seffern, W. H.
- Stewart, C.
- Thomson, H.
- Warren, A. F.
Robert J. Creighton and Alfred Scales, Proprietors.
Last Saturday the numerous staff of this office celebrated the first anniversary of the establishment of the Daily Southern Cross by a dinner in the Criterion Hotel, Otahuhu. Although it was impossible to bring together the entire staff at the dinner hour, owing to the peculiar arrangements of a daily newspaper, every department was represented. Upwards of thirty gentlemen sat down to dinner, besides several leading settlers and merchants who, with the proprietors of the paper, were guests of the employés for the evening. Mr Creighton presided; Mr George Webster acting as vice-chairman. A variety of toasts were given, among which continued prosperity to the Daily Southern Cross was enthusiastically drunk. The proceedings of the evening were agreeably varied by songs and recitations, and musical selections by Mr and Master West. Altogether it was the most successful social meeting at which it has ever been our privilege to be present in the colony. The good feeling that exists between employer and employed was remarked upon by the visitors as a pleasing and noticeable feature, and it is one which we hope will long continue. This will be better understood, when we state that the anniversary dinner was the result of the spontaneous feeling of the employés, and that the entire arrangements were carried out by themselves. The dinner was excellently served, and reflected credit upon the host and hostess. The labor and painstaking of the stewards should not be overlooked. The enjoyment was kept up till eleven o'clock, at which hour the party dispersed.—Daily Southern Cross, 18th May, 1863.
In connexion with our article on the Southern Cross, we have to thank Mr W. H. Seffern, of the Taranaki Herald, for an old galley-slip of the paragraph giving an account of the anniversary festivities, quoted above. He has also kindly sent us a curiosity—an early copy of the paper. Its full title is The Southern Cross, and New Zealand Guardian; it is numbered 147, vol. iii, and bears date 15th April, 1848. It states that it « is published every Saturday morning, and extensively circulated through this and the neighboring colonies, also in England, Ireland, and Scotland. » The paper consists of four pages demy, four columns to the page, 14 ems measure. The principal title is in a light four-line sanserif, engraved on wood, evidently by an unaccustomed hand. The types used are long primer and brevier, and there are no make-shifts for sorts, such as italic for roman—as may sometimes be met with, even now. The imprint bears the name of P. Kunst. [We have a dim recollection of yarns by the old hands about « Old Kunst » in our'prentice-days. There may be some still who remember him.] There are twenty-nine advertisements, and either through good taste on the printer's part, or lack of job-letter, only one line of jobbing type appears in the whole. Most of the names of advertisers are now forgotten, but we recognize Brown & Campbell, and another, J. A. Smith, is now living in Napier, having been identified with our town almost from its commencement. A leader of over three columns fiercely attacks Governor Grey, and a slighting reference to « our contemporary » shows that the Cross was not in undisturbed possession of the field. The paper contains interesting statistics, and other matters to which we may refer in a future issue.
A number of interesting trade items, and notices of books and specimens of fine printing received, are held over till next issue.
A Victorian firm, the name of which has not transpired (and we would not give it a free advertisement if it had!) has offered the New Zealand and other colonial governments the sum of £4000, £5000, and £6000 respectively for the right of advertising on the backs of postage stamps for three successive years. Five thousand pounds a year may seem a nice little sum, and worth the sacrifice of a little dignity. We venture to say the advertisers would have a good deal the best of it. The extra cost of producing the stamps would leave a very small margin. Postage stamps are not machined like advertising « dodgers. » They are printed on old-fashioned hand-presses, on special paper, in a government office, in a locked room, and by the best skilled labor. They pass through several operations, and every time the sheets have to be counted, re-counted, and registered. The process is slow and costly, and to print the stamps on both sides would nearly double the cost of production.
We have received from Mr E. T. Wheeler of Dunedin, a copy of the thirteenth annual issue of the Digest, an index to bills of sale, stock mortgages, bankruptcies, &c, in New Zealand for the year 1888. The book contains over 150 quarto pages, and as it was not placed in the printers' hands until some days after the new year, and was published in the month of February, the printer is entitled to credit not only for expeditious work, but for the neat appearance of the book. We have no means of checking the accuracy of the thousands of entries; but as regards arrangement of matter for purposes of reference, it would not be easy to suggest an improvement. The long list of chattel mortgages is followed by one of affidavits of satisfaction. The table of bankruptcies is very complete, showing dates of tiling and discharge, and amount of dividends. The particulars in these tables show 1888 to have been an exceptionally « bad year. » There is also a long alphabetical list of patents applied for during the year. A number of articles on mercantile law from a weekly periodical issued by the publisher, completes the volume, which is evidently compiled with great care and at no little cost, and must be exceedingly valuable to business men.
The death of the veteran author, Mr S. C. Hall, is an item of some interest, but it would be a matter of form to speak of it as a subject for regret. When a man has entered his ninetieth year, and has long outlived his friends and contemporaries,—when like that of Mr Hall, his life has been one of activity and usefulness—he has well earned the rest into which he enters. For more than half-a-century, Mr Hall has been a prominent figure in literary and artistic London. His fame as a writer was not equal to that of his accomplished wife (born in 1805) who was one of the early contributors to Chambers's Journal, and whose charming tales of Irish life are still popular. The literary collaboration of Mr and Mrs Hall resembles that of another aged couple who have lately passed away—William and Mary Howitt. In 1838 Mr Hall started the Art Union—afterwards known as the Art Journal—which he continued to edit almost down to the present time. By means of this ably-conducted periodical he and his wife rendered valuable service in bringing art into the houses of the people, in which line they may be said to have been the pioneers; and the valuable and popular magazine brought Mr and Mrs Hall into close association with all the leading artists and writers of the day. Mr Hall and his wife were earnest workers in the field of social reform. In 1872 The Times published a stirring article on the national vice, in which it asked: « Amongst all the writers, all the talkers, all the preachers, all the workers, all the names we see blazoned in the roll of English fame, are there none that will set about to abate this nuisance and scandal—our national drunkenness? » Mr Hall, on behalf of the art world, took up the challenge. He wrote a poem, The Trial of Sir Jasper, to which twenty-three leading artists contributed original illustrations. This was followed by An Old Story, also in verse, illustrated by twenty-five artists, who, as in the former case, contributed their designs free. The poems contained powerful passages, but were not on the whole of a very high order, and the books are chiefly in demand on account of their fine engravings—an admirable gallery of contemporary art. About thirteen years ago Mr and Mrs Hall published A Book of Memories, containing reminiscences of some two hundred leading literary and artistic celebrities of the early part of the century. Of late years Mr Hall dabbled in spiritism, and became « mixed up » with Home, Slade, and similar practitioners, in whom he seemed to have implicit faith. Mrs Hall died in January 1881, and we can well believe that the old man's life has since been a lonely one. He recently resigned the editorship of the Art Journal, and has now, at a good old age, gone to join the partner of his life and labors.
A contemporary tells a yarn of a parson who quarrelled with a parishioner named Hardy, and next Sunday preached from the text: « There is no fool like the fool-Hardy. » —The question arises: Where did the reverend gentleman find his text?
Governments need careful watching. It has transpired that a certain article, indispensable to country settlers, on which Parliament has steadily refused to impose a duty, has been « protected » by the railway department. If locally manufactured, it is classed « D » —if imported, it is loaded with a heavier rate of freight as class « C. » This unwarrantable practice must be checked at once, or country settlers will soon be saddled with a double « protective » duty—twenty-five per cent, customs and fifteen per cent, railway tariff!
« Small Fry » sends us (Effective Advertiser) a conundrum, which we cannot answer satisfactorily. Here is the riddle. The printers in Blanktown were asked to tender for the following:—
- 100 3-sheet double-demy bills in red ink.
- 500 ½-sheet double-crown long folio in red ink.
- 600 programmes of events, demy 8vo., 8pp., with cover.
- 500 entry forms, large-post 4to. 4 pages.
- 20 fancy bordered 4to. boards.
—The lowest tender was accepted, the sum being £4 7s 6d for the lot. How could this be done?
An English telegram this week contains the tidings—not altogether unexpected—of the death, in his 78th year, of the Right Hon. John Bright. He has lived long enough for his integrity and absolute unselfishness to be recognized by all parties; but years must pass and the dust of present strife be cleared away before his wisdom and prescience will be fully appreciated. Conscientiousness was his ruling characteristic, and he never yielded a hair's-breadth to the clamour of the vox populi, which, notwithstanding an old proverb, is as often as not the vox diaboli. In conjunction with Cobden he secured in 1846 the repeal of the Corn Laws—the greatest reform of the age. A generation has since arisen that has no personal knowledge of what that achievement did for the country—but no living man who remembers England under corn-law tyranny ever listens to the foolish and ignorant talk of modern protectionists. When the war-fever swept over England in 1853, Mr Bright, by denouncing the war-party, became the most unpopular man in England. His support of the North in the American civil strife made him nearly as unpopular; but time has fully justified his action. Of late years, he has labored successfully for the extension of the franchise and reform in representation. In 1882 he retired from Mr Gladstone's cabinet on account of his inflexible opposition to the disgraceful Egyptian policy which culminated in the bombardment of Alexandria. A Liberal of the Liberals, he has kept far aloof from the anarchist party which masquerades under the flag of Home Rule, and with which his old associate, Gladstone, has identified himself. Mr Bright's death at this juncture is a heavy loss to the nation; but under the free institutions of England, there will be found no less noble and gifted men to fill the vacant place.
The Wanganui Chronicle is again issued from its own premises. Referring to the destruction of its premises and plant by fire, it says: « In the hour of our need, our brethren of the press—at once and without solicitation—proffered ready and ample assistance. Mr J. L. Kirkbride, proprietor of the Rangitikei Advocate, to whom we are indebted for much generous and timely aid, wired us immediately the telegraph-office opened on the morning after the fire, offering to send in by rail sufficient type, already distributed in cases, to enable us to re-commence publishing without another day's delay. An hour or so later, we received an offer by telegraph from Mr Henry Brett, of the Auckland Star, to send down enough material to carry us over our difficulty until we could supply ourselves with a new plant. It is, however, to Mr John Ballance and the Wanganui Herald Company that we are indebted for a kindness beyond that usually accorded, or looked for, even in generous-hearted press circles. At the earliest possible moment on the morning of the fire Mr Ballance telephoned us, placing the whole resources of the Herald office at our disposal. The offer was gratefully accepted, and from that day up to Saturday morning last, the Chronicle was printed by the use of Herald type and machinery, generously and freely provided, even though at no little inconvenience to our contemporary's staff. We never for a moment had any misgivings about receiving generous assistance from our brother journalists—because we know that in any emergency press-men always rally round each other—but it is one thing to help a journalist for a few days, or even weeks, and quite another thing to voluntarily supply all needful material to carry his paper over a continuous period of four months. »
The new parcel post has led to a good deal of amateur importing, and is rapidly educating the public as to the way in which they are plundered by « our enlightened tariff. » They are finding that importers are not the extortioners they took them to be, after all. The Napier Herald tells how a lady sent home for £3 worth of dress materials, telling her friends that she would save at least £1. The goods did not turn out as she anticipated, and after paying postage 7s, and duty and « primage » 9s, she found the difference below Napier prices was about three shillings!
Richard Pigott, who has come to a miserable and violent end, was a man whose career is not without interest. Betrayed by his compatriots, he did not scruple to betray them in turn. He was the son of the late John Pigott, an associate of the founders of the Nation, and thus connected with the journalistic section of the national party, the junior Pigott naturally took to the same field himself, and with considerable success. He started the Irishman, the recognized organ of the extremists. When the four Manchester « martyrs » paid the just penalty of their dastardly crime, a great mock-funeral in their honor was held in Dublin, and fiery speeches were delivered to the assembled multitude. These speeches were printed in the Nation and the Irishman, and the proprietors of both papers were prosecuted for sedition, and were heavily fined and imprisoned. Mr A. M. Sullivan, of the Nation, escaped with three months, and Mr Pigott received double. A grateful public paid the fines, and Mr Pigott on his release was the hero of the day, and was honored with a banquet. The Irishman thenceforward throve apace, publishing a weekly edition, entitled the Flag of Ireland, and a story paper called the Shamrock. A natural desire soon possessed the proprietor—now one of the most popular men in Ireland—to enter Parliament; and the Limerick seat becoming vacant he announced himself as a candidate, and his return appeared certain. But his increasing popularity had rendered him an object of jealousy to the other leaders of the party, and an edict went forth from Mr Parnell that he was not to be supported. No appeal nor redress was open; the support hitherto so freely accorded to his papers began rapidly to decline, and he was fain to dispose of them to « The Irish National Publishing Company » (Parnell & Egan.) The Flag of Ireland became United Ireland, and still maintains the character it acquired in the hands of Mr Richard Pigott. Discarded and impoverished by the other leaders of his party, Mr Pigott bethought him of the commercial value of the private information and compromising letters in his possession, and entered into negociation with The Times. So well was the secret kept, that Pigott, shabbily as he had been treated, was never suspected as the informant until he entered the witness-box. Beginning with genuine and authentic information and documents, he secured the confidence of The Times; but his avarice led him to the crime and blunder of supplementing the genuine papers with forgeries of his own. So skilfully was this accomplished as to baffle for a time the ablest expert and legal talent in England. Under cross-examination—the examiner being fortified with secret information of a very special kind—the witness at last broke down, and confessed his guilt. As he took the precaution to have his private papers burnt before he fled, it can never be known how much of his evidence was true. One of his most incredible statements—that journalistic rivals of the Times had been secretly trying to influence his testimony—has been confirmed; and the fact reflects lasting discredit on a section of the London press. Mr Pigott seems to have been a fair type of the leading members of his party—vain, clever, self-seeking, unscrupulous, and without a spark of patriotism or regard for his associates in « the cause! » From the tender mercies of such men may Ireland ever be delivered!
It is a good sign that so much attention is being paid to the early history of the colonies. According to the Christchurch Church News, the history of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, the writing of which was entrusted by the Bench of Bishops, with the approval of the General Synod, to the Very Rev. the Dean of Christchurch, is now on the eve of being issued. The advance sheets have reached the Dean, and are now on their way back for publication. The work is comprised in three parts:—I. The Missionary Period, down to 1841. II. The Period of Organization, down to 1857. III. From 1857 to the resignation of the Primate. The Dean is the author of 424 pages of the work; the material for the remaining GO pages on the seven Dioceses has been contributed by the respective bishops, or persons appointed by them. The work is the first of a series of colonial Church Histories.
The Church of Rome has also a very similar work in hand. It is being prepared by Bishop Pompallier, one of the early French missionaries, and is announced under the title of Early History of the Catholic Church in Oceania. The earliest history of the Pacific islands is chiefly a record of devoted mission work, and these forthcoming works, if their design is conscientiously carried out, will be of great historic value. It will be very interesting to collate the two when they appear.
For our own part, we regret that this work was not taken iu hand earlier—say ten or fifteen years ago. Within that period many of the grand old pioneer missionaries have been called to to their reward; and of those who remain, few would be able to undertake such heavy and exacting work. Moreover, every year there has been more or less loss, by destruction and decay, of old and authentic records. The Wesleyan Church was early in the mission field, and did noble work, but so far as we know, no history of its labors has ever been compiled. Even if there is no one to take it in hand, there are many who could contribute materials for such a work, and our excellent contemporary, the New Zealand Methodist, would, we doubt not, readily find space for records of the kind, which would add avery interesting department to its pages. Until a good record of Wesleyan mission work in New Zealand appears, one of the most interesting chapters in the early history of the colony remains unwritten.
The first volume of a new history of New South Wales, edited by Mr G. B. Barton, barrister, formerly of Dunedin, will shortly be published by the Government Printer, New South Wales. The history, which will extend over fifteen volumes, will be the most complete work of the kind ever published. The first volume will deal with the period from 1788 to 1792, and will contain full copies of all the official despatches relating to the establishment of the colony, copies of which have recently been received from the Colonial Office.
It is much to be regretted that the early MS. and other records, preserved and treasured for years by many early settlers, have so often been treated as rubbish after their death. We have already referred to the fate of the Rev. R. Taylor's collection of early printed works. But the greatest difficulty of the future historian will lie in the utterly reckless manner in which garbled and misleading narratives are permitted to appear in print, and pass into currency as genuine facts. Many instances could be given.
During the recent Te Kooti excitement, an Auckland paper published extracts from an anonymous pamphlet entitled « A Dark Chapter in the History of Poverty Bay, by a Survivor » —evidently supposing it to be a genuine record of facts. On the contrary, the book was one of the most mendacious ever published in the colony. The writer, who professed to be « a survivor » of the massacre, lived a hundred miles away, and was a literary hack, subsidised to write the book in the interests of a political party. Every settler who has been over twenty years in the island could point out many of the absolute fabrications and perversions of fact which the book contains. It fell flat from the press when it appeared; but now, when the memory of the facts is growing dim, this wretched and nearly forgotten production is revived—and may even one day be reprinted!
When we copied into our columns the newspaper accounts of the late Mr Bevans, the oldest journalist in the colony, early colonists drew our attention to numerous errors in the alleged facts. And very few of the obituary notices of old settlers will bear examination. Some time ago we sent the biography of an old lady deceased, ( « lhe first white woman in the Bay of Islands » ) to an old friend, thinking it would be of interest. He said: « It bristles with falsehoods! » The year of her arrival was stated, and at that time there were not less than fifty European women in the Bay of Islands, some of whom are living to-day. Not only this, but there were inexcusable blunders as regarded localities, and facts relating to the general history of the time. Such being the case, the value of early correspondence, diaries, and other memoranda of transactions made at the time, becomes apparent.
The Picturesque Atlas scheme (says a well-informed contemporary) is, or ought to be moribund. Sir J. Vogel's idea now is to publish a sample part at a cost of £2,090. This would mean Sir Julius receiving £500 more for « editorial duties. » and it is impossible to avoid the reflection that this fact probably to some extent biases his judgement. Mr Beetham is averse to the notion, and Sir Walter Buller, when his advice was iuvited, frankly pooh-poohed it. Hutchinson, the publisher, who has a big connexion in the colonies, declared, when asked his opinion of the Atlas scheme, that he wouldn't risk five shillings in it. « In the first place, » he said, « it is by no means certain that Picturesque Australasia, even with its leviathan subscription list, will be a financial success. The expenses and percentages to paid agents have been enormous, and the number of subscribers who have cried off is far larger than anticipated. To go over the same ground with a Picturesque New Zealand would simply be to court disaster. »
Mr W. S. Gilbert appears to be as sensitive as he is sarcastic. Piqued by the non-success of Brantingham Hall, and the adverse criticisms of the press, he not only threatens Clement Scott the critic with a libel action, but announces that he will write no more dramas, and subject himself to no more « insolent gibes. » This is not bad, from the man who so mercilessly ridiculed a Cabinet Minister under the transparent disguise of Sir Joseph Porter.
At a dinner given by Professor Robertson Smith, editor of theEncyclopaedia Britannica, in celebration of the completion of that great work, it was stated by Mr Adam W. Black, one of the publishers, that the authors' corrections had amounted to what was equivalent to the setting-up of the twenty-four quarto volumes from beginning to end twice over.
Zola has tried a new line, and written a novel free from uncleanness. As he is sought after chiefly for his filth, this is a bold experiment. As to the artistic qualities of his new book, the critics differ widely. The Printers' Register's correspondent says it is « a big success. It is purity and poetry itself, and utterly refutes the idea that Zola only made his name by pornography. An English parson would be proud to be the author of Le Rêve, so high-toned is its morality. » In the Bookmart, we find Mr Julian Hawthorne's opinion. He says that the author has endeavored to show his versatility by writing a story in which everybody should be innocent and virtuous. « There is no filth nor garbage in it, from end to end. But though clean, the cleanliness is that of a desert place—of a vacuum—of the intense inane—of whatever is most empty, lifeless, and uninteresting. No one else can be so uninteresting as M. Zola is when he is not nasty. He must be a man of almost inhuman energy to succeed in completing a tale so devoid of all manner of attractiveness. How irksome must the daily task have been, especially to one just reeking from La Terre! But he accomplished it, and it is as dead as a paving stone. Let the hog wallow in his sty; it is useless to attire him in a surplice, and make him pace up and down in a whitewashed cloister. »
Mr Sala having fallen foul of Harry Furniss, the popular artist has retaliated with an outline of Mr Sala's art career. « Mr Sala, » he says, « began not only as an artist, but as a caricaturist; and he had to send in to the Academy schools three « short drawings, » as they were called, of a head, a hand, and a foot. Unfortunately for Mr Sala, he had six toes upon the foot he drew, and the examiner, having counted these toes, pointed the matter out to Mr Sala, who did not get into the schools; so now he is the art critic of the Daily Telegraph. »
Other artists than Mr Sala have been guilty of equally curious blunders. In a large engraving representing the family of the Prince of Wales, issued by a leading London illustrated paper not long ago, the Princess has six fingers to her right hand. In the original illustrations to Mr Meeson's Will, a fine sea-piece is supposed to represent a flight of « black cormorants, » but the artist has drawn white gulls! A most absurd mistake in illustration occurs in Canon Rawlinson's « Egypt » —part of a series called « The Story of the Nations. » A full-page engraving of the grand gallery of the Great Pyramid is inserted; but the printer, mistaking the side of the picture for the foot, ran the lettering up the side of the plate. The result is an incomprehensible view, in impossible perspective. There is no precise information about the Pyramid in the book itself, and no one connected with its publication seems to have known enough about the « grand gallery » to detect the mistake.
The writer of the popular American books published under the nom de plume of « Pansy, » is Mrs G. B. Alden.
The democratic Volks Zeitung of Berlin has been suppressed by the German Government, which appears to be painfully sensitive to criticism.
His Excellency Sir William Jervois left New Zealand on the 18th inst. During his six years' term of office he has had no constitutional problems to solve, and with the exception of the department of defence, has wisely refrained from meddling in politics. Unfortunately he had a craze for harbor defences, and chiefly through his influence the colony has thrown away nearly a million sterling in fortifications, which involve the employment of a large permanent staff. He has proved by far the most expensive Governor who has presided over the affairs of the colony.
Robert Dennis, proprietor of an obscure London paper, lately sued Mr Henniker-Heaton for £500. Defendant is an ex-colonist, who has during the past three years been making speeches and publishing letters on postal reform. The claim was for writing the aforesaid letters and speeches. The charge was probably a « stiff » one, but the defendant had better have submitted with a good grace. As it was, he settled the case out of court, pay ing £100 and £200 costs. Mr H.-H. is not the only politician who has been indebted to a journalistic hack for his brilliant public deliverances.
On the 14th inst., P. Selig, part proprietor of a sporting weekly, the Referee, charged C. M. Gray, city councillor, of Christchurch, with assault. Defendant did not deny having struck the complainant. Selig had taken offence at defendant refusing to let him have a white shirt on credit, and maligned him in bars and billiard-rooms. Meeting complainant by accident, Gray accused him of sending him a grossly offensive anonymous letter, charging him with immoral conduct. Selig denied having written the letter, called Gray « a beautiful teetotal fanatic, » (one of the expressions in the letter), and told him he might be as immoral as he pleased. Gray's reply to this gracious permission was to punch Selig's head, whereupon the outraged Hebrew laid an information. The Court did not think any very serious offence had been committed, and fined defendant £2, with £1 10s costs. Much interest was taken in the case, the court being crowded, and within an hour of the decision, the amount of fine and costs was subscribed and left at Mr Gray's shop.
The New York Daily Graphic, the only illustrated daily paper in the world, is in almost hopeless difficulties. It has never been a financial success.
There is genuine humor in the following note by a Salvationist. He had ordered a Sheffield newspaper for the benefit of the corps, but after a short time wrote as follows: « Please discontinue sending your newspaper, and send the contents-bill instead. There is more in it. »
Mr Spurgeon, in the Sword and Trowel, tells a good story. Telegraphing to his people from Mentone, informing them of his recent serious accident, he added the reference « Matt, vi 31. » Unfortunately the « vi » was changed to « v » in transmission, and the astonished deacons read: « But I say unto you, Swear not at all. »
Preparations are being made for an exhibition to be held in Dunedin, and the Government have very improperly, and without any warrant from Parliament, promised the large sum of £10,000 in its aid. It will be a purely private concern, and under the same management as the show in Christchurch which gave such general dissatisfaction four years ago. Parliament, by an almost prohibitive tariff, has given outside manufacturers plainly to understand that we do not want their wares; and we can scarcely expect them to send samples of their goods simply as models for imitation by colonial manufacturers.
The Bookmart for December is as usual brimming over with literary and art gossip, and keen criticism, original and selected. The editor, Mr Halkett Lord, after a somewhat varied literary career, seems to have at last found a niche which he exactly fits. To the current number he has contributed a capital sonnet, entitled « Io Grolierii et Amicorum: »
If borrowed books but home returned again! Or did they from their wandering escape In pristine grace, with no deflow'ring stain. No dog's eared leaf, no binding all agape! Against my wish this action thus I shape: Like all true hearts, to share by treasures fain I'd gladly lend—but parting's sad sweet pain. Ah Grolier! Would thy motto I might ape! No faint half-heart, no grudging spirit thine: No boastful vaunt, to further private ends, The never-dying, gold-ernblazoned line That tells the world thy books were for thy friends. But yet, methinks, to cynic eyes it looks As though thy friends out-numberèd thy books.
An interesting rifle-match took place at Wanganui on the 11th March between the employés of the two publishing houses, A. D.
Willis and H. I. Jones. There were « cracks » and « muffs » on both sides, and much interest was taken in the result. Jones's side had a lead of 16 points in the early part of the match, but this was gradually reduced, till, when the last man on each side had to fire, the score stood: Willis's team, 186; Jones's, 184. The two principals now had to settle the contest. At the 200 yards range Jones scored 25 and Willis 21; at the 400, Jones 18 and Willis 21—Total, Willis's, 228; Jones's, 227—a close finish! The trophy was a fine pair of spoons, which the losing side pays for. Messrs Collins Bros., of Auckland, contributed a guinea to the trophy, and will continue the subscription if the match is made an annual fixture.
A pretty little anecdote called « The Officer's Olive-branch » is going the rounds. It may be true in the main, but contains a slight anachronism in detail. Two gentlemen could not exchange a Christmas card annually for thirty years, inasmuch as thirty years ago Christmas cards did not exist.
One of our contemporaries states that a Maori prisoner had tattooed on his arm « the Roman numerals H P, » which, it explains, were his initials « in the Maori alphabet. » Since « the days of Roman barbarism, » H and P have had no numeral value, and the consonants in the Maori alphabet are the same as in our own.
A fine newspaper property, the Manchester Examiner and Times, has changed hands. From its birth, as the organ of the Anti-Corn Law League, till the present time, it has been one of the most important organs of the Liberal party in England. The great Glad-stonian schism, however, has introduced a third party into politics, and divided the Liberals into two hostile camps. The Examiner remained Unionist; its rival, the Guardian, joined the ultra-Irish party, and, as the champion of Mr Gladstone, sought the Liberal support. The old Liberal party have rallied, and purchased the Examiner for £40,000, and will run the paper on the old lines of Liberal Unionism.
Mr Labonchere tells the following story of himself. While at Eton, and having more money than he knew what to do with, he entered the largest hotel in the town, and ordered a private room and a bowl of punch. What to do with the latter, he knew not; but the desire to « do the big toff » was full upon him. He flung the mixture into a cupboard, and astonished the waiter by ordering a second bowl, which went the way of the first. Then the young rascal swaggered into the street, « fully persuaded, » he says, « that the eyes of the whole inn were upon me, which., in my exultant state of mind, were tantamount to those of all Europe. » —If this little autobiographical incident is true, the editor of Truth has changed very little since his Eton days.
We have to acknowledge with thanks the following new exchange: Gutenberg-Journal, Paris, a weekly paper devoted to the graphic arts, and edited by M. Paul Bluysen. (From No. 83, 3rd January, 1889.)
Efforts are being made in Dunedin to establish a magazine under the title of Zealandia. It is proposed to form a company, with a capital of £1000, to carry it on.
The German Government have decided to indict Mr J. C. Klein, correspondent of a San Francisco paper, in the consular court at Apia, Samoa.
The Wanganui Chronicle of the 18th inst. comes out entirely in new type and with a new heading, and presents a very neat appearance. We trust that our contemporary will entirely recover from its fiery trial.
Tauranga can again boast of a second newspaper—the Evening Star, published semi-weekly, having made its first appearance on the 8th inst. Sisyphus has once more started on his uphill journey with the big boulder!
The Samoan Times was permitted to re-appear on the 9th February; but its columns are under censorship, and must contain no reference to « political » matters. Very little information as to German doings at Samoa is now allowed to leak out. Even the mail steamer is met by a German man-of-war, which kindly takes charge of the mails!
Religious papers suffer from the prevailing scarcity of cash even more than the secular press. The Protestant Literature Company, limited, of Dunedin. held a general meeting of shareholders this month, when the balance sheet was read and adopted. A motion to change the present publisher and manager was lost. The meeting finally resolved that the Protestant Ensign was worth a struggle to maintain in its present form.
The Auckland Leader, which was not a success as a company paper, does not succeed much better in private hands. The proprietor, in a brief article in the issue of 1st March, confesses his disappointment in legard to amount of support received. « It remains with our friends, » he says « to determine, by more liberal support, whether we shall continue on the narrow lines of temperance or embark on the wider ocean of general newspaper literature. All around we have good wishes from numberless friends; but good wishes will not pay wages. »
Mr Thomas Treloar, late editor of the Hokitika Guardian, has been appointed editor of the Westport News. Mr Robert Reid was formerly proprietor, and Mr Treloar editor of the West Coast Times.
Vanity Fair has been sold for £25,000. As it has lately lost the ablest member of its staff, whose place it will be scarcely possible to fill, the vendors have obtained an exceedingly good price for the concern.
A London telegram of 19th inst. records that the large papermaking firm of Spalding & Hodge have suspended payment. The liabilities amount to half-a-million sterling; assets estimated at £173,000.
We are very sorry to learn, from a Sydney telegram, that the fine printing establishment of Messrs Gibbs, Shallard, & Co. was partly destroyed by fire on the 16th inst., the damage being very heavy—estimated at £10,000. The insurances amount to £30,000.
The manager of an hotel at Bath has obtained a verdict for the extraordinary sum of £3000 damages against Mr Arthur Willough-by, newspaper correspondent, for a sensational report of an alleged robbery and attempted murder at the hotel.
« Pigott's diary » has been discovered???? It is being prepared for publication, and contains sensational [and] novel disclosures. As a work of imagination, it will doubtless surpass the numerous stories written by the late Hugh Conway—after his death.
General Harrison, the new President of the United States, following the example of his predecessors, has conferred the two most coveted prizes in the diplomatic aervice on journalists. Mr Whitelaw Reid, editor of the New York Tribune, succeeds Mr Phelps as Ambassador in London, and Mr Halstead, of the Cincinnati Commercial, receives the appointment of American Minister at Paris.
Sneering at the loyalty of the North-of-Ireland Unionists, the Wellington Catholic Times draws a fine historic parallel. It says: « Well may we ask: 'Doth Job serve God for nought?' » It is surely a high compliment to be compared with one of the finest characters in the whole range of the world's history—and if our contemporary in making the comparison voluntarily identifies itself with the patriarch's slanderer, even to echoing his identical words (Job i 9)—it probably knows its own character best.
In Wheeler's Digest is a full-page advertisement of the « Cax-ton » printing office, Dunedin, in which the comp has worked off an historical joke. He has adorned the advertisement with a cut of Thorwaldsen's statue of Gutenberg, under which appears the legend « Wm. Caxton, 1419. » To make a cut of Gutenberg do duty for Caxton is a piece of printing-office economy for which many
parallels might be adduced; but what is the meaning of « 1419 » ? Caxton's first essay in printing, Bruges, was in 1474, the date commemorated in the curious hieroglyph on his device; his first printing in England was in 1477, and he died in 1491. The date associated with his name by the Dunedin compositor is just three years before he was born!
Mr Moloney, solicitor, a Victorian candidate, has sued the Age for libel. He claims £5000!
Dr. Bose, m.l.a., is suing the Melbourne Age for £5000 damages for alleged libel in an election advertisement. The Age's £70,000 profits last year have evidently awakened the acquisitive propensities of Victorian members and candidates. Would it answer to get up a consp no, a « syndicate » to bring 14 separate libel actions and scoop the lot?
A « Thank You » society has been organized in Chicago. The object is to discourage by solemn obligation, by mutual counsel, and by fines the practice of saying « Thanks. » The idea is worthy of adoption here. Typo would suggest a fine of 2s 6d for « Thanks very much, » and of five shillings for « Thanks awfully. »
The Irrepressible Ivess has again planted his standard—this time at Albury (where for many years a Banner has braved the election battle and the political breeze)—an inland town in New South Wales, close to the Victorian border. In addition to the Banner, Albury possesses the firmly-established Border Post, so that there is not much « shown » for the new daily.
A London telegram of the 18th inst. records the death of Lady Arnold, wife of Sir Edwin Arnold, editor of the Daily Telegraph.
Hr. Raymund Härtel, head of the great printing and publishing firm of Breitkopf & Hartel, Leipzig, died on the 10th November, aged 78.
A London telegram of 19th March records the death, in his 89th year, of Samuel Carter Hall, f.s.a., barrister-at-law, a well-known author, founder and for many years editor of the Art Journal.
Mr Thomas Stevens, of Coventry, whose beautiful silk-woven bookmarkers and similar goods are known throughout the world, died in December, in his 66th year. He was born in humble circumstances, but by industry, ingenuity, and energy, built up a magnificent business. For the past ten years he had lived in London.
The death of Percy B. St. John, the author of some well-written novels, is reported in an English telegram dated 19th March. Mr St. John's books are chiefly tales of adventure in eastern lands, and were written from personal knowledge of the localities and people. Less wild and sensational than Haggard's, they are of decidedly higher quality, and fifteen or twenty years ago enjoyed a wide popularity.
An English telegram of the 27th inst. records the death, in his 78th year, of the Right Hon. John Bright. The deceased statesman in his time was connected with journalism as well as with politics, having been closely associated with the Evening Star, at one time a flourishing and influential newspaper. At the time of the American civil war, the prejudice in England in favor of the Confederate States was strong enough to kill the Star, which strongly supported the Unionists. Popular opinion has since completely changed, and justified the stand taken by Mr Bright.
Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Coupland Harding, at his registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—March, 1889.
XXVIII.
Decorative effects are generally successful in proportion to the simplicity of the elements. We have already shown how varied are the applications of the simple running-piece, and it is to be noted that the more highly ornamental the design of the border, the more these uses are restricted. We now proceed to consider the uses and adaptations of the simple corner, both by itself and in conjunction with the running-piece. One reason why this valuable piece is so generally neglected is, that it is supplied in such limited quantity. In its primary application, a few pieces go a long way, and its proportion to the running-piece is insignificant. This, in a simple border, whether as small as a postage stamp, or as large as the present page, only four corner-pieces would be required. We know of but one combination—the « Pompeiian » —in which these sorts are supplied in large quantity—in fact, weight for weight with the running pieces; but it is to be noted that the design is intended chiefly for use as a groundwork. It is this simple and admirable combination that supplies the illustrations in the present chapter.
The first and obvious use of this character is as a corner-piece, as illustrated in our last article. Its application in this manner is too evident to require comment. But without the running-piece at all, it may be so used as to form a variety of borders. The first example we show is set double, producing a succession of squares. To change this to the second pattern, we have only to shift either row—upper or lower, one place along. We have now the universal design—familiar in every form of decoration, barbaric or civilized, and known as the « Greek » or « Key » border, in its simplest form. These are the only perfect border-patterns which can be made by this sort alone; but several imperfect or groundwork designs may be constructed, which require a boundary-rule or border to give them finish, and these may be further diversified by introducing openings in the pattern, as, for example:
One advantage of all these designs is, that they may be composed from the nick, without looking at the face of each type.
With the aid of the simple running-piece much greater diversity can be introduced, and every variety of the key « key » pattern may be formed. As, for example,
And if a still more massive design is desired, the pattern may be bordered on one or both sides; and lighter patterns may be produced by the introduction of spaces, as shown in the next column. These are only a few suggestions of the almost unlimited variety of combination borders which may be formed by one of the most elementary of designs—the lineal border of two characters.
Some of the groundwork designs from the same pieces have already been indicated above; but they are capable of great variety, either as solid or open patterns. And when, as in the case of this particular « Pompeiian » combination, the same design is repeated in different depths of tint, the effect may be greatly diversified, the design remaining the same. In the plaited designs, for example, referred to in our last article, the warp may be in one and the woof in another; and both in borders and groundwork, a new element of variety may be introduced, the patterns being increased to an indefinite extent, with only the same two elementary pieces:
We have entered thus fully into the subject of the adaptations of the one- and two-character borders, as they form part of the alphabet of decoration, and lie at the foundation of all typographical design. No other forms equal these in general utility and diversity of application. No success can be attained in the use of combinations without a knowledge of the place and importance of these characters; and any type combination, no matter how artistic, is seriously deficient if it lack either of these fundamentals.
In referring to the formation of the true corner from the running-piece by the process of mitering (p. 12), we should have added that this applies only to geometrical or conventional designs, and not to those of the realistic order. In the « Book » borders, for example, all four corners are necessarily different. A good corner could be produced by mitering, but the design would no longer represent a book. In floral borders, too, we should have at the corners absurd leaves and flowers—leaves with no stem, two stems to one leaf, and monstrous twin blossoms. In such cases a special square corner must be devised, as in the following example from Caslon:—
The Supreme Court of the United States, without any special legislation, and acting solely on the principles of equity and good-sense, has dealt very effectively with two modern abominations, which strike at the very foundations of society, and with which the less practical authorities of Great Britain have found it difficult to cope. The first is that infernal form of conspiracy and engine of cruelty called the « boycot. » It is crushed out of existence in the United States. A decision in 1887, since confirmed on appeal by the highest court, has laid down the principle that « it is not only illegal, rendering the defendant liable in damages, but also a misdemeanor at common law as well as by statute. » And the second decision has given the death-blow to the « rings » that conspire to limit production, and thereby form a « corner » to plunder the public. Judge Barrett has decided that the North River Sugar Refinery Company, by entering into a league with outside firms for such a purpose, has forfeited its charter. This is under the existing law, and has proved « an unmitigated staggerer » to the « corner men. » More than this, a Bill is now before the New York State Legislature absolutely prohibiting « trusts. » and dealing stringently with the special forms of evil which they have developed in America.
It is a very pleasant item with which I commence my letter this month. Trade in our particular craft is more brisk than it has been for some time, with the promise of its continuance, as Parliament will soon be in session. Messrs Lyon & Blair's establishment has been rather slack for months past, but at the present time they have plenty of work in hand, and in consequence have taken on several extra hands. I understand they will shortly put the copy for a 400 pp. novel into the printers' hands, which novel will very likely see the light of the reading world about the time of next Christmas. Who is the novelist? and What is the subject? are questions which I will try to answer in the near future.
The report and balance-sheet of the N.Z.T.A. came out just too late for your last issue. The state of the finances is good, the credit balance of £100 16s at the beginning of last year having increased to £144 18s. The calls upon the unemployed allowance have been very few considering the depression: this is accounted for by so many craftsmen leaving the colony as they fell out of employment.—The N.Z.T.A. has during the year, by a unanimous vote, joined the Australasian Typographical Union. The Executive have appointed four representatives (who are required to be Melbourne residents), and it is intended that each Branch shall appoint a delegate. Certain reductions have been made in the number of office-bearers, with a view to economy in administration. It is also suggested that the executive be permanently located in Wellington; and that each branch nominate a Wellington resident as its representative. Mr Rigg, representative at the late Conference held in Melbourne, sent his report to the Council, accompanied by a fine photo of the delegates. The report appears in full in the Council's circular.
The Trade Protection Gazette, the weekly organ of the Mutual Creditors' Association, is now printed by Messrs Edwards & Co. It was previously turned out of Mr Manley's office, but I understand that cheaply as the latter was doing it, the former firm cut him out with a lower price. This is a fine example of the state of affairs at present existing in our trade. The Gazette is a 12 pp. demy quarto, two of the pages being heavy tables, and the last contract price is, I understand, £10 per week for 3000 copies!
There has been some trouble recently in the working of the Catholic Times. I fancy the management have found out that they made a mistake in taking away their printing from Messrs Lyon & Blair's establishment, where they were only charged with the cost of printing, and taking an office of their own, thus having to pay rent, wear and tear, risks, and all the odds and ends which count up in the running of an establishment. Mr Weale, who has been the editor from the first, was dismissed almost immediately on the arrival of Archbishop Redwood, a large shareholder (apparently following the example of Pope Leo—a great believer in the power of the Press, who devotes a fifth of his own income to the establishing and support of journals pledged to his policy). No reason was assigned for the discharge, and Mr Weale has laid an action for damages to the amount of £250 against the Archbishop, as representing the company. I have been unable to ascertain the date of hearing. The present editor of the paper is Mr Evison, formerly well known as « Ivo, » the freethought lecturer, and editor of the defunct Rationalist. Two noted freethought lecturers (Mr and Mrs Selby) have recently been converted to the « evangelical » faith, and now we have another who has gone into the fold of the Church of Rome.
Are things what they seem? Or are delusions ahout? Is Freethought a failure? Or is lecturing played out?
Certain typographical changes have been made since the new editor took charge. The gigantic catch-line The, which Typo criticized on the first appearance of the paper, has vanished; the two wide columns have been altered to three narrow—a doubtful improvement; the unconscionably heavy brevier extended letter used fitfully as side-heads is now confined to cross-heads; the articles are broken up into small paragraphs separated by lines of asterisks; but the leader is still set in large pica. A week ago the mechanical staff received a week's notice, when they were informed that they would be kept on if they would accept lower wages. I hear, now, that the foreman has undertaken to farm the paper, and he has put the boys on piece-work. Why is it that religious papers are, in the majority of cases, among the most unfair offices from a wages point of view?
The Evening Press of this city is undergoing considerable change. It will shortly appear in a new suit of type. I hope that the proprietory will see its way to give a better quality of paper, and see that better skill is exercised in the machine department; for the Press has been hitherto almost a botch in the manner in which it is machined. One might class it as a religious paper, for it abounds with monks and friars. If the Press ever wishes to rival the Post, it will have to take a series of lessons in dressing. Its literary ability is unquestionable; but the old type and wretched priuting places the paper at a great disadvantage.
Mr Edward Wakefield has left Wellington, and has therefore temporarily given up his position as editor of the Press. It is reported that he is going home to look after the publication of a literary venture which he has been at work upon for some time. Some twelve months ago he was by the direction of the Government compiling a handbook of the colony, but the Cabinet cancelled his order, and he has used the information he had thus far gleaned, together with some valuable MSS. written by the early French missionaries, supplied by Count d'Abbans, France's representative in this city. Mr Wakefield has doubtless also some important records which have been kept by his own family, and thus by combining all these data, with his great literary and journalistic skill he will be able to give us a very valuable and interesting work on the History of New Zealand. It is said that the work will be published simultaneously in London and Paris (and perhaps New York) and that Count d'Abbans is taking charge of the Parisian edition.
Mr Fisher, ex-journalist, has had to leave the ministry. As a keen debater, he made his mark in opposition—as an administrator he has proved « tetchy, » self-willed, and altogether impracticable. In his passage-at-arms with the anonymous correspondent of the Australasian, he exhibited his sensitiveness to criticism, and came off second-best. The ostensible subject of his dispute with the ministry is the beer-duty prosecutions and the appointment of Shannon the « expert. » But he has since allowed himself to be interviewed, and has properly « given himself away. » According to his own account, he has disagreed with his colleagues on every point of policy since he has been in office. Likely enough—he is that kind of man. But why in conscience did he continue to hold office if such was the case?
Mr A. D. Willis is in our city on business connected with his firm. After years spent on the production of playing-cards, Mr Willis has at last found the philosophers' stone (I wonder if it is the litho. stone?), by which, in conjunction with his patent for cutting circular-cornered cards, he is able to sell his cards at 1/- per pack. His card is quite equal any imported, and aided by the high duty on the English article, our enterprising printer's business should « boom. » Most of Typo's readers have probably noticed Mr Willis's views in ehromo-lithography of the leading cities, towns, and places of our colony. Mr Willis is now bringing out these pictures in a large portfolio, with letterpress descriptive of the places. Mr Edward Wakefield is the writer of the text, and I understand that the work will shortly be published.
Mr Brett has sold the Observer and Free Lance to Messrs Kelly & Bauke. Mr Kelly only a short time ago was working at case in the Star office, rose to reporter, and then became the sub-editor, and he has now taken the editorship of his new venture. Mr Kelly has made a name for himself as an author and poet, and in Mr Douglas Sladen's recent book on Australasian Poets and Poetry, a selection of his work appears. The staff of the Star presented Mr Kelly with a handsome album containing an illuminated address on his leaving their office. In his hands, let us hope the Observer will become a credit to the colony—it has not borne that character hitherto.
The state of trade has not improved in any respect; the prospect of the Exhibition not seeming to affect business as yet.
Messrs Cowan & Co. have just opened an agency in Dunedin. They are also agents for Messrs Golding & Co. of San Francisco.
The joke of « Prometheus (unbound) » in a bookseller's catalogue is a very old one. The identical blunder re-appears in an article in the B. and C. Printer and Stationer, of the 31st January.
At the recent Victorian election, one of the candidates for Collingwood was Mr Joseph Symes, a « republican » lecturer, and the publisher of a notorious freethought paper. Neither of the two leading newspapers, the Argus and Age, would report his meetings, and the former journal declined to insert his advertisements. In so doing, the Argus was exercising an undoubted right; but unless the candidate's advertisements were libellous, seditious, profane, or otherwise objectionable, it was guilty of great injustice. It made a serious mistake, as it gave Mr Symes the opportunity of attributing his defeat to a press conspiracy against his constitutional rights.
Messrs Stephenson, Blake, & Co. send us five octavo specimen-sheets of their second series of combination rules, the patterns of which are registered. We are glad to note that they are arranged to picas—or rather, what is not quite so convenient, to 1½ pica. The extra nonpareil in the unit of the design prevents them from falling in with such every-day measures as 8, 10, 14, 16, 20, and 22 ems. The designs are original, and form an unlimited number of beautiful borders. There are only six primary rules, but for ordinary use they are made up in sections of four rules, the combinations of which it would take a long time to exhaust. Six new corners are provided, the largest, No. 11, being precisely similar to four of No. 2 arranged as a square.
The Patent Typefounding Company have brought out in six sizes with lower-case a good and useful style, entitled « Concave Extended » —a good descriptive name.
The Dickinson Foundry show several new styles. « Latin Antique, » eight sizes, with lower-case, is a good bold legible letter, carrying plenty of color. The word-ornaments supplied with the founts are, in our view, inappropriate to so plain a style, and detract from its effect. In an ordinary composing-room, however, they would soon travel away from the fount. « Colonial » is a good condensed latin, slightly eccentric in cut, in seven sizes, caps only. This enterprising house has sent us their « pony » specimen. ( « Pony » is the latest Yankee slang for anything small or compact—in contra-distinction, we suppose, to the equally objectionable « Mammoth. » ) This is a very neatly-printed little book of sixteen pages. In it we note six sizes of « Artistic » —a very pretty light condensed with lower-case, and seven sizes of « Kenaissant, » a very similar, but heavier face. The latest product of this foundry is « Quaint, » a solid letter, the exact counterpart of « Quaint Open, » with which it works in register. Will the founders kindly send us about half-a-dozen specimen letters by mail,—including, say, E, V, M, and U—that all Typo's readers may see how intensely ugly this design is?
The Central Typefoundry, St. Louis, send us a little specimenbook containing examples of their new and standard original styles. Among the new faces the most novel in idea is a letter called « Hades, » in four sizes. It is something like the « Enchorial, » with a backward slope, but its peculiarity is that it consists of the shade only, the body of the letter not being indicated, even in outline. The shade is left-handed. We have seen similar faces before in two-color founts, but only as adjuncts to the solid letter. We have met with letters of the kind on survey plans and occasionally on sign-boards, and it is remarkable how, in a line of such letters, the mind supplies the missing outlines. « Erebus » is a solid letter to correspond, and the two worked together in colors produce an excellent effect. « University » is a pretty light-face broad roman in three sizes, with a very decided bracket to the serif, « Word ornaments, » series E, 41 characters, are similar to many previous series of line ornaments, with which they would combine well, « Combination ornaments, » series K, 36 characters, are heavily flourished and free in design, and would be an acquisition to a tasteful printer. Series L, 28 sorts, contains some good pieces, but is too much in the « slob » style to be a thing of beauty. From the sorts 9-13 and 19-22 very neat borders may be formed.
The Franklin Typefoundry, Cincinnati, have brought out eleven sizes of « Gothic No 1 » —a bold and well-cut heavy sanserif with lower-case.
Barnhart Bros. & Spindler show a good expanded eccentric with lower-case, very black, entitled « Peerless. »
Both in Boston and New York the lithographic artists and engravers have associated for social intercourse and mutual protection.
Paper Stencils.—A Frenchman has invented a way to make paper stencils by electricity. A piece of very thin paper rests on a carbon block connected with one pole of a small induction coil, while the style, with which the writing is done, is connected with the other pole. On using the apparatus a series of sparks pass between the style and the carbon block, perforating the paper, which can afterwards be used as a stencil in the ordinary way.
Combined Printing and Ruling Machine.—Paper and Press for December devotes two pages to a description, with illustrations, of a new and exceedingly accurate combined printing and ruling machine, the object of which is to secure perfect alignment of the printed matter with the ruling. The letterpress is printed from stereo plates fixed upon type-wheels, and the mechanism secures perfect correspondence between the ruling and printing. To manufacturers of diaries and blank-books this machine should be valuable.
Invisible Printing Ink.—An English firm have introduced an invisible printing ink, which becomes legible on the application of heat. They have applied for a patent, and charge a fee for the right of using the process. The ink fades out again as the paper cools, and the effect can be reproduced indefinitely. The composition is secret, but it is probably a preparation of cobalt. One of our contemporaries has issued an inset advertisement on colored paper, with specimen lines in the blank spaces. Faint yellowish-green stains are discernible either by natural or artificial light, and (the type being large) we were able, with considerable difficulty, to make out the words without applying heat. But no one would suspect their existence except for the advertisement.
Improvements in Lithography.—We notice in l'Imprimerie that M. Joseph Eberle, of Vienna, Austria, has discovered a method which is likely to transform the lithographic art, if all is true that its inventor claims, namely, that the principal advantages of the new process may be thus summarized: Drawings on stone will resist the strongest acids; the impression of crayon or pen-and-ink drawings is equal to the originals; long numbers do not affect the drawings; bad paper does not interfere with the beauty of impression; corrections can be done with the greatest facility; printing on dry paper is simplified, and it is easy to print machine, crayon and pen drawings, united in the same engravings; powdering is avoided, and in chromo work the colors preserve a sharpness of tone hitherto unattained.—American Lithographer and Printer.
Can for Printers' Ink.—The following is a description of an improved can for printers' ink, invented by Mr Charles H. Hollis, of Boston, Massachussets. The head of the can is integral with the body, an egress for the ink being provided by a nipple, which is situated in the centre of the can head, and may be closed by a screw-cap. A movable bottom—described in the specification as a « concavo-convex follower » —is adapted to slide longitudinally within the body of the can, and is surrounded by annular packing which prevents leakage without restriction of motion. If the screw-cap be removed and the bottom of the can pressed in, the ink will be forced from the nipple in the same manner that paints are exuded from the collapsible tubes which contain them. This can possesses the two principal virtues of collapsible tubes: the manner of ejecting its contents, and the protection it affords its contents against dust. It differs from collapsible tubes in that, owing to its rigidity, it preserves its form, and may be refilled when empty.
Relief Gold Printing.—The following method of printing gold in a high relief upon satin, silk ribbon, &c, has been patented in Austria, by Philip Klopper, of Augsburg:—For this kind of printing the inventor engraves a brass plate with the necessary design in the same manner as is usually done by an embossing plate. This plate is now filled up with a well-mixed fluid of 7 parts of (so-called) gold oil and 15 parts concentrated sulphuric acid; then it is given a coat of brocade or gold bronze, leaving room for a binding medium, consisting of 12oz. of the finest glue, which is dissolved in 3 pints of water at a temperature of 190° to 200° F. to which a portion of 12oz. of white chalk is added. The plate now is so entirely filled up that it is levelled by a straight-edge of brass, rubber, &c., and all superfluous substances removed; for perfect cleaning a woollen rag or cloth may be used. The silk ribbon, or other material, is now placed surface-down upon the plate, which has been warmed with alcohol, or by any other method of heating, to about 122° F. and then an impression is made in a regular copying-press, a thick rubber blanket having been first placed on top of the silk. After a pressure of about ten minutes the impression is taken off, and the design appears in a very brilliant relief. The warming of the plate is done to secure a quicker drying of the composition.
Excellent specimens of art-printing have reached us from various quarters during the past two months. From the office of the McKeesport Times, Philadelphia, we have a pretty « booklet » of new-year greetings with tastefully-displayed advertisements. The cover, in three colors, is very good. The same establishment sends us a sixteen-page quarto pamphlet showing some of its latest productions in job-work. A photo-electro portrait, and another portrait in photo-etching, reflect the highest credit on the gentlemen in charge of the press-room. In fact, the presswork throughout is faultless. The work is in the latest American style, but without the studied eccentricity which is now so common. We might, if we were disposed to be critical, take exception to the green stars spotted over the introductory circular—they are too suggestive of the manner in which literature is treated by the London trunkmakers. The title-page of the Union Savings Fund report, with the main line in red, is an excellent piece of work, and not beyond the range of the ordinary comp in any well-equipped office. The Mendelssohn Club programme, in two colors, is neat and effective, and in this and other jobs two-color initials and ornaments are introduced with excellent effect. The firm's own billhead is simple and effective, and there is scarcely a job in the book from which an observant workman might not gather a « wrinkle. »
Specimens of Letterpress Printing is the title of a quarto book of about forty pages, sent to us through our London agents by Messrs Raithby & Lawrence, art printers, Leicester. The cover is a striking piece of letter-press, in gold, green, and black, on a deep chocolate-brown paper, set in various sizes of « Mother Hubbard, » with two-color missal initials, and fantastically adorned with « Chaostype. » The half-title, also in « Mother Hubbard, » with initial in two colors, is very simple and tasteful in arrangement. The frontispiece is a beautiful engraving of « Cinderella, » with unobtrusive border in gray tint. The title-page is in various sizes of « Karnae, » with gray groundwork, two bright panels of « Chaostype, » and a realistic butterfly, in bright colors. A simple and very effective piece of work is a circular on a white scroll, laid cornerwise on a mottled pink tint-ground. A church membership card, German borders and American fancy letters, in gold and purple brown, is very handsome. The title of the International Specimen Exchange, vol. ix, is a very harmonious piece of work, in two colors—a heavy border (the « Holbein » ) in dark yellow, and the whole of the letter-press in black, set in various sizes of « Karnac. » These, and several artistically-displayed cards, are the pieces of work that strike us as calling for special notice. In every case the quality of the ink and of the presswork is of the best. The style of the display, in the whole, is after American models, but less unrestrained. The borders, initials, and ornaments, are chiefly German, and we note one very pretty set of German ornaments that we have not as yet seen in any of the specimen-books.—The business people in the colonies flatter themselves that they are of a « go-ahead » disposition—but as regards advertising they are a long way behind. We do not know a business firm in New Zealand that would be willing to pay for such work as we see in this book. « As cheap as possible » is the almost invariable instruction—and under such conditions there is little encouragement for the exercise of artistic skill.
From the office of l'Intermédiare we have specimens of four jobs, the result of a prize competition. The copy is the same in each—a punning menu of a printers' dinner; but the treatment is exceedingly diverse. They are all specimens of ingenious rule-work, and three out of the four of careful color-printing. The first and second prize specimens must have given the judges some difficulty. No 1 is a fine piece of work, all in one page, with a very original rule-work border. No. 2, four pages, is more elaborate, and exhibits great ingenuity, and is in every way a credit to the designer. The little caricature Egyptian ornaments illustrating the bill of fare are inserted in a way that shows considerable sense of humor. No. 3, in black on a pink card, is a clever piece of rule-work. The spiral round the columns is striking, but the general effect does not seem to repay the large amount of skill and labor bestowed. No 4 is very tasteful both in composition and arrangement of tints. All four are distinguished by originality of design and excellent workmanship.
Messrs Mills, Dick, & Co., Dunedin, send us a neat engraved business card, in four printings. The initals are brought out in carmine on a, pale blue tint ground, and the remainder of the lettering is in chocolate-color and black.
Messrs Foster, Roe, & Crone, whose « art fakes » we noticed in our issue of October, 1887, have sent us a finely-printed book of 64 pages, containing some hundreds of their original ornaments, and specimens of work in which these are employed. It is the most remarkable example of art printing we have ever seen, and exhibits extraordinary versatility of style and fertility of invention. The cover, in four colors, in which the jagged letters in gold burst like forked lightning from a cloud, is about the finest piece of American eccentric printing yet produced. The sub-title, in blue, is one of the quietest and most subdued pages possible, the two plain lines being relieved by two bands of stipple border, edged with brass-rule. The roughly-drawn ornaments need to be seen to be appreciated;—some of them are monstrosities: and the numerous caricatures of Egyptian art are ludicrous in the extreme. The jobs in this book demonstrate that the wildest eccentricities that typefounders have designed may be turned to effective use. But how many compositors could do it? There are some wonderful color effects, often produced by printing various irregular borders one over the other. This will answer for « Astral » and « Foster » ornaments, and others of the kind; but when, as in Berger & Wirth's advertisement, a band of border is printed across a design showing human figures and trees, the ornaments are mutually destructive. Some of the ground tintwork is exceedingly fine—in other examples, it is suggestive of a wall in neutral tint, against which an egg has been dashed. There are some admirable effects in rule-work. Every page evidences thought and study, both in the composing-room and press department, and there is not an advertisement in the book which does not compel attention.
To Make Labels Adhere to Tin.—Take of flour six ounces, of molasses one half pint, and of water one pint and a half, and boil as usual for flour paste. Or, dissolve two ounces of resin in one pint of alcohol. After the tin has been coated with the solution, allow nearly all the alcohol to evaporate before applying the label.
Opening Ink.—In opening a can of colored ink of which little is required, do not pull the skin off the top; break it at the side, take out what is wanted and immediately replace the skin. If you take the skin all off, another will form, and the ink will be wasted. Keep all ink cans well covered. Dust will ruin any ink.
To Copy Patterns from Metal.—It is found that a good impression of any article of metal having a flat ornamental surface, may be taken by wetting some note-paper with the tongue and smoking it over a gas flame. The article is then pressed upon the smoked part, when, if the operation be carefully conducted, a clear impression is the result.
To Stereotype Zinc Etchings a very wet mould, free from creases, is recommended. Those who use ready-made flong should let it lie twenty minutes in cold water, carefully dry between blotting-paper, and then beat in. Those who prepare their own matrices will mix the matrix powder or chalk with cold water to the consistency of milk, and spread thickly on the paper, beating continually but lightly with a soft brush. All zinc etchings must be thoroughly washed with paraffin before stereotyping, and also wood-cuts which are to be stereotyped. Old wood-cuts and etchings which are covered with hard dried ink must be laid face down in paraffin for at least half-an hour, otherwise the stereotype will not be a success.-Der Stereotypeur.
Hektograph Sheets.—Soak 4 parts of best white glue in a mixture of 5 parts of water and 3 parts of solution of ammonia, until the glue is soft. Warm the mixture until the glue is dissolved, and add 3 parts of granulated sugar and 8 parts of glycerine, stirring well, and letting it come to the boiling point. While hot, paint it upon white blotting-paper with a broad copying-brush, until the paper is thoroughly soaked, and a thin coating remains on the surface. Allow it to dry for two or three days, and it is then ready for use. An aniline ink should be used for writing, and before transferring to the blotting-paper, wet the latter with a dampened sponge, and allow it to stand one or two minutes. Then proceed to make copies in the ordinary way. If the sheets are laid aside for two days, the old writing sinks in and does not require to be washed off.—Chemist and Druggist.
The Waikato Archidiaeonal Conference has come to the following conclusion respecting the marriage laws:— « That more public notice should be given of intended marriages than the present law provides, and that this conference suggests that the marriage laws be altered, so that the names of persons intending marriage be published in the newspapers of the district in which they reside. » This suggestion has the hearty approval of the press.
There has been an epidemic of strikes going through the Australian colonies during the last twelve months. Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane, have successively taken the most extreme step that can be taken in a dispute between master and man. The printers of Sydney and Melbourne struck for an increase in wages, which, after very little trouble, was granted. The Adelaide affair arose out of a somewhat trivial dispute, and is still causing dissension in that city. Brisbane is the seat of the latest strike in our trade, and there seems to be many opinions abroad as to the rights and wrongs of the case that we have considered the matter within our range, as Typo claims it as no part of its policy to leave our sister-colonies out of the range of its columns.
A Brisbane weekly paper, in an article published early in the month, (when the trouble arose) thus puts the matter:— « The facts of the case are briefly these: Some two months ago the employés of Messrs Watson, Ferguson, & Co., an office which had only just been 'opened' after a long spell of non-unionism, refused to do work in that office for Messrs Pole, Outridge, & Co., a non-society office which had been put into a 'hole' by a fire. This led to a 'lock-out,' in which Watson, Ferguson, & Co.'s bookbinders and paper-rulers were involved. The Master Printers' Association was approached by the Q.T.A., through the Trades and Labor Council, for a conference on the affair, but after a delay of two weeks—during which Watson, Ferguson, & Co. refilled their shop from Sydney—it was resolved by the Master Printers' Association to inform the Council that a conference would be useless. Further resolutions were passed, one endorsing Messrs Watson, Ferguson, & Co.'s action, and another declaring: 'That in the event of the Q.T.A. interfering in any way in the future with the internal management of any office connected with the Master Printers' Association, the secretary shall at once call an emergency meeting of the Association to take concerted action thereon, and that rule 19 of the Association be revised to admit of such emergency meetings being held without the seven days' notice prescribed.' One representative only protested against this threatening resolution, which means, if it means anything at all, that non-society shops will be assisted against the Q.T.A. by so-called society shops, and that the refusal of society men to thus stab their trade organization in the back will be regarded as a casus belli by the associated masters. »
The Queensland Master Printers' Association consists of the representatives of twenty firms. Information dated the 16th inst. notifies that ten offices had up to that date signed the Q.T.A.'s terms, which read; « To do none but Union work; employ none but Union men; and take back all the men who are out on strike. »
We wonder who is the Press Association's agent at Brisbane? It will be within the recollection of readers that we were informed by cable two or three weeks ago that a printers' riot had taken place in Brisbane. We have searched the files just to hand for full particu lars, and we fail to see how printers could be blamed for a street fracas between two news boys and a tailor! It was asserted, without contradiction, in court, that the printers had nothing whatever to do with the disturbance. Apropos of the correctness of our Press Agency's cables, when the miners' strike was taking place at New castle some months back, an item was wired across the water and displayed in bold type by our papers to the effect that the Unionists had blown up a mine in which non-Unionists were at work. Of course this created a stir, but when newspapers from Australia arrived, it was found that the report was false and libellous: the truth being that an explosion of gas had taken place, the result of carelessness on the part of some of the workmen, which is of only of too frequent occurrence in coal mines.
Some of Typo's suggestions have been adopted in a way we did not look for. In criticizing the « Ragged-edge » border when it first appeared, we mentioned ink-blots as one of its features. Closer examination led ut to conclude that the « blots » were intended to represent ragged holes in the paper, through which the black background appeared; but our article had not long been published before a veritable « ink-blot » combination was produced! Noting this novelty, we said we would not now be surprised to see « P.D. Fingermarks. » This was, we need scarcely say, a « goak » —but it has been a fruitful one. Among the new « art-fakes » (or « slobs » —which?) of Foster, Roe, & Crone, this black and beautiful—and rather too familiar—design is to be found! It is numbered 186, and costs 35 cents—rather a high figure for an imitation, when we consider how easily an original can be produced.—What next?
The « Keeley motor, » it is now stated, is something in the nature of Bulwer Lytton's vril—an occult force long known to the wise men among certain Asiatic nations; but kept carefully secret on account of its terrific power for mischief in the hands of the ignorant and unscrupulous! It is, in fact, the mystic power which, three hundred years ago, enabled old ladies to appear in the form of black cats, to perform aerostatic feats on broomsticks, and nautical manoeuvres in sieves. The world has long suspected Mr Keeley to be one of its leading humbugs. The suspicion is ripening into certainty.
The Bruce Herald is disgusted at the suggestion by certain Church of England dignitaries that banns of marriage should be advertised in the press. It says it would reduce the daily papers to the level of « society » sheets. Why so? In Germany betrothals are regularly advertised, and the custom is no more objectionable than the practice of publicly announcing marriages and births. « Society » papers, with their budget of idle, prurient, and often false and slanderous gossip, have little in common with the respectable newspapers. It would be no more objectionable to publish banns in the public press, than to « throw them over the pulpit. » There is much to be said in favor of the suggestion, and, if it were adopted, lady readers in particular would welcome a new and interesting department in daily journalism.
The London High Court of Justice has laid down the law regarding to copyright in photograph portraits, and it is said that this is the first time a definite decision has been given on the subject. Mrs Pollard applied before Mr Justice North, to restrain the London Photographic Company from publishing copies of her portrait as a Christmas card. The defendants' solicitor contended that the negative was their sole property, and that they had a right to print copies of it for sale. The Judge decided that a photographer had no such right as claimed by defendants, unless given expressly or by clear implication by the sitter. He further held that the bargain between photographer and customer includes by implication an agreement that the prints taken from the negative are to be appropriated to the use of the customer only; and that a photographer using such a negative to produce copies for his own use is abusing the power confidentially placed in his hands. The injunction was granted. The decision accords with the practice of all honorable photographers.
Among the blackest sheep of literature are the compilers of showy, bulky, costly, and often useless books of so-called « reference » and « information. » There are reputable houses who publish really valuable works on the subscription system; but the vast majority of the works pushed by the persistent canvasser are not worth the paper on which they are printed. Nor are we aware of any line into which so much rascality and deception enters. To get rid of the importunity of the agent, a worried man or distracted housewife will pay the twelve shillings or guinea asked for, only to find a few weeks later, that the useless volume is the first of a series of perhaps sixteen or eighteen, for which a signed order in due form has been given. Yankee humorists have hurled their sarcasms at the « book-fiend, » but a tragedy in real life in Victoria surpasses the wildest of their imaginings. We give the story as it stands in the telegraphic summary of news. It needs no comment:—Angus M'Innis, a wood and coal dealer, has committed suicide in Melbourne under extraordinary circumstances. Several months ago two canvassers for a book entitled Victoria and its Metropolis, Past and Present, called on M'Innis, and obtained from him some particulars of his life. Three weeks ago the same agents brought him two handsome volumes of the work, and demanded six guineas in payment. He refused to give it, stating that he never authorized them to send the books. They then told him that his biography was written in the second volume of the work, page 729, and read as follows:—
M'innis, Angus, Abbotsford, is a native of Inverness-shire, Scotland, who was at school until the age of fourteen, and came out to Australia in 1864 by the ship Sultana. He went on to a station in Queensland for three years, after which he came to Victoria and followed farming in the Goulbourn Valley for fifteen years with fairly good results. Eventually he came to Melbourne, and bought a piece of land at the corner of Vere- and St. Philip-streets, Abbotsford, and erected premises, and commenced what is now a flourishing business in the coal and wood trade.
—After reading the paragraph the canvassers told him that its insertion was sufficient to obtain a verdict in any court of law, and that he would be mulcted in costs. M'Innis, however, refused to pay, and worried a good deal over the affair. He even went so far as to take to drink, and remarked that he did not like « to be had » in that way. The climax was reached on Saturday morning, when he received a lawyer's letter, demanding payment and threatening legal proceedings failing a satisfaction of the claim. He re-sealed the letter, and writ-ing the words « Opened by mistake » on the envelope, dropped it into a pillar box. During the afternoon of Saturday he indulged freely in drink, and poisoned himself by taking a dose of strychnine.
Taking advantage of the Easter holidays, Typo paid a visit (all too brief) to Wellington by the Masterton route. By way of Palmerston the journey is made in a day—a long and weary one; but by the Wairarapa, though a little more expedition on the part of the train—especially on the Napier side—could bring about the same result, it is not at present possible. We started early on Easter Monday, reaching Woodville shortly after noon. Here there was a « wait » of about two hours. The business places were all closed; but knowing how newspaper men keep their holidays, we knocked at the door of the Examiner office, and sure enough, we found Mr Haggen, the genial proprietor, hard at work at his desk. There is a large book-shop in connexion with the office, and the whole establishment is neat and orderly, as befits the abiding-place of the Fourth Estate in so large and thriving a district. From Woodville the journey is by coach to Eketahuna, a distance of twenty-seven miles. On the way we passed Pahiatua, and had a view through the large front windows of the office, of the comps at work on the Star, as the coach passed. The shades of evening had fallen, and the last train for Wellington had left some hours before we reached Eketahuna, a settlement in a bush clearing in a valley. Stumps were smouldering in various parts of the village, and a tall pine-trunk, with a spiral coil of flame from base to summit, made a fair substitute for a town gas-lamp. Thrice-a-week an early train leaves for Wellington, reaching its destination before 1 o'clock. Unfortunately this was not the case on Tuesdays, and we had to wait till 2 p.m. The day was showery, and Eketahuna clay tenacious, and there was not much to see. The primeval forest was too far away—only represented near at hand by prostrate and blackened logs. The buildings consist chiefly of hotels. There was no printing-office, for Eketahuna possesses a local paper in name only, it being a reprint, with altered title, of a Wairarapa sheet. As, however, a good-sized (empty) building bore the name of the newspaper in large letters, it may be that the present sheet is only intended to « hold the fort » till arrangements can be made for a genuine local production. The same paper, by the way, under another title, is made to do duty for Pahiatua, which has long had its own journal, and is only a few miles from Woodville; but more than fifty miles from the place where this Protean sheet is printed. The village store bears the name of « Emporium, » in gigantic letters above its two little windows. (This is, however, outdone by a small ironmongery shop at Newtown, Wellington, which bears the classic title of « The Pantheon. » Alas! it was deserted by the divinities, and the shutters were up when Typo saw it.) At 2 p.m. we started, and soon entered the Wairarapa district, passing successively the thriving towns of Masterton, Carterton, and Featherston, each of which possesses its local papers. Then up the stiff incline of the Rimutaka, two engines laboriously toiling to draw the train to the summit. The leading locomotive has a pair of horizontal wheels, gripping a high central rail, which prevents the train being carried backward by the force of gravity. With much puffing and blowing, and vast expenditure of steam at high pressure, the train climbed the four or five miles' ascent at a moderate walking pace. Evening fell as we left the summit, and raced swiftly down the curves towards the the Hutt. Here the gradient is much more moderate, and there is no extra safety-rail. It was dark as we passed through the Hutt, and towards 8 p.m. the train entered the Wellington station—the lights of the big city having a very pretty effect as we approached.
Wellington has materially changed since we saw it some four years ago. The Te Aro reclamation has not only allowed room for great extension, but has provided a short cut between the two ends of the city, and has greatly diverted traffic and business from Willis-street and Lambton Quay. It has been a grand thing for many owners of « water » frontages, who had valuable city sites given them at a low figure in consideration of the loss of a few feet of mud-flat, where the rubbish of the neighborhood was formerly thrown. Among the new buildings is the college of the Church of Rome on a prominent site, but completely overshadowed by the new jail—the most conspicuous building in the city. Electric street lamps have been erected in all parts of the city, but the new light has not yet been « installed. » Another novelty is the « Destructor, » for the cremation of city refuse. It is situated on the newly-reclaimed land, close to the harbor, and was not yet in actual work. It is said to be sufficient for a far more populous place than Wellington, and that the whole city will not be able to provide enough rubbish to keep the furnaces at work. The arrangement of kilns and air-shafts is very intricate, and the chimney is a great circular shaft of dizzy height.
We were not able to visit many of the numerous printing-offices. We looked into the Times job-room, now conducted by Messrs Haggett & Percy. Mr Haggett is a thorough job printer, and is, moreover, a good amateur engraver. We also saw the Post, putting through an issue of nearly nine thousand in a four-feeder. Close beside this machine was a two-feeder, used for the outside form and supplements. In another part of the city is a duplicate plant of type and machinery—a standby in case of fire. We also visited the Press editorial rooms, but did not see the printing-office.
We had the pleasure of being conducted by Mr Didsbury through the new Government Printing Office. This is the largest printing and publishing establishment in the colony, and to describe it in detail would be out of the question. It is a large brick building of three stories, occupying three sides, and nearly the fourth, of a hollow square. Access to the upper stories is gained by two spiral iron staircases built outside the inner angles of the square, and two lifts provide the means of transit for heavy goods. In a room outside the main building are two fine steam-engines (Wellington-made), each of 25 horse-power nominal, but capable of working up to 40, which supply the motive-power for all the machinery. The fire in the boiler-furnace is the only one in the building, which is heated by steam and lighted by electricity: Gas is also laid on, but only for the use of the stereotyping department. A complete telephone exchange is set up in the establishment, by which any department can be brought into prompt communication with any other. In the press-room, on the ground-floor, are twelve cylinder machines, and only two platens—an Arab and a Minerva. Small platen machines are not suited for an office where most of the work is in large sheets and long numbers. There are three large composing-rooms on the second floor—the time-room, piece-room, and apprentices' room. In the bookbinding department are employed twenty young women, who have a room apart from the rest of the staff. The bindery is the most extensive in the colony, and a very large quantity of material for the work is stored in the warehouse. The abundance of material in every department is almost enough to awaken envious feelings on the part of the private printer who finds that his own stock—small though it may be—represents more idle capital and taxable and insurable material than he can well afford. All the railway-printing, including tickets, is done in the Government office. The stamp-printing is not now under the care of the Government Printer, who was by no means sorry to be relieved of the responsibility; and no lithographic work of any kind is done on the premises, being all executed by the survey department. In some respects this is a drawback—works which were otherwise ready for the binders lying unfinished awaiting the plates.
Another place of great interest is the General Assembly Library—the finest in New Zealand. Mr Collier, the courteous and erudite librarian, kindly showed Typo through the different departments, and gave him a pass—of which he was unable to avail himself further during his stay. A few years ago, it was only with great difficulty that an outsider could obtain access to this institution; but a more liberal policy is now adopted, and during the recess the committee grant every facility to students wishing to make use of the library for purposes of bonâ fide research. It is rich in valuable first editions of English authors, and contains all the standard works on Parliamentary history, political economy, and kindred subjects. Its collection of books printed in the colony and relating to New Zealand is unequalled. Scarcely a pamphlet coming under these heads and issued during the past forty years is absent: and this is the more remarkable, as there is no law compelling publishers to send their books—all have been acquired either by free gift or purchase. Some two thousand volumes of New Zealand newspapers—many dating from a very early period—form a unique feature of this collection. Formerly all such were regularly filed and bound; but the multiplication of journals of very ephemeral character—in many instances not worth the trouble of filing—has led to a revision of this rule, and as far as possible, the cumbering of the shelves with useless matter is avoided. The library grows at the rate of about six thousand volumes a year. In connexion with the library, a bibliography of New Zealand (for private circulation only) is in progress, and will prove, when completed, a very valuable work. There is one very serious consideration in regard to this library—one of our chief national treasures. It is contained in a wooden building as inflammable as a match-box. In case of fire, the greater part of this fine collection would inevitably be destroyed. Should such a contingency occur, the loss of national records would be irreparable, apart from the destruction of many fine volumes of English and foreign literature, which could not be replaced.
We left Wellington early on the Monday after Easter, and returned by the same route as we had taken a week before,—the journey this time occupying a day and a half. And our chief regret was that, during our brief stay, we had not the opportunity of seeing more of our brethren of the press.
A valued London correspondent finds « a tendency in the London trade to associate Typo with German enterprise. » We have already more than once stated that we do not keep a supply house, and that we hold no agencies, English or foreign. We have not the slightest pecuniary interest in any of the novelties noted from time to time in our pages. We note, as far as possible, every new and original design in type that comes under our observation, and we make no charge for so doing. If German designs have had any special prominence, it is because German houses have been more free in sending specimen sheets of novelties—and in some cases specimen types and ornaments. We will always be willing to insert such, as well as electrotype illustrations of new inventions, machinery, and other trade novelties, free of charge. We are in receipt of regular parcels from our home agents, who will always be glad to enclose anything of the kind to us without any expense to the sender.
In the last number of the Revista Tipografica, we find an interesting article from El Comercio, on the language of the future. The writer dismisses « Volapük » as unworthy of consideration, and thinks the alternative lies between English and Spanish—which, next to English is the most widely-spoken. Spanish, he considers, has advantages which will ultimately make it the universal tongue. In the first place it is perfectly pure in construction and idiom; its affinity with Latin, and close relation to Italian, Portuguese, and the languages of central Europe, are in its favor; its phonetic spelling is contrasted with the hideous English orthography; the absence of double letters (except the double l) renders it more compact; it is not, like the English, full of equivocal words, bearing widely-different meanings, and it is less prolix, as for example: i lloverá? = « will it rain? » and « veré » = « I will see. » Some time-honored puns on the English equivocals are introduced, as « They told the sexton and the sexton tolled the bell; « Grave upon my grave a sentence grave. » [Perhaps if Typo were a Spanish scholar he could retaliate in kind. If it is impossible to pun in Spanish, that fact alone should place it at the head of all living languages.] To this terrible indictment against his mother tongue every Englishman must plead guilty, and phonetic spelling would only partially remedy the evils. Nevertheless this « cruda mezcla de normando, francés, sajón y otros dialectos, » and its literature, is rapidly subduing the earth. El Comercio overlooks one important consideration—the national characteristics behind the language.
The report of the Manawatu Railway Company shows that it pays in taxation to the Government four per cent, on its capital. Other industries are in a similar position. And some people wonder why foreign capital and enterprise overlook so favorable a field for investment!
The labor organizations in the United States have brought pressure upon Congress, and succeeded in expelling from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, all steam presses, and in substituting old-fashioned hand-presses, « to make more work » !!! The political and social economy of Erewhon seems to be within measurable distance.
The present year is the jubilee year of photography. On the 31st January, 1839, Daguerre announced his discovery. The French Government pensioned the inventor for life, took charge of the discovery, and on the 19th August, 1839, published to the world the whole process, free of charge.
Thoughtless folk sometimes defend the « boycot » on the ground that it is within the right of every man to deal or not to deal with a neighbor as he pleases. But they forget that for two men to agree to pursue any course of action to the detriment of a neighbor is a totally different matter, and is legally and morally a conspiracy, not only against the particular person, but against the welfare of the State. No exercise of individual judgment could possibly produce a « boycot » It is invariably the result of a cowardly conspiracy enforced by coercion of the worst kind. It is based upon the fact that an injury, though in itself trifling, may become ruinous or fatal if systematically repeated. To say to a healthy man « How awfully ill you look this morning!" is not likely to do more than to give him an unpleasant shock; but in a well-known instance where half-a-dozen « practical jokers » privately agreed to address an acquaintance in these words in the course of a single morning, they found they succeeded so well as to compass their victim's death in a few hours.
Mr Sala's remarkable narrative of Pigott's « confession » —published in the Telegraph of 27th February—though possibly containing all that was personally known to the writer, is manifestly incomplete. That a man like Mr Pigott, who sacrificed all that makes life worth living to the greed of gain, should have « come, quite unsolicited, to make a full confession » —and to Mr Labouchere, of all men: that he should have submitted to have the said confession taken down in writing, and have initialled the sheets in grotesque imitation of judicial procedure—all without the slightest apparent motive—would be too much even for the proverbial credulity of H.M. Marines. But one additional detail explains the whole. In Mr Pigott's strange story before the Commission, he stated that Mr Labouchere had offered him £1000 to make just such a confession as that of the 23rd February. And the document itself, bearing Labouchere's autograph as witness, refers to the alleged bribe, in the following significant passage:— « With reference to my interview with Messrs Parnell, Lewis, and Labouchere, my sworn statement is in the main correct. Now, however, I am of opinion that the offer made to me by Mr Labouchere of £1000 was not for my evidence, but for any documents in Mr Parnell's or Egan's handwriting which I might have. » In 1887 Pigott, having been denounced in Truth, wrote to Labouchere: « Your statement is a malicious and cowardly libel, for which I would bring you to your knees and make you howl for pardon, as the Dublin Jew money-lender recently did. » Yet Mr L. is found entering into secret negociations with the man who had thus insulted him, and acting to him in the capacity of father confessor. And « poor Pigott » did not get his thousand pounds after all!
The other day I had occasion to consult the latest edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. I observed that the article on « Newspapers » was signed by Edward Edwards and Whitelaw Reid, the latter gentleman being a well-known leader in American journalism, and successor to that revered man among Americans (especially comps) Horace Greeley, in the editorial chair of the New York Tribune. Mr Reid has just been appointed the U. S. representative at the English Court. Of course I attached special value to an article which was signed by such names. Imagine my surprise, then, towards the close of the splendid essay to read what I have copied and given below, word for word. I have never yet seen the matter contradicted, but it may have been for all I know to the contrary. The article is to be found in vol. xvii, and was published in the year 1881, and contains statistics dated 1880; but it is altogether incorrect for any date. Here is the subject of criticism:—
Newspapers of Australasia.
New South Wales—Sydney (population 134,137) has 6 daily newspapers, of which the circulation of the chief ones, as it is stated hy their respective publishers, stands thus:Evening News, ofwhich 3 or 4 successive editions are regularly published, 35,000;The Australian Town and Country Journal, 30,000;The Bulletin, 20,000.
The writer has nothing to say about the circulation—the circulation of a newspaper is like that of the body: it fluctuates. In the paragraph just quoted you will observe that while it is stated Sydney has 6 dailies, only one of the 3 named is a daily, the Town and Country Journal being a well-known and ably-conducted weekly paper, and the Bulletin a weekly « society » paper. Not a word about that fine old newspaper, the leading daily in the colony, the Morning Herald. Does any reader recollect Sydnay ever publishing 6 daily newspapers?
South Australia—Adelaide (population 32,250) has 4 daily papers.
Wrong again, is it not, Mr Editor? [No. Adelaide, we believe, has two morning and two evening dailies.]
Victoria—Melbourne, with a population nearly 9 times as large (282,907) has the like number. The publisher of the chief one,The Age, reports its circulation as 44,000.
What about the Argus?
New Zealand—Wellington (population about 19,000) has also 4 dailies, of which theNew Zealand Times(7,000) is the chief.
This item brings us nearer home, and we find a big mistake. The only city in this colony which has possessed 4 daily papers is Christ-church. Wellington has never had more than 3, viz., the Post, Press, and Times. As to the Times being the chief among these, why it is nowhere in the race. The Post is the paper.
Tasmania—Hobart Town, with a population of about 20,000, has 3 dailies. One of these, theEvening Star, circulates 3,000 copies.It seems to me that if the word « daily » had been left out of the article, it would have tended towards a more accurate list than as it reads a s printed.
South Islanders are blissfully ignorant of Maori. A contemporary publishes some rhymes about Te Kooti, in which that worthy's name is made to rhyme with « fruity » and « sooty. » The double o in Maori is equal to ō, and « Kooti » is the best attempt the native tongue can make at « Coates » which, in this case, is the name signified.
The East Portland (Oregon) Vindicator has a pleasant story of a plucky and skilful girl compositor. Until a few months ago, the foreman of the San Francisco Examiner peremptorily refused to permit a girl printer to work on that paper. Numerous applications were made, but he remained inexorable in his refusal to employ any but male compositors. During the latter part of last summer Miss Hattie Ross went to San Francisco for the purpose of securing employment. It was not long after her arrival when a printer, with whom she was well acquainted, had occasion to lay off a day or two, and he engaged Miss Ross to take his place during the interval. The foreman reluctantly consented to the arrangement, and the Oregon girl took her place as substitute at her friend's case. The foreman watched her with evident interest as the type travelled with extraordinary speed into her composing-stick. He went away, and returned several times, watching her intently. She paid no attention to anything except the work in which she was engaged, and next day, when the work of the forty compositors in the office was measured, she had the top string by several thousand ems. There was no more opposition to the young lady from Webfoot setting type in the Examiner office, and she now has steady employment. She made over $17 in two nights' work.
From Messrs J. C. Ayer & Co., of Lowell, Mass., we have received a copy bound in cloth, of their almanac for 1889, in twenty-one languages. Apart from its interest as a linguistic curiosity, this book is remarkable as a specimen of the publishing enterprise of the noted house by whom it is issued. First published in 1852, and then only in the English language, this work has now a world-wide fame, and is the most extensively-circulated of any almanac in the world. In the Australian colonies, there is scarcely a household where it is not known, and the accuracy of its astronomical matter is unsurpassed. The present issue (including all languages) is about fourteen millions, and the work is published gratuitously as an advertisement of the specifics produced by the firm. Happily, Typo has found no personal need either of « Ague Cure » or « Hair Vigor, » so cannot give experimental testimony as to the value of these preparations; but he can appreciate the enterprise displayed by the firm as a publishing house. Three tons of paper are consumed daily in printing the almanac. A machine has lately been built for the firm by which 100,000 almanacs per diem can be printed and folded ready for the binder. The machine turns off the books (32 pages each), four at a time, at the rate of 180 per minute, and consumes 25 miles of paper, 41½ inches wide, per day. The single line in red, which may be noticed at the foot of the pages, is added by a special printing cylinder with inking attachments, without additional expense, except for the colored ink. We have to congratulate this enterprising firm on the successful issue of a long struggle with the Canadian customs department. In 1885 the authorities in the Dominion seized $80,000 worth of goods, and made a claim against the firm of $500,000 for duties and penalties. Messrs Ayer resisted the demand, and after tedious litigation, extending over three years and seven months, the Chief Justice of Canada decided in favor of the manufacturers on every point, dismissed the actions brought by the Customs with costs, and ordered the restoration of the confiscated goods. (Perhaps a clever and highly-paid « expert » had discovered the alleged frauds!) The fine block of the zodiac at the head of this paragraph is one of the numerous illustrations specially engraved for Ayer's Almanac, and we are indebted to the kindness of the firm for our electrotyped copy.
The Central Typefoundry, Boston, has had a serious loss. A fire near the end of the year destroyed all the printed sheets of a type specimen-book which had cost many months of labor, and was to have been ready for issue with the new year.
Our French contemporary, l'Intermédiare (Lyons), is doing good work in promoting artistic printing. It is offering premiums for the best specimens of composition in various classes of work, the copy being supplied, and the form left to the discretion of the workman. In the February number appear the conditions of the fourth and fifth concours d'honneur. M. Eugene Sédard, the editor, offers handsome prizes, the first prize in the fourth concours being a gold medal and 100 fr. In the same number is a fine outline vignette of a rose in rule-work, by M. Jules Blanc. There are some capital specimens of composition in this number, which is printed throughout in chocolate ink. The following is the text of the humorous bill of fare, which formed the subject of the third competition:
Menu.
Potages.—Saint-Germain,—aux Algues marines. Brunoise. Clichés hors-d'œuvre justifiés par l'usage.
Relevé.—Truite saumonée mise en pages sauce teinte douce.
Entrées.—Filet de bœuf .. de prote. Jambon de Mayence Gutenberg. Accolades de volailles truff'ées.
Roti.—Imposition de poulets et de canetons au cresson. Feuilles de salade revisées en premiére. Pâté de foie gras mastiqué.
Entremets.—Garniture d'écrevisses en bon à tirer .. par les pattes. Asperges en branches aux grands blanes. Petits pois typographiques. Gâteau protal. Lingotière de glace au parfait typo.
Distribution de Desserts en conscience.
Type (a title nearer our own than any other trade paper possesses) is the organ of the Dickinson Foundry, Boston. The first number (January) contains twenty quarto pages, two being occupied with reading matter, and the rest with advertisements and specimens of the original styles of the foundry. Type is beautifully printed, in a very dark green shade of ink, on superb paper. The text is set in the beautiful « Riverside » minion—a clear and strong roman. By a singular and original whim, every i and j in the reading-matter has had its dot removed—a reversion to the old Saxon style. Of course the only use of the dot is to ensure greater legibility in MS.—serving the same purpose as the curved stroke over the c and u in the cramped and angular German caligraphy, and it is by no means necessary in type. The abolition of the dot decidedly improves the appearance of the page, and with the exception of a few words, as, for example, « pertaınıng, » « ın mıxıng, » and « ınquırıes, » does not interfere with the legibility of the matter. We shall look with interest to see how this new experiment is received.
Books and Notions, Toronto, Canada, has entered its fifth year, and has a wide circulation in the printing and bookselling trades throughout the Dominion. It is well-edited, full of information, and liberally supported by advertisers. The editor has established a specimen exchange on the principle of the English one. Each subscriber supplies 220 copies on quarto, and receives a volume of 200 specimens. The subscription is 50 cents. Only two contributions from the Australian colonies are to be admitted, and these may be sent to Messrs G. Robertson & Co., Melbourne, or J. J. Moore, Sydney.
Paper and Press for January (No 1, vol. viii) is a superb number. It is printed throughout in various « art shades, » and contains 102 large quarto pages, besides plates. One of these is a beautiful specimen of landscape color-printing etched on zinc by the Electrolight Engraving Company. The snowy mountain in the background is suggestive of our own Egmont. No other trade paper in the world devotes so much attention to novelties and improvements in all classes of printers' machinery.
The London Printer and Stationer of 7th February contains a biography with portrait of the late David Payne, inventor of the Wharfedale machine. The portrait is that of a handsome man, with a head and countenance indicative of a high order of intellect and a benevolent disposition.
The Paper and Printing Trades Journal, with its 86 pages of close print and advertisements, is a wonderful paper for sixpence. No item of interest at home or a broad, appears to escape the keen-eyed editor. From all parts of the world printers send specimens of their best work, in hopes of receiving a word of commendation from so able a critic. In the present issue, more than eight pages are occupied with criticisms of work—favorable and otherwise. There is some new idea in every number. This one (December), is sacred to « Dan Cupid, » who accompanies every initial—piping, hunting, dancing, flower-gathering, &c., &c. There are four more of the capital advertising optical illusions, which have recently been a feature of the Journal. The literary articles and judicious reviews of new books (not by any means confined to those relating to the craft) constitute a valuable feature in this useful paper.
The Printers' Register for January contains the usual valuable « Retrospect of the Year. » In the February number is an illustration of the « Thorne » composing and distributing machine, one of the most practical yet devised, and a special feature of which is, that the machine automatically distributes the types into the holders ready for composition at the same time as composition is going on. To secure accuracy of distribution, every character has a distinctive nick. This is a long way ahead of Typo's modest suggestion of « a systematic nick » (vol. i, pp. 18 and 60), to distinguish characters so nearly resembling each other as to distress the eyes—a suggestion which the English founders treated as they generally do treat any new idea—as « impraeticable. »
Messrs Mander Bros., 17 Gracechurch-st., London, E.C., send us circulars relating to their printing inks, varnishes, driers, and ink-reducing preparations.
Mr G. Tucker, 88 Conventry-road, Birmingham, sends us a sample of a very neat brass suspender fixed in position with an ordinary eyeletting machine.
« The neatest-printed paper in the colony » is the way the Fielding Star describes Typo.
The home correspondent of the Wellington Times says that many English people are under the impression « that the colony is overrun with half-civilized semi-cannibals. » « Half-civilized » is intelligible, but will our friend be good enough to rise and explain what he means by « semi-cannibals » ?
The Wanganui Herald, an authority on sporting matters, says:— « Only those who are in newspaper offices have any idea of the absolute selfishness of the sporting public. There is never a set of weights, or a report of a race meeting due, but they are flocking round for news, and not unfrequently complain because it is not to hand or is meagre. Are papers to cater for only one class of the community? If so, are they to do it at their own expense? »
The second annual issue of the
Sir Julius Vogel's novel, A.D. 2000, has received an extraordinary amount of preliminary puffing; and now that it has appeared, extensive extracts are published in the colonial papers. No one need wonder at the difficulty in finding a publisher. The work is almost beneath criticism. Those who remember the author's old financial statements may well wonder what has become of the airy fancy which brightened those official documents. By a curious irony of fate, the man whose budget speeches were brilliantly imaginative, has produced a story as dull as the dreariest of blue-books. The subject of the novel is such as to challenge comparison with The Coming Race and Erewhon, and compared with either of these, it is poor indeed. If the world in the year 2000 should be anything like what Sir Julius Vogel pictures it, we are happier than our descendants can hope to be. The society of the future, apparently, is to be chiefly characterized by conceit, vulgarity, mammon-worship, and a profusion of empty titles.
Mr E. Wakefield, of the Wellington Press, who has gone home on a well-earned holiday, is reported to have with him a MS. colonial novel. Mr Wakefield, as a journalist, has taken the leading place in New Zealand; but his tendency is more to the higher class of literary work than ordinary journalism. If the Press, instead of being a hastily-prepared and shabbily-printed daily, were a crown octavo weekly, printed on fine paper with wide margins, it would rank—as in point of literary matter it already does—with the best English reviews. We hope Mr Wakefield will have better success than his predecessors. Not one New Zealand novel has proved a literary success. Erewhon—a really brilliant work—does not count; for it is not a novel in the ordinary sense, but a politico-social satire. Mr Wakefield has also taken with him a work descriptive of New Zealand. This probably originated in the engagement which the Government entered into with him some months ago, and from which—as is the way of colonial Governments—they withdrew, without any apparent cause. A little book entitled Lays of the Old Identities, by Mr John Blair, of Abbotstford, Otago, has been published by Mr R. T. Wheeler. The book, which we have not seen, is described as being more interesting on account of its subject than of its literary quality.
Mr Gisborne's book on New Zealand (a well-informed correspondent writes), has, despite a somewhat unfashionable publisher, sold uncommonly well, and he is now busy arranging notes, &c., for a second edition. Mr Gisborne's experiences with Mr Petherick have been pleasanter and more profitable than with Messrs Sampson, Low, & Co., who sold out every copy of New Zealand Rulers and Statesmen, and yet presented the astounded and confounded author with an account current showing a balance owing to them of £60. Regarding Picturesque Australasia, the same writer ventures the prediction that « within eighteen months or two years of the date of publication you will be able to buy as many copies as you want, in Booksellers' Row, for two guineas apiece, or even less. »
This is the age of great English dictionaries. Cassell's splendid « Encyclopædic » is just completed after eighteen years' labor in preparation. The magnificent work issued in parts at the Clarendon Press is designed to contain every word, living or obsolete, in English literature, with about a million illustrative quotations. The Century Company, New York, have the electrotype plates well advanced, and will soon begin the issue of a quarto dictionary of 6,500 pages, to occupy six volumes. One hundred persons have been engaged for seven years on the work, under the editorship of Professor Whitney, of Dwight University. The proofs are read by more than sixty people. Our language grows apace. The new edition of the Encyclopœdia Britannica has furnished ten thousand new words for definition!
A correspondent informs us that Bishop Pompallier's Early History of the Catholic Church in Oceania was issued some months ago by a New Zealand firm. There is something very defective in the system of publishing in this colony when a work of such interest can appear and its existence be almost unknown. It is not to be found in the leading bookshops, nor is it in our local public libraries, and though we see nearly every paper published in New Zealand, we have not met with a single announcement of its publication.
Mr John Coombe, of Wellington, a student of Dickens, has been reading Dombey and Son critically, and finds three instances in which Captain Cuttle (who had only one hand, the place of the other being supplied by a hook), is represented as using both hands in ordinary fashion. The Wellington Press is not aware that the strange inconsistency has ever been noted by the thousands of readers of that popular book.
The author of the famous series of articles on « Parnellism and Crime, » is Mr John Wolfe Flannagan, barrister, and son of an Irish Judge. A contemporary says: « He was a notable man at Oxford in his day, and has for some years devoted his whole soul to the consideration of the Irish question, writing much for the papers and reviews on the subject. He is about thirty-six years of age, and decidedly personable in appearance. » He is now on the regular staff of The Times.
Miss Braddon, as is well-known, tried art and the stage without success before she attempted literature. At twenty she wrote her first story, Three Times Dead, which was published at a loss. Lady Audley's Secret was written two years later, and made her fortune—a remarkable work for a woman of twenty-two. Its sale has reached 450,000 copies—a success almost unparalleled. Miss Muloch's John Halifax, popular as it is, has only reached 90,000, and Mrs Henry Wood's East Lynne, 120,000.
An English paper, gossipping about lady journalists in London, says; « Miss Whitman, the niece of the unrhymed American poet, who lives at Roehampton, and boasts of as classic a bust as any woman in London, writes for a New Zealand weekly. »
The heading « Peace and Joy, » in the advertising pages of an Australian denominational paper, is suggestive of some new religious work. The reader on closer examination, finds it to be the name of a firm of accountants! Partnerships sometimes bring names into curious juxtaposition, as, for example, « Flint and Steel » —a genuine instance.
Last month we referred to the alleged « diary » found among Pigott's papers as being of very doubtful authenticity. The news by mail confirms this view. Mr Pigott's housekeeper burned the private papers in his house in accordance with instructions by telegram; and the pocket-book found on his person at Madrid was secured by the Scotland-yard detectives, who know their business too well to hand it over to either party in the proceedings now pending.
The following additions to our list of exchanges are acknowledged with thanks: Type, the organ of the Dickinson Foundry, Boston, No. 1 vol i, January, 1889; the Union Printer, New York, the organ of the American Typographical Unions, from vol. xii, No. 8, 9th February, 1889; Books and Notions, Toronto, from February, 1889.
The Mornington County Herald is the name of a new weekly, published by Mr Philip P. Nind, Cranbourne, Victoria.
Mr Ivess, of the Albury Mail, has had a strike in his office. His system of employing hands below standard rates, which caused so much trouble in this colony, has not been a success in New South Wales. His paper was brought out on several successive days by a foreman and two boys.
Zeitgeist is the title of a small monthly, issued gratis in connexion with the Wesleyan Church, Waikato, and edited by the Rev. C. H. Garland. Perhaps the most noticeable feature of the new paper is its title. Whether the spirit of the times tends towards Methodism, or is even of a distinctively Christian character, are debatable questions.
Mr J. C. Hart, of Melbourne, who has already made one attempt to start a « labor » paper, has, we gather from the A. T. Journal, a big scheme of the kind in hand. He is endeavoring to form a company, with a capital of £20,000, in £1 shares, to establish a labor organ. Several trade unions have promised their support.
It is probable that one of the principal religious denominations in New Zealand, at present without any special representation in the press, will soon have its own organ. A thoroughly good representative paper is contemplated, and as the church is a large one, and has a fair share of well-to-do members, the success of its organ should be assured.
The Bruce Herald, Tokomairiro, has just celebrated its « silver wedding, » its first issue having made its appearance on April 14th, 1864. The proprietor then was Mr Joseph Mackay; the paper was a weekly, and was published at 6d per copy. Its district was a wide one, embracing all the country from Invercargill to Dunedin.
The Rev. T. Flavell, who has edited the N. Z. Schoolmaster for the past six or seven years, has now retired; his place being taken by an editorial committee composed of practical teachers. An editorial committee is generally found to work very unsatisfactorily in all respects—its efficiency being in inverse proportion to the number engaged. Let us hope this last experiment will prove an exception.
The New Zealand Primitive Methodist is the latest addition to denominational literature. It is a modest quarterly quarto, and disclaims any intention of entering into competition with the weekly Methodist. The engraved title is poorly-designed—an impossible ribbon and the inevitable tree-ferns. A good type heading would have looked better. The paper is published in Auckland; the editor is Mr A. J. Smith, one of the ablest ministers in the connexion, and the sub-editor is Mr D. Goldie, m.h.r. The new venture should be a success.
Mr E. R. Peacock, well known in Timaru and Napier, has gone into business in Melbourne, having, in conjunction with his brother, started the « City Printing Office, » in Bourke-street.
The young orator who lectures on Robert Emmett is now in Australia. Newspapers there would do well to collect the money for his advertisements in advance. He left a good many New Zealand papers lamenting.
Mr Thomas Buckland, of Charters Towers, Queensland, has taken action against the London Echo, claiming £25,000 damages for libel, a statement having appeared in the paper to the effect that he was an absconder.
We have received some early numbers of the Ellesmere Chronicle, a semi-weekly which has arisen in the place of the lately-deceased Guardian. We hope the new paper will find its lines fall in pleasanter places than those of its predecessor.
The Sydney Morning Herald, has just passed into the hands of Mr J. R. Fairfax and his three sons, Charles, Geoffrey, and James. Mr E. Ross Fairfax, the younger brother of Mr J. R. Fairfax, has sold out his share, and means to settle down in England. The Herald is the finest newspaper property in the Southern hemisphere, and one of the leading papers of the world. Its profits are estimated at £80,000 per annum, and it is reported that an offer of a million sterling for the concern was lately refused.
In another part of this paper Mr Mills draws attention to the serious and surprising errors regarding Australian journalism in the last edition of the Encyclopœdia Britannica. The errors are too painful to be ridiculous, and they are the less excusable as correct information might have been gathered from any English press directory. To omit the Sydney Morning Herald from the list of New South Wales dailies is like ignoring The Times in an account of the London press; and to credit a paper like the weekly Bulletin with a daily circulation of 20,000 is an absurdity too awful to contemplate.
The great libel case, Dibbs v. the Daily Telegraph, (says a Sydney correspondent), has at last been concluded. The costs and damages in the first case, in which Mr Dibbs gained a verdict, have been paid, and the proceedings which were pending for a second libel action against the paper have been withdrawn. The case has been a great windfall for the lawyers, who must have divided some five or six thousand pounds among themselves. But I question whether it has given any solid satisfaction to the successful plaintiff, and I am certain it has given none to the defendant newspaper.
All the printers in Brisbane, Queensland, suddenly struck work on the evening of 5th April, and the publication of the papers next morning was attended with considerable difficulty. The cause of the strike was that offices employing members belonging to the Typographical Association had undertaken work for non-union houses. The telegrams published during the month on the subject of the strike appear to have come from a prejudiced source. In another part of this issue we publish a communicated article from a well-informed contributor, giving the facts from a unionist's point of view.
Mr W. O'Brien, m.p., editor of United Ireland, has taken proceedings for libel against the Marquis of Salisbury for publicly stating that he advocated murder and pillage in Ireland. Does Mr O'Brien never read his own paper?
Mr Parnell having withdrawn his Scotch action against The Times, first « postponed » and has since withrawn the Irish one. He has, however, taken action in the English Courts for libel, claiming £100,000. This action is doubtless based on the Pigott letters; and as those letters have been withdrawn by The Times without reservation, the paper will practically have no defence.
A destructive and fatal fire occurred in Melbourne on the afternoon of Easter Monday (22nd April). It broke out in the Bijou Theatre, which was totally destroyed, as well as the adjoining premises, the Lorgnette office, occupied by Mr W. Marshall, the well-known theatrical printer. The list of casualties was heavy—two men killed (one being Fire Brigade Captain Parsons), and six badly injured. The loss amounts to nearly £50,000. Mr Marshall's loss is estimated at £11,500, £5,000 of which is covered by insurance. His valuable machinery was destroyed, as well as a large stock of paper and pictorial posters, and the large theatrical engravings accumulated during thirty years of business. Among the latter were recent importations valued at £3,000.
Mr Henry Kelly, the musical critic of the Melbourne Argus for the past twenty years, died recently, aged 57. He was a very old colonist, and engaged in mining early in the fifties.
A London telegram of 9th April records the death of Mr J. Coutts Crawford, F.G.S., formerly sheriff of Wellington and member of the Legislative Council. In his early life he had seen much service in the navy. He was the contributor of many papers to the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, and maintained the theory that Cook's Strait was formerly the estuary of a great river discharging into the Pacific Ocean the confluent waters of the Manawatu, Wanganui, and other rivers of the West Coast, the two islands being joined by an isthmus where the shallow line now runs between Capes Farewell and Egmont. In 1879 he published Recollections of Travel in New Zealand and Australia. His health failing some two years ago, he went home to seek medical advice.
Mr Warren de la Rue died on the 23rd April, aged 74. The deceased was for many years head of the house of De la Rue & Co., celebrated for cards and fancy stationery, and the business is still carried on by his sons. He was distinguished for his discoveries in the field of photography and electricity, and invented many new processes and machines, some of which he patented. He applied photography to the recording of celestial phenomena with distinguished success. He was a contributor to scientific literature, and has filled several distinguished offices, among others, secretary and afterwards president of the Royal Astronomical Society, president of the Chemical Society, and president of the London Institution.
Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Coupland Harding, at bis registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—April, 1889.
XXIX.
Each of the elementary forms of which borders are composed has applications of its own, apart from its combinations with others. This quality has already been illustrated in the case of the running-piece and corner. As we are now dealing with simple elements, we diverge from the subject of the fundamental characters of all type borders, classed in former articles as A, B, C, and D, to a piece which is by no means essential—which, in fact, does not fall into the general plan of running borders at all, but stands alone, and will bear comparison with either of the pieces already described, in the variety of its adaptations as a border or ground-tint. This piece we shall call the diagonal.
In its simplest form—a line drawn from corner of a square /, it is merely equal in design to the plain rule border, but with this difference, that it is at an angle of 45° to the work. In this form it calls for very little remark. Some of the simpler groundwork designs, resolved into their elements, are found to consist merely of this character, so repeated as to form a lattice-work. This arrangement, in an ornate form, may be seen in the central ornament of our headpiece, which is composed of the character For the construction of patterns, the characters in which the whole square is filled with parallel lines, are the best. A piece of this kind may be used by itself in three ways as a running border, but on account of the cut-off appearance of the lines, it always looks best when closed by a rule. Like the running-piece already shown, it is capable of being set double or treble in either of these forms:— and is equally suited for groundwork patterns:
As with the running-piece and corner, the breadth of a groundwork allows of greater freedom and variety of design than in the narrow limits of an ordinary border. An effective pattern is formed by alternating squares of four set in the same direction with squares of four set lozenge-wise or cross-wise, and in our next column we show larger patterns composed of the same elements.
The diagonal is not a piece to combine readily with other forms. Horizontal and perpendicular lines bear no relation to it except as a cut-off, and when used together they form separate panels—the effect resembling that of square tiles of various patterns arranged together.
It will be noted that with the exception of the three specimens above, all the groundwork patterns on this page are composed from a single character. We show other examples:
These are only a few of the patterns which this single character is capable of producing. When it is to be had in different depths of tint, the designs may be multiplied indefinitely, by the introduction of variegated or shaded effects:
The editor of the Wairarapa Star is surely a « new chum. » He has seen an earwig, which he calls « an unwelcome visitor to New Zealand, » and says that the insect has not hitherto, to his knowledge, been seen in the colony! He therefore gives an account of the genus from a dictionary. As a matter of fact, the much-abused earwig, though not common in the bush, is among the most familiar of native insects, and we have seen many specimens over an inch in length. Every amateur gardener near the sea-coast knows them well, and any one who has ever turned up a stone or piece of damp wood can scarcely have failed to see them.
In the first page of our first number, we drew attention to the unsatisfactory state of the New Zealand copyright law. The Christ-church Times says that the subject is to receive attention from the Government next session. It adds: « The only protection afforded a New Zealand author, whose work is colonially published, has to be extracted from the old ordinance of 1842. Artists, of course, are secured by the Fine Arts Copyright Act of 1877, and its amending act of two years later. Some nine or ten imperial acts dating from the year 1734 onwards, are either in force for certain purposes, or are supposed to be. What is wanted is a plain, sensible, comprehensive statute, by reading which, author, painter, or playwright, can gain a notion of his real position as a proprietor, what are his rights, and what his duties. We understand that the proposed act will aim at supplying this want. It will deal with books written and published in New Zealand, and with works republished and reprinted here; with magazines, reviews, and serials; with newspapers, so far as original contributions of a literary character to their columns are concerned; with dramatic and musical compositions; with paintings, sculptures, engravings, and photographs. Even lectures will not be forgotten. The first delivery of a lecture will be held a publication, and will secure the lecturer against piracy, either by printing or repetition. That portion of a newspaper dealing with news strictly so-called will not come within the act's scope, and will not interfere with the protection given to cable messages some years ago. A clause in the act will provide for putting the General Assembly Library on the same footing as the British Museum is at home, so far as local publications go. Henceforth a New Zealander will be by law required to forward to the librarian of the General Assembly one copy of the best edition of any book issued from his office. This will apply to newspapers as well as books. »
Meeting one of our M.P.'s the other day, I said, « Good day, sir, how's the printing business doing just now? » « Oh, things have brightened very much during the month, and prospects are fair, judging from the jobs on the file. » I am happy to say that this answer puts the case correctly. Half-time has ceased at the Government Printing Office, and some extra hands have already been taken on. Not only does the trade appear bright, but I find that Typo is growing in the affections of my fellow-craftsmen. On every hand I hear words of praise in regard to this journal. I do not now hear the cavillings which were wont to be made, and there is no reservation as to the merits of our only monthly. These expressions of opinion are pleasant to me, and doubtless to you also, Mr Editor—especially when accompanied by a subscription.
A report is current that the New Zealand Times has changed hands, the new proprietor (or-tors) taking possession next month, but I have been unable to ascertain the name of the person or party. Mr Chantrey Harris is the present owner. Various rumors are in circulation as to the new proprietory. One says that it is an Auckland man of means, or syndicate; another has it that a wealthy merchant of this city is the man; while a third has it « on good authority, » that a prominent politician, who was at one time a printer, then a journalist, member of Parliament, and a Cabinet Minister, is the man, acting for a company. I hope that the latter is the case, as it is well known that the Times has not been conducted in a popular or enterprising spirit, and if any man can put a dash of energy into a news-paper, the ex-minister is the man.
I hinted recently that there were to be some improvements in the appearance of the Evening Press of this city. I have « been placed in possession of the facts of the case, » to quote the special's style. The paper is to appear in a bran-new suit of type, which will be Miller & Richard's broad-face minion. The one size of type will be maintained throughout, with a leaded leader. The proprietors have also made an arrangement with Cassell's whereby the Press will have the sole right for the North Island to publish their latest works of fiction. Commo-dore Junk, by the popular Manville Fenn, will be the first of the series, and they will run through every evening's issue. Mr Wakefield will also send letters containing his impressions of the localities at which he touches during his trip, which will be all the places on the line leading through New York, London, and Paris. From the latter city he will send descriptions of the Exhibition. These letters are being eagerly looked forward to. Mr Wakefield had an early opportunity of sending a « special, » as he was a passenger on board the Mariposa when she put back into Auckland on her last trip, owing to the outbreak of fire.
I have not heard anything further about the Weale-Redwood compensation case, and I understand that Mr Weale has left our colony. Probably the dispute has been settled quietly.
It is said that the firm of Messrs Bock & Cousins, printers, litho-graphers, and engravers, are undergoing some change, one of the partners retiring (not Mr Bock) and his place being filled by a gentleman from Melbourne, who has had some connexion with Messrs Cowan & Co., papermakers. Mr A. G. Cousins, who has held the position of foreman, has just left the establishment, and taken his departure for Sydney. Mr Cousins (who is no relation to the partner of that name) has been with the firm for four or five years, and has done much by his skill as a job printer to give the house the good name it has held for its artistic printing. Mr E. Thornton, late a member of the Times companionship, has taken the foremanship of the office. This gentleman served his time as a pressman at the Christchurch Press office, and must have « picked up » case-skill afterwards.
The above firm have finished their splendid piece of chromo-litho-graphy and typography, the Album of the Flora of New Zealand, although the subject is by no means exhausted in the three volumes published.
Mr David Jones, jobbing foreman of the Wanganui Chronicle, and who has been connected with that paper for eighteen years, has left the staff to engage in another line of business. On the 27th ult. Mr Carson, in the presence of the staff, handed Mr Jones a present of a set of theological works, and made reference to his long and faithful service. Mr Jones, in reply, expressed his attachment to his old office. Sir Julius Vogel's novel has had a large sale in New Zealand, especially considering the high price for a book no larger than an average Shilling Shocker. The unusual demand is not attributable to the literary qualities of the work—for it is generally voted to be rubbish, and, moreover, the author is freely charged with plagiarism—but from a curiosity as to what shape the latest development of our imaginative politician's fancy had taken. A Dunedin firm has placed 1000 copies in our bookstalls, and Messrs Lyon & Blair, of Wellington, have disposed of the same number.
There is a new company in course of formation here with a proposed large capital to carry on job printing. The company is started with the avowed intention of cutting the ground from beneath the feet of the master-printers who have recently formed an association for the protection of the prices of work. The Master Printers' Association at its foundation drew up a scale of prices for work on a much higher grade than has been ruling here for several years, and it is the intention of the new company to cut in and do work at less than scale prices. However, from what I have heard, the master-printers have not much to fear, and I think it is time—in Canterbury at all events—that the price of printing was raised to a payable scale; for I believe competition has been so strong of late years that work has been done at prices that would not permit of the masters employing men to carry it out.
I hear that the Canterbury Typographical Association has under consideration a motion for giving scholarships in the high schools for the children of printers. This is, I think, a step in the right direction, and perhaps it might be better still if instruction could be given to apprentices in the shape of a course of lectures on printing; or the society might offer a prize or two for apprentices answering a series of questions drawn up by, say, a committee appointed for the purpose. It would tend to make the boys take a greater interest in their work, and also be an incentive to them to make the most of their time in perfecting themselves in their trade. This is done at home by the heads of big houses and founders, and perhaps it would not be out of place to introduce the system into the colonies. I also hear that the Association are trying to have a Printers' Library established.
At the meeting of the Literary Society of the Y.M.C.A. on the 13th inst., Mr Chapman, of the Referee, read a paper on « Printing. » The subject was well dealt with, and received very favorable criticism at the hands of those present. Mr Chapman touched upon the invention of printing; printing in America, China, Japan, and Russia; printing for the blind; manufacture of type; photo-printing; photo-engraving; and the influence of the press.
After long working under cost, to their own serious loss, and the great detriment of the trade, the master-printers have formed an association, and agreed upon a tariff; but they find it hard work to reinstate rates once reduced. The tenders for the burgess rolls this year, though a long way above the ridiculous figures of twelve months ago, were very moderate, being the same as allowed by the Government for the electoral rolls—a much lighter job. But on the recommendation of Mr Gibson, town clerk, who stated that « a printers' ring » had been formed, and that the rates were « exorbitant, » the city council refused to accept any of the tenders. A writer in the Star suggests putting the handsomely-paid billet of town clerk up to tender, as there are plenty of honest and capable men who would be glad to fulfil the duties at half the present salary.
The new magazine Zealandia is announced to appear on 1st July, and is being freely advertised. It has secured some good contributors, and has a fair prospect of success. The fact that several similar ventures have failed in bygone years need not discourage the promoters, who start under better auspices. The name of the editor is given as « William Freeman. » I do not know him, but Mr William Freeman Kitchen is pretty well known in literary circles. « What's in a name? »
The industrial committee of the exhibition have issued a circular, giving a list of classes of work in which competition is proposed to take place, and for which a court will be provided. The list of classes is a very full one, but I fail to see a class set down for printers. And there are two printers on the committee! Why is this thus?
In this issue, Mr C. Morton, of the City Typefoundry, London, shows several sizes of the « Dürer » series. This striking and durable style is a recent design by the Boston Typefoundry, and was noted by us in our January issue.
Very little in the way of new designs has reached us since our last, either from home or abroad. Messrs Miller & Richard have sent us a few sheets of novelties. The fine series of « Antique No. 12 » is now completed up to 5-line. Two more sizes are shown of the pretty « Celtic, » noticed in our November issue. A somewhat similar style, but much lighter and very graceful, is shown in two sizes (pica and long primer) under the title of « Corinthian. » The forms of the letters are not precisely the same in the two sizes, there being a slight variation in some of the lowercase sorts.
Caslon's Circular, No. 49, shows the excellent « Ionic Old-Style » in brevier and nonpareil, making eight sizes of this valuable series. Three exceedingly pretty sets of of ornamental corners are also shown—two sets being hunting subjects, and the third designed for programme or admission ticket of smoke concert. They are artistic in design, and the disposition of light-and-shade is exceedingly effective. There is also (we regret to add), a specimen of the intolerable « Type-writer. » We had hoped that this Yankee atrocity would be confined to the land of its birth.
Messrs V. & J. Figgins have also brought out a pica « Type-writer, » a specimen of which they send us. It is not American, and it is not, like other founts of the same name, cast uniformly to en set. The lining is accurate, but the letters stand very irregularly apart. We do not think that any punches have been specially cut for this fount. It appears to be composed of three regular faces, cast to line: a light condensed antique, for caps, figures, and wide lower-case sorts; a broad light antique, for the narrower lower-case sorts, and a fat roman, for the points.
Mr A. Sauvé has brought out, under the name of « Japanesque, » a bold eccentric letter with lower-case, bearing some resemblance to Miller & Richard's « Mikado. » It is shown in two sizes—2-line and 4-line pica.
Farmer, Little, & Co. show an old-style under the name of « Cadmus. » ) It is a condensed letter, much resembling the Elzevir types; and is made in three sizes, others in preparation.
Barnhart Bros. & Spindler show « Oblique Gothic » in six sizes. It is an extended hairline italic, much resembling the light « Geometries » which a few years ago had a great run in the States.
The Cincinnati Foundry have produced a pretty flourished roman (caps only), in six sizes, entitled « Didot. »
Marder, Luse, & Co. show a series of « Palmetto » ornaments, 10 characters, waved flourished corner-ornaments, suggestive of palmleaves.
The Philadelphia Photo-Electrotype Company show in the pages of a contemporary half-a-dozen good outline trade cuts.
Ludwig & Mayer, Frankfurt a-M., show in six sizes a very effective style, combining the qualities of ronde and heavy italic, entitled « Halbfette Circular. »
The New Zealand Government intend introducing next session a Libel Act Amendment Bill, rendering the libel law of the colony identical with that of Great Britain.
Tastes differ. The American Art Printer is enamored of the Dickinson Foundry's « Quaint » and its counterpart « Quaint Open »—to our mind two of the most ill-favored designs that Yankee ingenuity has yet produced. They are, however, coming widely into use in our American exchanges.
The editor of the London Paper and Printing Trades Journal characterizes the original articles in our pages on Design in Typography as « a really valuable series, containing much that is instructive even for home readers, » and adds: « They evince extensive knowledge of the printing of our own and various foreign countries. »
A New Perforator.—The H. C. Hansen Pin-hole Perforating Machine (Boston) runs the sheet between two wheels, one fitted with pins, and justifying accurately into holes in the other wheel. In point of price, the machine seems to be about the same as those in ordinary use: its advantage is, that it will perforate any length.
A Use for Old Leather.—Old shoe-leather is worse than useless, it is troublesome. Except by fire, it is almost indestructible, and it is anything but good fuel, besides being unpleasantly odorous in the process of combustion. A benefactor to the human race has arisen in New York, who has discovered how to turn this waste product to profitable account. He steams it to a pulp, and converts it into the soft and beautiful ornamental leather so popular for artistic book-binding.
A New Composing Machine.—The American Lithographer and Printer illustrates and describes the Bisley & Lake machine, a new contrivance to dispense with the use of type in certain kinds of printing. To call it a composing machine is scarcely correct, as it is only a very elaborate specialized type-writer. Its work is not pleasing to the eye, but is good enough for rapid printing of law-work, such as briefs, &c., where limited editions of long documents are required in a few hours' time, and good work is not essential. The printing is done in litho ink on transfer-paper, from which copies are made by lithography. The machine differs from other type-writers in having a justifying attachment peculiar to itself. When a sufficient number of words to approximately fill a line is registered, they are automatically justified with perfect accuracy. (In this respect the machine is ahead of the compositor.) This would also seem to imply that the matter is printed in lines instead of letters; but how this is done on the type-writer principle is not explained. On the other hand, it is not easy to understand how a line printed letter by letter can be justified in advance. It will be noted that the new invention is one which, however ingenious it may be, and however well adapted for certain rough kinds of work, will not interfere greatly with the occupation of the skilled compositor.
Working on Glazed Paper.—Correspondents of the Inland Printer complain that they cannot prevent ink from rubbing off highly-glazed paper, such as is used by boxmakers. The editor says the difficulty has never been satisfactorily overcome—driers make the ink sticky, and « pull, » and other mixtures deaden the color, and rub off when worked. The fault is caused by the paper having been burnt by the glazing-rollers. A good soft quick-drying ink should be used, and the paper placed near a stove to heat it while working.
Bronze in Lithography.—A correspondent of the American Lithographer and Printer writes:— « We have to print labels on steel-blue paper, but find if we print so as to make the bronze hold, the paper will peel off, and if we add tallow in the ink the bronze will not hold—what can be done about it? » The editor answers:— « We have seen printers, who could not regulate the holding of the bronze and the peeling off of the paper, resort to mixing tallow in the ink with stiff varnish, thinking this would help. They calculated that the stiff varnish would hold the bronze, and the tallow make the ink soft enough to prevent the paper from peeling off; but they failed, as tallow has the quality of keeping the ink fresh for all time, so that the bronze can be wiped off, and will never dry properly. We will tell how to overcome this difficulty as well as possible. The first thing, of course, is always to keep stiff varnish in the color, and no thin varnish whatever. Now mix as much as necessary of lavender oil in the ink. This softens the ink and prevents the peeling off; but use no more of it than absolutely necessary. Begin with a trifle and add more and more until you see that the paper does not peel off any more. Lavender oil is better than tallow, as it softens the ink more, but evaporates and does not remain in the ink of the imprestion, and therefore the ink will dry as quickly as without it. But here comes another question: If the work on the stone is very fine and close, too much lavender oil would spread out the fine lines and make the work look smutty and indistinct. It there is fine work only on the stone, the paper would not peel off so easily, and it could be printed without lavender oil. A slow speed on the steam press would make this go; but very often there are solids and fine work together on the stone. In this case we have to use the following new remedy: Take two parts of No. 2 varnish, two parts of Venetian turpentine, and one part of yellow bees-wax; melt these well together and mix them in the ink, which will answer for all purposes. This, preserved in a covered tin box, will keep good for many years, and will never get a skin on top nor lose anything of its good qualities. »
Dear Reader! Were you ever an apprentice to a printing firm? Did you ever sweep the floor and put the pie in your pocket, so that you would not have to dis. it? Did you ever have to clear away a parcel of jobbing pie, and get bewildered even to distraction over the want of harmony between great-primer and two-line brevier spaces, and others as nearly approximating? Did you ever tax the patience of a comp by continually asking, « Please, sir, where does this letter go? » or « What space is this, sir? » or « Will you reach me down that 2-line great primer black case, sir? » and did that man ever turn on you with bitter sarcasm and remark with a withering glance « Haven't you got any fingers? » « Where are your eyes? » and « Why don't you grow? » Ah me, don't I remember those days. I was such a little chap, and our racks were built up pretty high. I laugh over it now as I think of the little fellow carrying round a box as big as himself. I have always felt a strong sympathy with David Copperfield's boyhood days, and also with Oliver Twist, which I think is owing to the smallness of my own stature when a boy. It was not very pleasant to have rehearsed to one every day such recipes as these:— « Do you want to grow?—then hang on to the door half an hour every day. Eat plenty of burgoo. Sleep with your head and heels tied to each end of your bedstead. Practice standing on nothing. Hang on to to the door with your mother's flat irons tied to your heels, » &c., &c. One day I was clearing away some pie, when I came across a lot of great primer quads and one other quad of which there was no space or letter of a like kind among the stuff. It wasn't 2-line brevier and it wasn't great primer. What was I to do? I did not like to ask my tutor, for I had already used up all his poor stock of patience. Oh, thought I, as I cannot find the case, I'll stick it among the great primers, (which I had already put away). No one will know, so it will be all right. Away went I to the great primer antique case, and turning over some of the quads I put in my friendless one, covered it over, and was turning away to pursue the even tenor of my way, when—yes, my little game was upset. My tutor quietly turning over the g.p's. until he had found the cause of my trouble held it up for the examination of the room, remarking « Is this how you put away your pie? » I had a most uncomfortable quarter-of-an-hour, and when the proper case was shown to me I found it was a bastard shaded letter. That incident was so strongly impressed on my mind that I doubt whether I shall ever forget it, and I have never since been tempted to put an assortment of pie « anywhere out of sight » but I have thought of the bastard, and the memory has had the right effect.
I heard long ago from an old London comp, now departed, a pleasing anecdote of Thomas Moore, the poet, which, being a personal reminiscence of his own, has never found its way into print. In his boyhood, my informant was a reader-boy at Clowes's, and knew the poet well by sight, as an edition of « Anacreon » was in the press, and the author often looked in to see the proofs. On one occasion, he found the reader-boy in tears, having just had a cuff on the ear for his « stupidity. » Making enquiry. Moore found that the trouble had arisen over some Greek words in the text, and he expostulated with the reader for expecting the lad to decipher Greek by intuition. « Did you ever learn the Greek alphabet, my boy? » he asked. « No, » was the reply. « Then learn it now, » he said. « You will not find it very difficult; and if you know it when I come again, you shall have five shillings. » Whereupon he wrote the alphabets, large and small, on a sheet of paper, and gave them to the lad. The task was duly accomplished, and the reward given, and the poet never afterwards passed the boy without a word of encouragement. « Persevere, » he would say, « and you will be a scholar yet. »
In the far-away days when the late Mr Wood was the only printer in Hawke's Bay, he possessed an imp whose baptismal name—if he ever was baptized—was James, but who was always known as « Moses. » Moses was a devil of the most pronounced type, always as black as ink and oil could make him, and never out of mischief and disgrace. The word « larrikin » had not then been coined—but Moses was a grand representative of the class. If any midnight mischief was wrought in the town, no evidence was ever looked for to identify the perpetrator—everyone knew Moses must be at the bottom of it. Many were his tricks with the types. He it was who, in the shipping column, announced the arrival of a ketch in the firewood trade from Mercury Bay with « 40 tons fireworks, » and, being told to set his master's imprint in Maori, made it, « Emea ta Hemi Rakau » instead of the usual « Hemi Wuru. » He was a sore trial to his long-suffering master, but sometimes, as he well deserved, came off second-best. « Holy Moses! » was a favorite expletive of the boss, and when Jem heard it, he used to say under his breath, « Did you speak to me, sir? » Whereupon his mates would giggle, and be sternly enjoined to « get on with the work. » Mr W. was very absent-minded, and frequently made long and ineffectual searches for bodkins, setting-rules, and other sundries, which were ultimately found in his coat-pocket, where he had placed them in a moment of abstraction. His custom was to make up the form himself, generally in the small hours, and dismiss the lads one by one, remaining himself till it was ready for press. He had not been trained to the work, and did it very slowly, but carefully and well. His chief trouble was in handling type—he had not the knack acquired by long practice, and would at times capsize the bottom lines of the column with his coat-sleeve or squabble a stickfull in lifting—repairing the damage himself with infinite toil. The lads have often described how, coat on, with the matter only half-damped—for he hated type swamped with water—he would « plane the whole form with his thumb » before locking-up—by which precautionary measure he infallibly detected any types or leads under the matter. One night the sponge could not be found. « I am sure I had it just now, » said Mr W.,— « What can have become of it? » After much searching by all hands, Moses mildly observed: « Perhaps it is in your coat-pocket, sir? » Indignant as he was at the suggestion, Mr W. put his hand instinctively to the spot indicated, and drew forth the missing article, dripping wet. It was thenceforth a standing joke, how he « put the sponge in his pocket; » but Moses could have given a more correct version as to how it came there. But his best joke was not at his master's expense. It was past the midnight hour, and the form was nearly made up, Moses and his mate assisting, bringing leads, carrying away the galleys, &c. All was ready to lock up, as the clock struck one, and Mr Wood gave the two drowsy lads the welcome signal of dismissal, as he began the customary tattoo with his thumb upon the form. But he pushed in the wrong direction, and a grievous squabble appeared at the foot of a column. « Holy Moses! » he cried, in a tone of vexation, as the door was closing behind the boys. « Did you call me, sir? » asked Moses, with a grin, his grimy face appearing at the door. « No, you—yes! » was the reply. « Just come and mend this smash. » And the worthy boss retired with a quiet chuckle, and passed the next half- hour in the easy-chair in his sitting-room, while Moses ruefully realized that a fellow sometimes might be just a little too smart.
The old Government Printing Office, Wellington, was the scene of many incidents, both grave and gay, and changes from « pica to brevier » as the intelligent comp freely translated Horace Greeley of respected memory. Piece-rooms have always been the rallying point of all odd characters, and I think the piece-room of the Government Printing Office has more than had its share of « cards. » I have repeatedly heard readers remark that if they kept a record of the brilliant flashes of wit which have emanated from the proofs of piece hands, it would soon fill up a goodly pile of paper. We have all of us read many accounts of the way in which the I. C. interprets his orders to « follow copy. » It was strongly enforced upon the writer when an apprentice that he was to « follow copy, even if it went out of the window, » but he has never yet followed it that far. Still we come across men who will follow copy or instructions as implicitly as recommended to the writer. This brings me back to the old Government Printing Office. His name was Mahoney, which carries so much of the genuine brogue with it that it seems hardly necessary for me to inform you that he was an Irishman. Perhaps it is a bull to say so, but all Irishmen are not Irish, but it is a fact. Nevertheless M. was an Irishman. He had been for some time on his lines, when one day the foreman gave him a house-proof to correct, saying as he gave it to him— « Take your time on it, » —meaning, of course, that the time of correcting the galley of matter was to be taken, so as to be charged as author's corrections. But M., in the simplicity of his nature thought the boss was giving him a soft thing, and after an effusive « thank you » to his benefactor, he retired to his frame, and after laying the proof upon that article of furniture he rubbed some invisible soap off his hands, and remarked to himself (a very common practice with the Celts) with a chuckle, « Bedad, this is the finest mike I have had for many a day, » and thereupon filled up his pipe and retired to the back of the premises for half-an-hour's smoke. Included in the programme of his mike was the reading of the paper, and gossip ad lib. In this manner M. managed to spend two days over four hours' correcting, when the boss suddenly entered his elysium and wanted to know what was the matter with the galley, and how much longer it was going to take him before he was finished. « Why, » innocently remarked the Hibernian, « you tould me to take me time, and bedad I think I've managed it pretty well! »
Sir Robert Stout, ex-Premier, who was defeated at the last general election, declines to re-enter into active political life—at present, at all events. He writes in the following doleful strain:
I am rather pessimistic over the future of Liberalism in New Zealand—I mean in the near future. Our land is going from us, and is not being properly settled; the need of further developments in education is not felt; and the political pendulum seems swinging toward parsimonious conservatism that must injure us. The young New Zealand party has shown no national enthusiasm, and it has made what is called « economy » —I call it parsimony—its god. It is a poor ideal for a party, and is a will-o-the-wisp, and not a star to guide them.
If the writer had been merely one of the rank and file of politicians, his views would have been a matter of very small concern; but being a man of great ability, and having occupied the highest position in the colony, he is still assured of a hearing on any public question, and his utterances have attracted a good deal of attention. In our own opinion, this dismal letter is one of the brightest signs of the times—times which are anything but bright at present. We cannot honestly regret Sir Robert Stout's absence from the political field. Useful work could not be expected from a man in so morbid a condition of mind as this letter discloses. It was probably not written for publication—it is too loosely put together. Beginning by deploring the future of an « ism, » he writes as if it were the future of the colony. Now while the future of the colony is a matter of deep concern to every true New Zealander, the future of its political « isms » is a matter of most supreme indifference. And the speedy political perdition of the spurious « liberalism, » with its appeals to race and class prejudices, its corruption and extravagance, is a consummation devoutly to be wished.
« Our land is going from us, and is not being properly settled. » On the contrary, settlement is progressing as it never has done before, production is increasing; and the land is passing from the Government who cannot make use of it into the hands of men who can, and do. And it may be noted in passing, that Sir Robert Stout's government was responsible for the biggest grants of crown land on record to a speculative corporation.
« The need of further developments in education is not felt. » Education has been « developed » a little too fast. The department is already top-heavy. The State is trying to teach everything except handicrafts and the odium theologicum, and there are some who would have these added to the curriculum.
« The political pendulum is swinging towards parsimonious conservatism. The young New Zealand party has shown no national enthusiasm. It has made what is called economy—I call it parsimony—its god. » Here is a double-barrelled charge. National enthusiasm is undoubtedly weak—even Sir Robert's share has apparently evaporated. The present burden of taxation is enough to quench the buoyant spirits of the most enthusiastic; and the « liberal » device of multiplying constituences so that village may be divided against village and town against town, while trading politicians divide the spoil—is the most efficient antidote against the development of a « national » spirit.
But it is in the last charge—that of « parsimony » —that we see the brightest ray of hope. The colony begins to realize—what the Stout party never could—that its affairs should be on a sound financial basis—that the remedy for depression is not to be found in borrowing. Sir Robert's panacea for the financial mess into which his party had plunged the colony was increased expenditure, and extra taxation at the rate of £1,000 a day; and the country sent him about his business. His successors, working up the accounts, found that the increased taxation could not be avoided, and they imposed it—clumsily enough, it must be admitted. But they did economise, and in the right quarters too. They cut down the Governor's salary and their own, reduced the payment of members and the number of (mis)-representatives. There has been a double pinch—increased taxes and reduced expenditure; but the result on the whole has been salutary. Sir H. Atkinson can show a small surplus, and promises to remove the property-tax. Stout-Vogelism would have given us another big deficit, another loan, and a prohibitive tariff. We cannot but rejoice in the pessimism of the Great Taxation Party. Their deepening gloom is the token of brighter days at hand. And if the young New Zealand party has not shown much enthusiasm, it has shown something better—a sense of duty which has begun to set about the fulfilment of a necessary though unpleasant task.
Facts, as developed in The Times Commission, are stranger than any fiction. The « foul and abominable conspiracy » behind Pigott and Houston, alleged by Sir Charles Russell, must be taken as imaginary, for he has adduced no shadow of proof. And the paper which still stands at the head of British journalism is daily justified out of the mouths of its enemies—under cross-examination. We should have been glad to see a little more loyalty on the part of the press to The Times. Its fellow-journals realized well enough that the break-down of Pigott affected but a fraction of the case; but in deference to popular excitement they were either silent or openly scurrilous. For weeks past every little journalistic cur has barked at The Times; but as the case developes their clamor subsides. The « foul and abominable conspiracy » was really against the liberty of the press. It may yet appear who suborned Molloy and Coffey and the rest of the perjured witnesses whose evidence was concocted solely to discredit that which was genuine. Coffey, by the way, is a nationalist reporter, and a liar of the first magnitude. It is on the testimony of such as he that the sensational reports of « coercion » are based. How Mr Parnell will deal with his latest slanderer, it is hard to say. After he has been canonized as the embodiment of truth and patriotism— « the new St. Patrick » —a witness comes forward whose allegations far exceed all that The Times has laid to his charge—who has coolly asserted that the nationalist leader was actuated by revenge instead of patriotism, and that on an occasion of great importance he deliberately lied in his place in the House of Commons. And this new accuser is Mr Parnell himself—on oath! He claims £100,000 of The Times for damaging his character. The Times has paid £2 into court. It has paid too much. And now Mr Labouchere has made an extraordinary statement which, had any one else made it, would certainly have afforded him ground for a criminal action. He says that he tempted (but without success) the wretched Pigott to forge « a few letters » in his presence! Had Pigott yielded, it could not have affected the authenticity of the documents in the case, but would have had the effect—which the subsequent detection of his forgeries had—of discrediting his evidence in regard to genuine letters. Mr Labouchere's statement throws a light on the tactics of the league. Who did successfully tempt Pigott to forgery? Not The Times, certainly. How came the Parnell party to have such exact knowledge of the way in which certain documents were imitated? And what genuine writings of Mr Parnell and Mr Egan were they so anxious to recover as to offer Pigott £1000 for them? It is a remarkable fact that the most important letter, that of 15th May, 1882—upon which Mr Parnell, when challenged, did not venture to take action—is not covered by Pigott's confession, contains none of his characteristic orthographical errors, and is not, like the others, a patchwork composition from other writings. The Times had to withdraw it, as they had no independent testimony in its support; but except on the theory of its genuineness, it has not yet been accounted for.
Whatever opinion may be held about the « balance of trade, » there can be but one view as to the serious significance of the large disproportion of departures from the colony as compared with arrivals. The men who are leaving are those who can afford to close up their affairs and go. Many remain only because they are not in a position to leave. The cause is evident. The high tariff is doing its deadly work, and many of the best members of the community are being steadily taxed out of the country. Business men are, and have for some time past, been paying taxes, both local and general, out of capital. Unless further retrenchment is speedily adopted, and taxation reduced, the worst of the « depression » is still to follow.
Our readers will welcome (as we do most heartily) our new correspondent from Christchurch. He has sent some very interesting items. We would be glad to have as good a contributor in every big town in Australasia, and will (editorially) take a back seat or enlarge our paper to make room for their communications. It rests with our subscribers to make Typo one of the most interesting and valuable papers in the trade. Will our sub-editorial friends also kindly post us about the middle of the month an unsealed envelope containing such interesting trade and personal items as they meet in their investigations? They will help us materially by so doing. We cannot find time to open half the N.Z. exchanges that reach us, and though for a general newspaper they would all be of service, there is not more than one in twenty that contains an item of use to us.
In connexion with the London issue of the New York Herald seven days in the week, certain newspapers that should know better, have asserted that it is nothing new, and instance the « Sunday » weeklies as proof that the same thing has been tolerated in England without objection. There is absolutely no Sunday work in connexion with these papers. The date is a pure fiction, as the papers are in the hands of the trade early on Saturday, and are distributed and sold on the same afternoon. The only Sunday work in the trade—unavoidable under present arrangements—is on the Monday morning papers, and the workers have Saturday in which to rest. The working men of England view Mr Bennett's innovation with alarm. They rightly hold that nothing will so tend to secularize the Sabbath as the issue and sale of newspapers seven days a week.
The Queensland printers' strike is over, after a four-weeks' battle and with the usual result. After heavy losses on both sides—pressing heaviest upon the unfortunate workmen—the Q.T.A. has succumbed, and has acknowledged « the right of the master-printers to take work from whom they choose. » This was the only point in dispute. But only a portion of the union men find that they can resume work. Their places have in most instances been taken by non-union men engaged for a long term, and two-thirds of the union hands who held « steady billets » six weeks ago are contemplating an exodus to the already overcrowded southern colonies. Many of these are the very pick of the trade, and they have the mortification of seeing their old places filled with far inferior men. The Q.T.A. is said to be admitting « rats » to the privileges of the union, to the great disgust of unions elsewhere, who talk of refusing to recognize their clearance tickets.—One good result has resulted from the strike. It has taught the unions (on both sides) that a peaceful solution is always the best, and a Board of Conciliation is to be formed. If this is wisely appointed the late disastrous strike in Queensland may be the last.
The N. Z. Methodist, in a leading article, regrets its severance from the printing firm whose name has appeared on the imprint for eighteen years—in fact from the time that New Zealand Methodism possessed an organ. The editor bears witness to « the care and promptness with which our printers have discharged their duty…. In all respects we can hardly expect to be better served than we have been by Messrs J. T. Smith & Co.… In many ways we have been glad to make use of their kind and efficient help in relation to matters not included in the terms of their contract, and for which we wish now to express our grateful obligation. » Between man and man, an eighteen years' association of this kind would involve a kind of prescriptive obligation to the continuance of services so well performed. But in this case there is a corporation (without soul or body, as Sydney Smith once explained); and so the explanation is given that « the change of printers is purely a matter of business…. The lowest tender was sent in by a Dunedin firm, and it is this tender which the Directors have accepted. Personal preference does not enter at all into such a matter. » It is not without a feeling of humiliation that we read this explanation. « Personal preference » is scarcely the right way to put the case. Where everything, as in this instance, is made to give way to the one consideration of cheapness—even the convenience of the editorial staff, for Dunedin is a long day's journey from Christchurch—there is small encouragement to the printer to cheerfully undertake the daily little services outside the terms of his bond. The gradual contraction in the price paid prevents any possibility of the standard of work being raised, and ultimately leads to serious deterioration. The greatest obstacle to the progress of the trade—the true cause of the prevalence of bad work and low wages in this country—is the sordid spirit which in the great majority of corporate bodies—private, official, and religious—regards the almighty dollar as the first consideration; and no matter how well or faithfully duty has been fulfilled, or how reasonable the price may have been, takes every opportunity of throwing it once more into the open market, and eagerly accepts « the lowest tender. »
America has at the present time a distinguished visitor from New Zealand, in the person of Mr Edward Wakefield, the ablest journalist our colony has produced. Mr Wakefield is a nephew of the Colonel of that name who organized the New Zealand Company, by which the first systematic attempts at colonization were made; and the Wakefield family has produced men who have greatly aided in the advancement of the colony. The subject of this sketch, though only about forty years of age, has already made himself one of our men of mark, apart from his ability as a journalist. He was for many years a member of our House of Representatives, and when Major (now Sir Harry) Atkinson formed his Ministry in 1884, Mr Wakefield was appointed Colonial Secretary. He is a finished orator, and as a lecturer upon literary subjects his services were in continual demand. He is by profession an editor, and for many years his leaders have been extensively read, displaying as they do, wide information, keen observation, and a highly-developed critical faculty. For the past five or six years Mr Wakefield has been editor and part proprietor of the Evening Press of this city, and he published in the columns of that paper a novel, « The Hermit of Island Bay, » which was closely followed by an interested public.
Some two years ago Mr Wakefield was appointed by the Government to compile a « Handbook of New Zealand, » which was to be written in a readable popular style, instead of the orthodox dry-as-dust statistical book. Our journalist set to work with zest upon his task, for it was a labor of love, when suddenly a split in the Cabinet occurred, in which he, as an editor, was involved—and his services as a compiler were dispensed with. It was thought by those who were eagerly looking forward to the appearance of the handbook that it was knocked on the head—but the compiler took his copy home with him when he got notice to quit, on the chance, you know, that it might come in useful.
Allow me at this point to introduce the French Consul, Count Jouffray d'Abbans. The Count had in his possession a batch of MS. which was a record of the early missions of the French Roman Catholic priests in this Colony. These records are of great value in their bearing upon our early history. It is not generally known that the French dreamed dreams of our colony in the early days, and that it presented a new see land to their eyes—but while they were gazing England took possession. Now, in the split in the Cabinet to which I have referred, the Count was also involved, which probably brought the titled representative of a republican nation and the editor together, with the result that they have each put their copy on the same hook, with a title-page that reads something like this: « New Zealand in 1889, after 50 years, by Edward J. Wakefield and Count Jouffray d'Abbans. »
We have at last come right up to the cause of Mr Wakefield's appearance in Brother Jonathan's country. The « History » is to appear simultaneously in New York, Paris, and London. Messrs Harper Bros. have undertaken its publication in New York and London, having offered the authors splendid terms, undertaking also to publish in book-form the novel I have referred to, as well as a volume of « Sketches » and « Adventures in New Zealand, » written by Mr Wakefield. Count d'Abbans is now in Paris looking after the French edition of the history, which I understand will amount to the goodly number of 50,000 copies. The history will run into 400 pp. octavo, profusely illustrated, and is to be published at a very popular price, 2/6 in paper, and in cloth a little extra. As Mr Wakefield is to be in Wellington again in six months, his works will no doubt be placed on the market before he leaves the Old Country.
I have been informed that Mr Wakefield has received a large advertizing patronage for his history. It is stated that £1500 has been received, and that the price per page was £25.
Good stories are current in every composing-room and press-room. Every printer knows some weatherbeaten old comp who is full of them. Send some of them along for Typo's « Quoin-Drawer. »
In the Copenhagen Meddelelser, under the heading of « A Copenhagen Printing-house of the Olden Time, » Hr. J. Davidsen, a veteran journalist, gives some very interesting reminiscences of an office of the primitive style, conducted by one Köpping, at which he was apprenticed in 1826. Typographische Jahrbücher (Julius Mäser, Leipzig), is a large octavo, finely-printed, and well-supported, containing neatly-displayed advertisements from most of the leading German manufacturing houses. The number before us contains three two-color supplements, printed in faultless register (without points) on a press of German manufacture.
Two numbers of the Art Printer are to hand. In No. 4 are two notable illustrations—a pretty flower, in rule-work, by a German artist, and a portrait worked simply from an overlay. The actual block is a uniform tint in horizontal lines; but the unequal pressure of the overlay has converted it into a ghostly but perfectly recognizable portrait. The pressman who cut the overlay is an artist in his line. No. 5 has for frontispiece a fine plate by the Moss Engraving Company, representing Lieut. Greeley and his men on board the Arctic exploring ship Bear. Some specimens of embossed work are shown—borders and devices worked from type without ink, to combine with the general design, and pressed deeply into the paper. We do not admire the effect. It is « rough » on the type in the first place, there is a want of delicacy and sharpness in the work, and worst of all, it breaks the fibre of the paper at the points and edges of the design. There is an excellent specimen of a dissected job in rule-work—the eighth of a series, and the criticisms on the design are very just.
The Inland Printer for March contains an article by Mr James E. Munson, containing valuable historical particulars concerning experiments in unit-made types. For reasons already given in our articles on type standards, we consider his proposed system—the unit to be one-eighth of the lower-case em, condensed or expanded—a faulty one. Mr McLean, President of the Illinois Press Association, discourses on the moral tone of the press—a subject which has caused some discussion in this country of late.
Herr A. K. Hüttl, Graslitz, Bohemia, sends us a large and finely-printed illustrated catalogue and price-list of every description of musical instruments.
Messrs Klimsch & Co., Frankfurt a. M., send us two neatly-printed octavo illustrated catalogues of all kinds of printing office and stereotyping machinery and appliances.
The Victorian Paper Manufacturing Company, Limited, Barwon Paper Mills, Geelong, send us a circular relating to their white news and printing papers. The business offices of the company are at 47 Collins-st. W., Melbourne.
Mr F. Wesselhoeft, 2a Gresham Press Buildings, Little Bridge-st., London, E.C., sends a beautifully-printed price-list of German printing inks and machinery for printers and bookbinders, for which he holds the English agency.—From the same house we have a small specimen-book showing some of the fine quality printing inks of the well-known German firm of Kast & Ehinger.
Mr C. Morton, of the City Typefoundry, London, sends us his latest sheet of novelties. Among them we note the set of fourteen « Liliputiansn » (Conner's Sons), and four series of Barnhart Bros. & Spindler's most attractive ornaments. These are, the two series of « Élite, » the « Art » and the « Protean » —all of which have already been described in our pages. Mr Morton also shows one of the « Leaflet » borders, so popular in Germany and America.
The collapse of the « land boom » in Melbourne has been fraught with disaster to printers as well as others. Among the victims are Messrs Ellingworth & Hanstein, printers of several suburban newspapers, who have had to seek the protection of the bankruptcy court.
James Gordon Bennett has brought out a London edition of his paper. This will be a heavy blow to the Star, which is but an imitation of Yankee journalism. The new Herald is published seven days a week—an innovation which has aroused the indignation of John Bull, and has evoked a solemn protest from the Bench of Bishops and the almost unanimous condemnation of the English press. All of which the irreverent J.G.B. will regard as a good advertisement.
There is a good deal of human nature about most people, after all, as a Yankee philosopher remarked. There is a small paper of very limited circulation, in Dunedin, entitled (lucus a non lucendo) the Otago Workman. It is an out-and-out radical organ, with the utmost contempt for dignities. Yet a contributor who has the taste to write an article in which « Vagrants and Bible-readers » are classed together, tells with conscious pride how « I had occasion to visit—with a member of the New Zealand Ministry….. We walked to a roadside hotel, and went in and had something to eat there. » Apparently the fact of once dining in company with a N.Z. Minister at a public table, has shed a lustre over the Workman which will brighten the rest of his days, and gild his passage to the tomb.
« A certain well-known and wealthy Scotsman » is reported to have declared his readiness to subscribe £10,000 to a fund to indemnify The Times. It is not likely that any such offer will be accepted. In 1840-41, The Times, single-handed, exposed and defeated the greatest swindling conspiracy on record, involving some millons. The informant narrowly escaped with his life, and the newspaper had to defend a libel action, which it did with success, but at a cost of £32,000. A subscription was set afoot, and £2,700 at once raised, but The Times refused to accept a penny. The sum of 150 guineas was therefore spent in erecting two tablets suitably inscribed, one of which is still to be seen in Lloyd's Underwriters' Room, in the Royal Exchange. The remainder of the money was devoted to the establishment of two scholarships in Christ's Hospital.
Can any one explain how it is that the papers which publish « Sunday Reading » on Saturdays so often have a realistic report of a prize-fight in the column adjoining the sermon?
By W. Colenso, F.R.S., F.L.S., Etc.
This book contains many interesting Maori traditional stories and fables concerning the Ocean and the cause of its Tides, with striking parallels from ancient mythology and modern superstitions.
Price, 2s 6d. Postage, inland, 2d; beyond the colony, 3d.
R. Coupland Harding
Printer and Publisher, Napier, New Zealand.
An Auckland correspondent in a recent letter referred to a report which had gone the rounds that Mr C. O. Montrose, an old journalist, was dead. Mr Montrose, who is now editing a paper in Victoria, entitled the Farmer's Gazette, gives the rumour an emphatic denial.
The unwritten history of some of the London newspapers would be edifying. Mr James Greenwood states that he severed his connexion with the St James's Gazette because it was secretly arranging to become the English organ of Bismarck, negociations having been carried on with the prince's secretary, who bears the mellifluous and significant name of Rottenburg. What is more to the point, he was able to prove his assertion.—The facts of the anti-Times conspiracy on the part of some of the (un)-English press may yet be brought to light.
The cruel nettle is now turned to valuable commercial account, and is being assiduously cutivated in Europe. Its fibre is found to possess special qualities for the manufacture of textile fabrics, and in Dresden a thread has been spun from it so fine that 60 miles in length weighs only 2½lb. So this much-abused weed may now point a new moral: Gently stroke the wayside nettle,
A letter was recently received in Dunedin, which had been posted in Warsaw, and bore no address except, « Via England. George-street, Dunedin. » On being opened, the letter was found to be written in a strange and unknown character. A junior clerk, who had seen Hebrew MSS., suggested that the Jewish rabbi might throw some light on the subject. To him the letter was taken, and he, after looking over a few lines, satisfied himself that is was intended for a certain gentleman in George-street, a well-known Hebrew scholar. « In this way, » says the Dunedin Times, « a letter, after having travelled twenty thousand miles without any name, reached its destination, had the address supplied at the end of the journey, and was delivered to the proper owner after no more than the delay of perhaps half-an-hour. » —The Napier papers, however, cap this story by narrating that a letter from Germany, addressed, « Mrs., Coote-road, Napier, » was delivered unopened to the person for whom it was intended.
Mr O'Brien says he « never made any pretence at loyalty until the year 1885. » And his present pretence does not prevent him from declaring himself in open rebellion.
The Melbourne Daily Telegraph, which has so long held possession of the field, has now a rival, the Evening Standard. The sum of £18,000 was spent on the new paper before the first issue appeared, Following the example of the London Star, the proprietors gave a big « reception » on the appearance of the first number. Mr G. M. Reed, late of this colony, is the editor.
The New York World says there was a commotion in the Judge office lately. In the absence of the editor, a cartoon « The Mugwump Elaine » was put through with the title « The Mugwump Blaine, » and 20,000 copies were printed before the mistake was discovered. Our readers are at liberty to attach a private note of interrogation to this story if so inclined.
A lad named Edward Horneman, employed by the Hawera Star, met with a serious accident. While delivering papers on the road to Manaia, his horse started, and as he was at that moment leaning over to put a paper in a letter-box, he lost his balance and fell, and was dragged some distance. Fortunately no bones were broken, but he was badly bruised.
The mysterious disappearance of a Melbourne compositor named F. Slade is causing some inquiry. According to the A. T. Journal, the missing man, who was on the staff of Messrs Walker, May & Co., and was over sixty years of age, determined, on account of indisposition, to visit Adelaide, and bought a return ticket. This was about the 18th December, and nothing further has been seen or heard of him, either in Melbourne or Adelaide, notwithstanding every inquiry.
A letter addressed by Mr Soames to the shareholders in the London Times in reference to the last dividend has been published and copied into a good many of our contemporaries. As it is a purely private communication, on a matter of private business, its publication is a grave breach of decency. The plague of « society » journalism has begun to affect the daily press, and is manifestly lowering its standard. A few years ago no journal with any pretence to respectability would have published such a document, which (even if it be genuine) could only have been obtained by surreptitious and dishonorable means.
Mr T. P. O'Connor's Star—a leading characteristic of which is that it publicly discusses matters that journalists and gentlemen generally have respected as private—has been examining the advertising columns of The Times, and showing « how entirely it has lost the position it once held as the leading commercial organ. » Encouraged by the contemptuous silence of The Times, it next turned its attention to the Scotsman, and found another example of « the breaking-down of a great commercial position. » But the Scotsman has something to say on the matter in addition to recommending the Star to mind its own business. It shows that the alleged fact is a falsehood, and that its revenue from advertisements is greater than it has ever been.
Mrs Weldon has been awarded £300 damages for a libel which appeared in Men and Women, an English periodical now defunct.
An English telegram reports that Sir Morell Mackenzie has taken action against The Times for an alleged libel contained in its correspondence columns.—The Times has apologized.
The Rev. D. Bruce, who during the past few years has dabbled a good deal in journalism of the « society » order, has gone to Australia, where he is said to have an appointment in the same line.
An English telegram contains the news that the Pall Mall Gazette has had to pay £1500 damages for libel; but after the manner of English telegrams, it gives no intimation of the nature of the libel, nor of the identity of the plaintiff.
Bad examples soon spread. We learn from a contemporary that a new East Coast weekly comes out under three titles. Of one thing this is a sure sign—a want of stamina. No paper of robust vitality would consent to appear under an alias.
A second-hand dealer at Christchurch named Wheatley has been fined £5 for purchasing a book stolen from the public library. The book bore the library stamp and a copy of the rules on the back, and was bought by Wheatley with two others for a shilling.
Care is necessary in giving the authority « says—, » to see that proper punctuation is observed. Continual mistakes arise from neglecting this precaution. As for example, in a contemporary, this month; « The Christchurch Press says a southern paper is owned by Messrs—. » The paragraph is not from the Press, but relates to it; and the omission of the commas (or parentheses) before « says » and after « paper, » makes all the difference.
The Waipawa Mail last year offered a premium for the best original story for a Christmas supplement. It received so many, that it has since published a weekly literary supplement, composed chiefly of original matter, and the contents compare favorably with those of the Australian-printed supplements, which consist largely of pirated and mutilated American literature. The Mail deserves credit for its enterprise, which we are glad to say, it is also finding profitable.
It is a little awkward when school children are better instructed than their teachers; but where home education is well attended to, this is sometimes the case. Some time ago, in Hawke's Bay, a boy was sent down in his class for naming « India » as a tea-producing country. Another, the son of a blacksmith, was held up to ridicule for stating that horses were sometimes shod with « slippers. » A parallel case is reported from Auckland. A class had to write on New Zealand birds, and a little girl handed in an essay on the moa, which she described as having formerly inhabited this country, but being now extinct, as having been « as tall as a man, » &c. The teacher indignantly said that « there never was such a bird, » and the scholar was publicly scolded for drawing on her imagination, and as a further punishment, was « kept in » !
The Rev. W. Colenso has made another valuable contribution to the history and traditions of the Maoris. His new book, entitled Tidal and Sea Lore, was originally read before the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute, but has been greatly expanded for publication. It deals with the Maori sea-myths, and compares them with parallel stories current among the ancient peoples of Europe. The Maoris, we are told, believed the ebb and flow of the tides to be caused by the respiration of an enormous monster named Parata, dwelling in the depths beyond the horizon. « To fall into the throat of Parata » was a proverbial expression signifying sudden disaster; and the aid of this terrible creature was invoked in maledictory spells against enemies living on the sea-coast. The strange and weird phenomenon known in some parts of England as « the calling of the sea » is not uncommon on the New Zealand coasts, especially in the still hours of night, and was regarded by the Maoris with superstitious terror. A curious and interesting legend is that of Tinirau and the tragic end of his pet whale Tutunui—pets are proverbially unlucky—which used to bear its master safely and swiftly over the sea. The story of Paikea and Ruatapu (about 900 years old) is a very remarkable one, chiefly on account of the long magic spell used by Paikea, addressed to the ocean divinities from whom he claimed descent, and by virtue of which he swam safely ashore, when treacherously cast away out of sight of land. The poetic beauty and the unity of this ancient invocation are remarkable, especially when it is remembered that the Maori people had no literature, and that their poems, genealogies, and ritual were handed down for many centuries entirely by oral tradition. The Maoris had no difficulty in accounting for the poetic afflatus. According to the following passage, (p. 48), they believed the inspiration to come direct from the spirit-world:
The old Maoris even professed to have heard songs, of a highly curious character, sung by the spirits of the dead! and by fancied
atuas, (supernatural beings,) while engaged in deep-sea-fishing far out at sea. These latter they responded to and sang their replies. I have seen some of these so-called supernatural songs, also their extemporaneous replies, and have been struck with the shrewdness and fitness of these latter. There is a singularity here which has frequently reminded me of what is recorded of the Greenlanders; who, however, did not meet their supernatural visitants so bravely as the Maoris.
Equally interesting, as showing an idea of a future life, are the parting words of Ruatapu, who was drowned at sea. In spirit he would revisit his favorite haunts:
Go thou on; let the crowded parties of the summer season ever remember me, that I am also there—I shall not he hidden.
When the squid and the jelly-fishes shall have reached the sandy beaches, then look out, I am but a little way behind them, going also towards the shore.
The fable of the pitched battle between the land-birds and the sea-birds is also a very interesting piece of Maori lore. In the appendix is a literary curiosity hitherto unpublished—a ballad version of the classic story of Arion and the dolphin, in the Scottish dialect.
We have received from Messrs Whitcombe & Tombs, Christchurch. copies of Nos. 1, 2, and 3 of their Standard Readers. No. 1 we noticed some months ago. The two more advanced books devote a greater proportion of space to « life and its surroundings in our own land » than No. 1; but at the same time they are largely composed of old matter and exotic subjects. We do not consider this any drawback; but it is the chief objection the publishers make to imported schoolbooks. As in No. 1, the engravings (mostly original) are admirable. The sketches of native birds, and a pretty sea-piece in No. 2 (p. 21) may be specially noted. Some of the pictures are somewhat jumbled, as for example, the very inartistic full-page engraving (p. 13) where an African, mounted on an ostrich, is apparently about to leap over a lady's hat of colossal size. A picture such as this is more puzzling to a child than instructive. There are several slips in the natural history. In the article on the spider, it is said to be a quite a mistake » to suppose that spiders will bite, and that they are all (except the katipo) « quite harmless » ! The children are further told that the bite of the katipo « sometimes causes people to die. » The latter is a vulgar error. Not one fatal case of katipo bite is on record, though the poison will cause very painful symptoms and occasionally severe illness; and as for the « harmlessness » of spiders generally, almost any of the tribe will bite when irritated—some very severely and venomously, especially those of large size. The weka is said to live « chiefly in the wild and sparsely-settled parts of the South Island. » As a matter of fact, this bird is quite as common in the North. The engraving of the « Karamu twig » (iii, p. 142) may be correct, but it is unlike any variety of the plant that we have seen in the North Island. The first article in the Second Reader gives a description of the Maori oven and process of cooking which, if carried out, would result in a badly « smoked » repast. The process described is somewhat clumsy, compared with the really scientific method in vogue among the old Maoris, who could cook a dinner in the earth in a more satisfactory, cleanly and wholesome manner than many modern cooks with all the appliances of civilization. In the poetical extracts the name of the poet is sometimes given, and sometimes arbitrarily omitted. No author's name is attached to several well-known poems, including « We are Seven, » and « The Child's First Grief, » and in the latter, the substitution of « summer » for « spring-time » in the fourth stanza, is no improvement. Minor defects such as these can be easily corrected in future editions. The work of compiling a good series of school reading-books is by no means easy, and in this instance has been well carried out. The absence of New Zealand literature is unavoidable, such being as yet in its infancy. In a more advanced book, however, appropriate Australian poems—Kendall's « Bell Birds, » for example, might be introduced with advantage. A good feature of these books is the excellent « word lessons » at the end of each volume.
To the reading public of Milan, the Bible appears to be a novelty. It is reported that a man in that city lately exposed a large-print Bible in his window, each day turning over a page. It became quite an institution for passers-by to stop and read a portion. One day he observed quite a commotion in the street, and on making inquiry, found it was occasioned by his having forgotten to turn the page as usual.
The Australian Journal for May is as usual filled with useful information and well-written fiction.
Captain Ashby, who has just returned to England, after a tour round the world, including New Zealand, is now engaged in publishing a work, entitled New Zealand in 1889, being notes made by him during his recent tour.
Referring to the new supplement to Hymns Ancient and Modern, the Printer and Stationer says: « We are sorry to see that its musical editor, Dr. H. Monk, has not lived to see the crown of his life-work. Those who, like ourselves, had the honor of his personal acquaintance, will not soon forget his beautiful character and sterling worth. »
The Paris Morning News has discovered a « mistake » in the Revised Version of the Scriptures. In 2 Chron. xxii 1, Ahaziah is described as, at the age of 42, succeeding his father who died at the age of 40. According to 2 Kings vii 26, Ahaziah's age at his accession was 22, which is reconcilable with the rest of the history. Further investigation shows the News that the error is a « reproduction of a similar mistake » in the Authorized Version—and more wonderful still, that it is « reproduced » in the Douay version also! The mistake lies with the journalist, in supposing that it is the function of translators and revisers to alter the original text at their own discretion. Discrepancies of the kind are well known to exist—they do not escape the observation of translators and commentators; but however obvious the error may appear, they have no authority to tamper with the text itself.
A South Island contemporary a few days ago called attention to a supposed error in the Revised Version of the Scriptures in 1 Tim. ii, 9, where « shamefastness » is substituted for « shamefacedness » in the ordinary version. The error is really in the modern Bibles, the original edition of 1611 having the old English word « shamefastnesse, » of which « shamefacedness » is a later corruption based upon a misconception of the meaning of the word. The old termination « -fastness » was equivalent to the modern « -fulness, » and still survives in the fine word « steadfastness. » « Soothfastness » (Chaucer) is equivalent to the modern « truthfulness. » The revisers are to be commended for restoring the good old word, as used by Wiclif and Tyndale, to the text.
We have to acknowledge a new exchange: Typographische Jahrbücher, Leipzig, from part ii, 1889.
We have received No. 4 of the Opotiki Weekly Mail, an eight-page demy. It is printed at Tauranga, and is mainly a reprint of the Bay of Plenty Times.
With this number we issue a large supplement showing a fine collection of brass dashes by Messrs Gould & Reeves; and a small supplement showing litho inks by Coates Bros. & Co., Fann-st., London.
The first number of the Business Woman's Journal has appeared in New York. Its editor, Miss Mary F. Seymour, has been a snccessful business woman for some years, and her idea is to teach other women to do equally well.
We have not yet seeen a copy of the American Art Stationer, but from specimen pages published in Paper and Press, we should say it is far in advance of any other stationery trade publication. Its illustrations are exquisite.
Mrs Frank Leslie has disposed of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper (English and German editions) for the handsome sum of £80,000, being £60,000 for the English and £20,000 for the German edition. Mr W. J. Arkell is the purchaser.
We have received a copy of the Amateur Photographer, a well-edited weekly quarto of 30 pages, edited by Mr C. W. Hastings, and printed and published by Messrs Hazell, Watson, & Viney, London. Messrs John Haddon & Co., London, are agents for the paper.
The Pall Mall Gazette says that the Bishop of Lincoln has « one of those spiritual faces which one cannot look at without feeling the better for it, and which positively beams with benevolence. » —And then, in the next column (a contemporary says), prints a portrait of him which looks like a cross between Fagin and Bill Sikes!
The Bush Advocate completed its first year on the 8th May. It was considered a bold move on Mr Clayton's part when he opened his office at Dannevirke; but the healthy appearance of the paper seems to indicate that his experiment has been a successful one, and we tender him hearty birthday congratulations.
About the only concern that makes money without advertising is the Mint.
Mr W. Epps, formerly on the staff of the Manawatu Times, is now part proprietor of a journal of fiction in Melbourne.
Mr Burr, formerly engaged on the Taranaki Herald, is now head of the reporting staff of the Melbourne Daily Telegraph.
Our French exchanges report the marriage of Mdlle. Jeanne Daussy (founder and editor of La Compositrice), to M. Jules Tellier, a corrector of the press, at Abbeville.
Mr Madison Morton, author of many popular farces, including the evergreen Box and Cox, is now, in his old age, a Charterhouse pensioner at two shillings a day.
Mr J. A. Hogue, editor of the Sydney evening News, has paid the colony a brief visit, making a tour through the region of the thermal springs, and the mining districts of the north.
Messrs J. Warde and J. Snowball, Melbourne, have applied for a patent for « an improvement in the art of typographic printing, whereby the setting or composing of type is avoided. »
It is a little too bad for a North Island paper, when a murder is reported from Mahia, to head the item in one page as « at Napier, » and in another as « The Latest Gisborne Tragedy » —both equally wide of the mark. Such a mistake from the wilds of Central Otago would not be surprising—but from Wanganui—!
The Official Receiver in the estate of Spalding and Hodge, paper merchants, London, estimates the liabilities at £436,000, secured creditors at £73,000, and the assets at £157,000. Heavy losses were occasioned by the shipments of paper to Australia, £21,000 being written off on that account alone prior to the suspension of business.
Mr William E. Simpson, an old New Zealander, has become president of the Sun Company, California, and part proprietor of the paper. He was a former resident of Cromwell, and one of the Argus staff, and was afterwards engaged in newspaper work in Taranaki. May the Sunshine of prosperity attend him in his new sphere, and may his shadow never grow less!
Messrs T. J. & J. Smith, 109 Queen Victoria-st., London, E.C, have sent us a catalogue of their diaries. They have also sent a specimen of their « one-day » diary, No. 27, one of the prettiest and neatest we have seen. It is pocket size, bound in leather, full gilt, and contains an entire page for each day. The paper and printing are of the best, and the retail price is two shillings.
On the 10th May, Mr and Mrs W. Nation, sen., celebrated their golden wedding at Greytown. Mr Nation is one of the oldest journalists in Australasia. Nearly sixty years ago, he left the home country, and came out to Sydney, New South Wales, where he assisted to establish a leading paper. He subsequently came over to New Zealand, where he was instrumental in starting one or two newspapers which are flourishing to-day.
The Melbourne Age having stated that a large proportion of the money collected by the land league envoys goes into Mr John Dillon's own pockets, that gentleman loudly threatened immediate action for libel. But three weeks have passed, and no writ has been served.
Since the Rev. Mr Dowie, of faith healing fame, left these colonies, the press has never been so roundly abused as it has been during the past month by John Dillon and his fellow delegates. These Irish « confidence men » find little sympathy either from the press or the public, and only from a section of their own countrymen. Large and influential meetings have passed resolutions condemning the emissaries who are endeavoring with some degree of success to transplant to these colonies the civil strife and sectarian bitterness of their native land.
Sir Charles Dilke is apparently attempting to emerge from the cloud which has so long enveloped him, and has made « a brillant speech » at Dean Forest, in which he urged the adoption in Great Britain of some of the latest colonial experiments in legislation. As most of these experiments have proved disappointing in practice, and some of them such absolute failures that their reversal is close at hand, Sir Charles has proved more brilliant than practical. Fortunately, Great Britain does not rush headlong into costly and injurious experimental legislation after the manner of the colonies—three-fourths of whose statutes are amendments of ill-considered enactments. Reforms at home may came slowly, but when they do come, they are in most cases of a genuine character, and are therefore permanent. And in some important points—the law of libel for example—the home country is in advance of the colonies.
Dr H. Monk, well known as the musical editor of Hymns Ancient and Modern, died on the 1st March.
A cable message of 7th May reports the death of Count Tolstoi, the celebrated Russian novelist, and a man of mark as a social reformer.
A London telegram of 10th inst. records the death of the Rev. Lord Sidney Godolphin Osborne, at the age of 81. The deceased has for many years past been a contributor to The Times, on social and philanthropic questions, under the signature of « S.G.O. »
Mr William F. Jackson, the oldest printer in Manchester, died on the 12th March, aged 89. He went into business on his own account in 1832, and remained in business as printer and stationer until his death. He had been three-quarters of a century at the trade.
Mr W. F. Tillotson, founder of the Bolton Evening News and the Journal, died at Bolton on 19th February, at the age of 44, after four days' illness, from inflammation of the lungs. He was remarkable for his business energy and methodical habits. He had established a « Fiction Bureau, » and induced many prominent novelists to publish their stories in the first place through newspaper columns. He had recently extended his operations to America and the European continent.
Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Coupland Harding, at his registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—May, 1889.
XXX.
From the consideration of purely elementary forms—the dot, the line, the corner, and the diagonal—we proceed to those ornamentations and developments of the design which distinguish the combination from the plain border. And though the centre-piece (and its allied form, the stop-piece) are not among the primary requisites of a good combination, they are so closely associated with the corner as to follow in natural sequence. It is, however, the ornamental, and not the plain corner, with which they correspond.
The leading points at which a border may be decorated are eight. First, the four corners. But if the border surround a large page, and the corners be freely decorated, an appearance of nakedness results as regards the rest of the design. This suggests ornamentation at the sides, and the centres of the four lines are the proper places for decoration. Here the border may expand, or be decorated with external ornaments, in all cases corresponding with the corners. If further decoration is desired, it should come exactly midway between these points, and should, where possible, be subordinated. Taking the following line as the side of a border, we find the points of decoration to fall thus:—
Here is an example of a border thus ornamented:—
Of course the division into halves is not absolutely essential (though we always prefer it for the main ornament B—the centre being the only point equal in importance to the corner), and the ornament may with equal propriety be thus distributed:
A c c B c c A
There are two ways of swelling or expanding the border at the corners. One is the method of the designer, who elaborates the pattern itself by curving, doubling, or interlacing, as in the ribbon border above, or in the following:—
This necessitates the devising and casting of those special pieces which constitute a « combination » border in the ordinary sense of the word. The other method is that of the compositor, who enforces the design by the addition of internal or external ornaments (or both), which may have no direct relation to the border itself. For example:
In this kind of work, care must be taken to avoid discordant effects.
The relation of the ornamental corner and centre-piece is very noticeable in certain combinations, where the same piece, with the aid of a square corner, is made to fill both offices. There are many examples in the old French borders:
Closely allied to the ornamental corner in combination work, is the stop-piece—an often-forgotten, but very useful sort. The following is an example of a character which is available in either capacity:
We have often, in a card or programme, found the stop-piece very useful in giving a good finish to a border left open in the centre to admit an emblem or device too large to be included within the limits of the border. Figgins's « Imperial » combinations contain excellent examples of specially-designed centres and stop-pieces. In another combination (French)—the « Flexible Lace » of Figgins, and « Series No. 2 » of Caslon, there is a valuable character, which, while not of any special importance in the series to which it belongs, will suit almost any combination, enabling it to be used with brass rule, and which is also admirably adapted for a finish to Oxford corners. It is singular that so very few of the principal combinations are provided with a character of this description, which is often required to bring a design to a neat and appropriate finish. We show this piece, first with its own border, and afterwards in some of its adaptations to other combinations:
A case of some interest to writers and publishers of anonymous newspaper correspondence recently came before the First Division of the Court of Session, Edinburgh. Mr W. Cunningham, a Stirling town councillor, claimed £1,000 damages from the publishers of the Stirling Observer, for publishing libellous letters and articles charging him with receiving bribes, &c. Before the Lord Ordinary he made application for an order to recover the original MSS. of the letters, as he had reason to believe that the defendants either wrote them or procured them to be written; but Lord Fraser refused the application, on the ground that defendants having accepted the responsibility of the letters, plaintiff was not entitled to recover them.—This decision was reversed by the Lord President. It would not do, he said, for newspaper proprietors to deceive the public by writing and publishing letters as if these had been written by bonâ fide third parties and were a true indication of public opinion. It might be that the production of these letters might disclose the authorship by third parties who were not represented in the case. It was not desirable that this should be so; at the same time he could not say that he had much sympathy with writers of anonymous letters containing calumnious statements, and he thought they would not have very great reason to complain if, to further the ends of justice. it became necessary to drag them from their lurking-place.—The other judges concurred.
Our jobbing offices are still keeping up the briskness which I reported in my last letter, the Press containing an advertisement last evening wanting three or four jobbing hands for two or three weeks' work, and another ad. wanting comps for news-room. This office is brisk in its news-room owing to the fitting-on of the new suit which I have already informed you was in preparation. The first instalment of the change was given in last night's issue, an editorial note thus referring to the improvement:—
The
Evening Pressto-day appears in a new suit of type. We had hoped to have given at the same time a new quality of paper, but sailing ships must take their own time and submit to winds and waves, and we must wait awhile. We are glad to take this opportunity of saying that our progress is still uninterrupted, our circulation increasing, and our influence spreading, notwithstanding the rumors of our speedy extinction that have been chronic ever since we started our modest sheet a few years ago. These rumors have, we hear, become quite acute lately, but we can assure our friends—and enemies too, if we have any—that theEvening Press, in spite of all difficulties and the costly law actions brought upon us by our too thorough dealing with what we regarded as grave public wrongs, is in a sound state of health, and our readers will, we trust, for years to come, enjoy the puffs from our « Cigarettes, » and take many a mental rest at our « Half-way House. »
From the first proof supplied last evening (the reading matter and new advts. only appearing in the new type,) it is evident that the appearance of the Press will be vastly improved.
The Post says:— « A valuable illustrated work on the forest flora of New Zealand, from the pen of Professor Kirk, f.l.s., late Chief Conservator of State forests in this colony, and Lecturer on Natural Science at Wellington College, and the School of Agriculture, Lincoln, has just been issued from the Government Printing Office. Most of the drawings were made by officers of the Survey Department, a few being by Messrs D. Blair and A. Hamilton. »
I hear that Mr John White, who is compiling the large work on Maori traditions which is being issued from the Government Printing Office, is seriously thinking of publishing a Maori dictionary. Williams's Dictionary is the authority at present, containing a vocabulary of about 8,000 words, but Mr White says his list will contain 16,000. He is in the hope of inducing the Government to print his work for him. [We do not think the Government will entertain the idea. They have already one unfinished Maori lexicon in hand, well advanced, but « hung up » ostensibly on account of want of funds; and Mr White, though an industrious collector of legends, is no authority on grammar or philology.—Typo.]
The Catholic Times is to have the aid of an able pen. Mr R. A. Loughnan, at present editor of the Lyttelton Times will take the editorial chair of the Catholic Times from August next. I understand that Mr Loughnan's views upon the Irish Question were too pronounced for the powerful English party of Christchurch, and he will now find a more congenial sphere. There is no doubt that Mr Loughnan is a very clever journalist, as well as a novelist, and the Lyttelton Times' loss is the Catholic Times' gain. It is reported that Mr W. P. Reeves will take Mr Loughnan's place on the Christchurch paper. Mr Evison will continue to edit the Catholic Times until Mr Loughnan takes it over.
It is somewhat comical to find the Catholic Times apologizing for having libelled the land league delegates, but such is actually the case. It lately published their portraits, and now cries peccavi as follows:— « We now beg to offer those gentlemen our sincere apologies for the pictorial libels upon them. The 'blocks' were received from Sydney, from a source supposed to be patriotic, but looking at the vile pictures we can only suppose that 'An enemy hath done this thing,' and that the portraits have been made as repulsive as possible. We have seen better likenesses executed with a mop and a bucket of tar. »
Our Parliament meets on Thursday next. The Government Printer has been gradually increasing his staff, but I do not think the new office will accommodate many (if any) more frame-holders than the old office held. The electric light in this office is a great success, and the engineer, Mr Sydney Youmans, deserves great credit for his management of the electric current.
A few weeks ago the Federated Trades Council of this city waited upon the Colonial Secretary, Mr Hislop, to ventilate the grievance of boy-labor in the Government Printing Office. It was explained that the Government Office was a very bad example to private employers in employing so many boys at case, and the Council urged that the Typographical Society's Rules should be observed in the office, submitting those rules, as well as those of other colonies, for the Colonial Secretary's perusal. The deputation was courteously dealt with, and Mr Hislop promised to send the Council an answer early. The secretary of the Trades Council to-day handed me the following information: « The Colonial Secretary requested an interview with me on Saturday 15th inst., when I attended his office at 10 a.m. He read over to me a deal of correspondence from Mr Didsbury, in which the latter stated that the rules of the N.Z.T.A. were a dead letter in other offices, enclosing a list of offices and the number of boys and men employed in each in support of his statement. He considered that the rules could not be successfully applied to a large establishment like the Government Printing Office; that they were oppressive, and that they were a distinct contradiction of the Apprentices Act, as that Act stipulates five years for apprenticeship, while the rules claim six years, thus making a turnover of a full-time apprentice, which he maintained was a hardship. In further correspondence, Mr Didsbury replied that no great hardship would be entailed upon anyone personally if the rules were adopted, but an increased expenditure of £300 per annum would be incurred if boy-labor was limited. I replied that the statement was not correct in reference to all offices employing all boys and no men, as the Post was a thorough Union office; but unfortunately some of the offices, such as those quoted by Mr Didsbury, employed boys almost exclusively, much to the detriment of the whole community, and the Council was trying to alter this state of things. It would therefore come with good grace, and assist the work considerably, if boy-labor was properly regulated in Government establishments, as it had often been stated we could not blame private individuals where they only follow the example of the Government by employing an undue proportion of boys. Mr Hislop stated that he would direct the Government Printer to adopt the rules of the N.Z.T.A. as soon as existing agreements would permit. »
Trade is fairly brisk here at the present time, although one or two men have left for the Empire City to be in time for the opening of Parliament.
The Master Printers' Association still continues « the even tenor of its way, » and the different offices that belong to it are, I believe, sticking together pretty well, although I hear a whisper now and again to the effect that there are slight violations of the tariff; but if the masters will only study their own interests and the interests of their employés they will keep together in united brotherhood, and charge a fair price for their work. Surely by this time they have had enough experience of the cut throat system to know that it is rotten, and that to wear out their machinery and plant for little more than an existence is not very enterprising. I would like to see a federation of master printers throughout the colony, and a scale of prices drawn up on a fair basis that would remunerate them and give them a fair profit on every job turned out. I was told the other day that the Masters' Association had been trying to induce the South Canterbury printing firms to join them, but I have not heard with what success.
The company I mentioned in my last letter as being in the course of formation for the not very praiseworthy object of « wiping out » the masters' combination, will not, I think, become a shining light in the land. I have not heard that anything further has been done to establish the company beyond issuing the prospectus. Perhaps it is their intention to « do or die! »
The Evening Telegraph of the 10th inst. contained a local to the effect that Mr C. C. Sommers, bookseller, of this city, had instructed his solicitors to commence an action for libel against the Lyttelton Times Company for publishing a report stating that Mr Sommers had urged Waller of Timaru to commit arson. The statement was made by Waller when giving evidence before the Assignee in bankruptcy at Timaru. The damages claimed will be £2000. Up to date of writing nothing more has been published re the case, and I am not in a position to say that a writ has been served.
A weekly paper has been established at Oxford, Mr Parish being the proprietor, but as I have not seen a copy of it I cannot comment on its appearance.
The Canterbury Typographical Association, I understand, hold their next social on the last Saturday in this month. It takes the form of a tea and entertainment for the children of printers, in the afternoon, to wind up with a concert and dance for the adults at night. This Society is to be congratulated on introducing these socials as a means of cementing the fellowship between its members.
On the 14th inst. Mr Loughnan, editor of the Lyttelton Times, delivered his lecture on « The Press » at Lyttelton in aid of the Lawn Tennis Club. It was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience, and at its close the lecturer was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.
That the printing trade in Melbourne is not in a very-flourishing condition at present will be easily discerned from the actions of the unemployed, which I shall proceed to chronicle. For some months past—in fact, from the beginning of the year—allowances have been made to those in the trade out of work, and up to the present time the large sum of £600 has been expended for that purpose. The number signing the book has lately risen to 110, and the allowance to each was 12/- per week. This, however, did not satisfy the unemployed, and within the past few weeks they have held several mass meetings, and it was ultimately resolved to call a general meeting of the trade for Saturday, 18th May, to discuss the matter. As it was widely rumored that the unemployed would make a bold stand, it may be concluded that the working comps would turn out in force, and turn out they did. The old trades-hall was packed at the appointed hour, there being between 500 and 600 present. The chairman, Mr Jordan, stated briefly the business of the meeting, and after a resolution to alter the hour of roll-call had been attended to, the main item was introduced. The chairman refrained from expressing any opinion on the matter, and called on the chairman of the unemployed to put his case before the meeting. That gentleman came forward in the person of Mr J. B. Hunter, who explained that the unemployed were in a bad state, and further asserted that the number at his back was 170 men. With a rambling statement regarding trade fluctuations, &c., he monopolized a considerable amount of time in telling absolutely nothing, and wound up with proposing a resolution to the effect that on and after the 24th May the unemployed should receive the sum of 15/- per week for single men and £1 for married men, and that from the present any person joining the Society should be a member for twelve months before being entitled to an allowance. This was seconded, after several attempts by members who were in arrears, by a gentleman who was good on the books. At this juncture there were a number very eager to express opinions on the matter, and at intervals there were as many as three endeavoring to get a hearing. Mr Hancock eventually got leave to speak, and that gentleman placed several plain truths before the meeting. Expressing the feelings of the general body, he remarked that much sympathy was felt for those out of work, but he considered that at the present time they were not justified in demanding a raise of allowance, and that the working members were already heavily taxed, having just got clear of several heavy strikes, such as Ballarat, Brisbane, &c. The chairman of the unemployed, who ascended the platform on every available occasion, said that from his point of view only £300 had been expended on the unemployed. This being a direct reflection on the secretary (Mr Stevens), the chairman rose and told Mr Hunter that his statement was quite unjustified. He also remarked that the acting chairman, who had held situations both in the Government Printing Office and the Argus office, on being asked why he left those places informed him that the workmen in both those offices, to use his own words, were a lot of rats, and that the Argus office would not bear looking into. This, of course, brought forth some of the Argus speakers, and one of them, Mr R. Reyment (vice-president of the Society), after denying Mr Hunter's statement, added that that gentleman had been discharged from the Argus on charges of « hammering, » « bridging, » and drunkenness. This unexpected revelation rather non-plussed the foreman of the unemployed, and on again endeavoring to address the assemblage, he was so interrupted that it was several minutes before he could get a word in, and stood before the audience in evident confusion. He then wished to recall anything he had said against the Argus, but he had by this time lost any sympathy the meeting might have had with him. After some brief remarks, very plain and to the point, by Mr Reyment, an amendment was proposed and seconded to the effect that the present time was not considered an opportune one for the extension of the unemployed allowance, and that the Board of Management could not see their way to grant such alteration. On being put to the meeting the amendment had an overwhelming majority, only some three being in favor of the resolution. Where the unemployed to the number of 170 were is hard to conclude. After a matter concerning the redistribution of work had been settled, the Argus received three cheers and Mr Hunter three groans. There is no doubt that had the unemployed gone about their task in a constitutional manner, and not in a style of demanding that such and such should be as they desired, they would have received more consideration, but it is such men as Hunter that are a burden to the trade. It was clearly shown that he had lost several good situations through actions that masters will not tolerate. According to the chairman's statement there were only some twentyfour out of the 110 who were legitimately entitled to receive assistance, and that it was out of the Society's liberality that they had assisted the others. To offer such a sum as £1 a week to unemployed would be a gross injustice to the working members, for the idlers of all the colonies would flock in where a living was to be had without working. Mr Hunter stated that in all probability he would be leaving the trade in a week's time, and yet he had the front to act as chief agitator. In his remarks he stated that with the small allowance received men could not bear to go home and find their wives and children without the necessaries of life; but putting aside the few deserving unemployed, I am much afraid that if many of the clamorers of Saturday had £5 per week, their wives and children would fare no better than they do at present. However, the Society has on this occasion displayed its authority, and the unemployed may be brought to see that they cannot demand, and will have to be content with what is offered them by a generous association. With such New Zealanders as I have come in contact with—and they are many—I find that they are all « stickers » (to use the slang), and as a rule can hold their own in any of the offices. It is, however, a great pity to see that in the numerous black lists that have lately been circulated, so many names followed by the initials « N.Z. »
Away in the bush districts of Canterbury is a place called Cust (one of those ugly names in which colonists delight)—where a clergyman lately delivered a lecture. The country paper, noting the fact, hoped that next time the rev. gentleman delivered the lecture it would be « in a warmer place. » The minister's flock don't like it, and are not quite agreed as to what the Cust reporter meant.
The « interviewer » has added a new terror to life in the United States. Not long ago one of the craft in a leading American city called on all the principal physicians for advice, and described some agonizing and purely imaginary symptoms from which he professed to be suffering. Each medical man diagnosed and prescribed differently, and the results were all published next day in a morning paper, unsparing ridicule being cast upon the professional gentlemen. It did not appear to have occurred either to the editor or the public that an hour's study of a medical work, and the capacity for cool and unblushing falsehood, would be all that was required to deceive the ablest practitioner. Another genius in New York has been examining twenty-eight Wall-street financiers as to their knowledge of the Decalogue. Each victim's reply—certainly not intended for publication—was published in full, in this style:— « H. Victor Newcomb—The Ten Commandments are in Deuteronomy. I used to be able to repeat them. » Before starting on his mission, the reporter looked up a Bible, and found the Commandments in Exodus xx. The following localities were assigned by the Bulls and Bears: Genesis—if not in Exodus; Deuteronomy; the Prayer-book; Revelations; Exodus; twentieth chapter of Exodus; Genesis; Judges. One gentleman, who « knew them by heart, » said (after making a reference), « Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, Deuteronomy—that's where they are. » —Another « knew the tenth commandment, and did not think it was in general operation in Wall-street. » Mr Noah Content is reported to have replied: « I say the commandments regularly. (What are they?) Um, oh. (Where are they?) Um, ah. » One victim « had to catch a train. » Another said « This is not a Sunday School, » and a third, « I am not here to answer conundrums. » The reporter seems to have been quite unaware that the two gentlemen who referred him to Deuteronomy were as correct as those who said the commandments were in Exodus.
It is our object, in this department, to critically note every new and original design in types, borders, combination ornaments, and initials. Without specimens, however, such an article is little more than a catalogue of names. New faces can only be described by comparison with previously-existing patterns—it being impossible to convey by description an idea of the essential characteristic of any given design, that being precisely the quality in which it differs from all others. Type-founders are invited to send us specimen letters or lines of original faces, which can be readily and cheaply done by parcel post. (Types from the continent of Europe should be to English height.) We insert such free, finding our recompense in the additional interest this column would possess to our readers. Many of the beautiful styles we describe from month to month would be irresistible to colonial buyers if once seen, and those we criticise unfavorably might commend themselves strongly to printers whose tastes differ from our own.
From Messrs Marder, Luse, & Co., of Chicago Foundry, we have a copy of their quarto abridged Specimen Book, containing a classified price-list of materials, and a large selection of plain and ornamental types, all manufactured by the firm. The specimens begin with body-founts, modern and old-style, followed by extended, condensed, and heavy romans latins, &c. There is a great variety of ornamental styles, but nearly all have been noted in our pages. « Spinner » script is new—a backslope, thickened at the bottom—a legible and durable face, in five sizes. Several more styles of the « Contour » or outline founts are shown. They appear to correspond in face with solid letters produced by the same house; but this is not stated. The latest novelty (loose specimen enclosed in the book) is a beautiful ornamented eccentric with lower-case in three sizes, entitled « Heidelberg. »
Messrs James Conner's Sons show « Wayside, » a French old-style titling, into which a new eccentricity is introduced—most of the vowels being in a small lower-case ( « Cosmopolitan » ) cast near the top of the letter. OuR ReaDeRS WiLL aGRee WiTH uS THaT THiS iS a BaRBaRouS NoTioN. The word-ornaments, in the larger sizes especially, are monstrously out of proportion, being much larger and heavier than the letters. « Volunteer, » in four sizes, is strikingly like the « Rococo » of the Central Typefoundry. By a curious whim, in the smallest size only, the M is cast backwards, the thick and thin lines being reversed. « Pilgrim, » caps only, is a heavy-faced ornamental, modelled generally on the forms of the caps of the « Harper » series. Two sizes are shown of a very neat and quaintly shaped sanserif called « Goth » —other sizes in preparation. This letter should become a favorite. A third series of « Utility » ornaments (28 characters) has the same faults as most of the original ornaments of this house. There is a thickness and heaviness in the lines which is not pleasing, and the artist fills his space too full, so much so that in nearly every piece the rectangular form of the type on which it is cast is painfully apparent. « Dotlet » ornaments (three series) are similar to Marder Luse & Co's « nicnacs, » especially the second series, but the idea is extended. They consist of squares, triangles, &c., cast on the centre of the em, for regular repetition. Series one and three are the same figures in outline. Altogether 57 characters. The « Snowflake » border (12-point) is on the same principle. There are 8 characters, in silhouette, six-pointed, like snow-crystals.
Barnhart Bros. & Spindler show « Spencer, » an irregular expanded, caps only, roughly cut, and with the defects of the old-style in an exaggerated form.
The Lindsay Typefoundry, New York, show five sizes of « Katherine, » a very light latin, somewhat « cranky » in some of the sorts, particularly M, N, and W.
The Keystone Foundry, Philadelphia, show « Keystone Pen Writer, » a quaint upright Italian style, in four sizes, 9- to 24-point; suitable for circulars.
The Union Typefoundry, Chicago, send us a neat little book showing « famous faces, » most of which we have already described. The « Aztec, » a decidedly original style, which does not commend itself to us, has now a lower-case added. « Atlantic » is a sausage-shaped style with lower-case, somewhat resembling the « Dado » shown on page 60 of this issue. « Ridgewood » and « Omaha » are founts with lower-case, belonging to the same class as Conner's « Cosmopolitan. » « Walker » ornaments, 14 characters, are variations on a treble-fine irregularly-waved rule, including end-, corner-, and centre-pieces. « Turner » ornaments, 15 characters, heavy and light, are uniformly flat on one side, « for dashes and underscores.
The Cincinnati Foundry shows seven sizes of « Old-style Antique, » a clean-cut and bold latin, caps only. Also, further developments of their specialty, nonpareil running borders, several « bands » of which, showing various styles in combination, have a very pretty effect.
Messrs Gould & Reeves, London, send us half-a-dozen large specimen-sheets of their wooden letters. This firm supplies any modern face in wood, any size required, at moderate rates.
Messrs Schelter & Giesecke show in eight sizes a very thin heavy-faced elongated skeleton antique. The serifs are perfectly square-angled, and the style is a reversion to a plain face in favor before the introduction of the modern latins and latin antiques.
The well-known house of Woellmer, Berlin, has brought out, in six sizes, a new bold ornamental italic, of original design. Its general effect is very good, and the ornamentation of the caps is graceful and in good taste.
Messrs Lespinasse & Ollière send us specimens of the complete series of their beautifully-cut « Initiales Vieux Style Penchées » (already noted in Typo), and the body-founts to correspond, from 72-point to 6-point.
We have to thank several friends for cuttings of press items, and our correspondent « Quad » for some good stories for the « Quoin-Drawer. »
From the office of the American Lithographer and Printer we have a copy of the second annual issue of the Lithographers' and Photographers' Directory. The volume follows the same general plan as that of last year, but is much fuller, and we are glad to see is liberally supported by advertisers. In regard to the United States in particular, it is exceptionally complete. An interesting feature is the numerous inset pages, on which some of the leading American lithographers display their best work. Some of these pages are well worthy of study. The book fills an important place in the reference literature of the trade, and reflects great credit on the enterprising publishers.
Now that Parliament is in session, we hope that the stupidest appointment of which the present ministry has been guilty, that of the customs « expert » —will be cancelled. Aut Seizer, aut nullus, was the motto of the expert, and he seized right and left accordingly. It is a significant fact that that the government have not ventured to take legal proceedings against a single firm thus plundered—most unfairly leaving the importers to take the initiative. Since the Wellington Press published figures proving that the post-entries under the expert regime showed something under £750 short duty recovered by the Customs against nearly £1500 overcharged duties refunded, the new officer has been very quiet. But he still costs the country £800 a year.
An item in our Wellington correspondence last month has brought us two letters—one from Messrs Bock & Cousins, who write that the paragraph in question « is inaccurate as regards a change in the firm. » Our correspondent is so well informed on trade matters generally, that we publish his interesting letters with the fullest confidence: still, he is not infallible, and we may reasonably assume that Messrs B. & C. know their own business best. Mr Thornton, their recently-appointed foreman, also writes, to complain that an expression in the same paragraph might be so construed as to convey the impression that he « is not a very competent man. » Such is certainly not expressed, but the inference might be drawn. Our correspondent's contributions are written—as all news-letters should be—currente calamo, and occasional ambiguity is the result. Mr Thornton says: « I was only sixteen years old when I left the Press. I turned myself over to an office in Otago, where I was taught jobbing case-work under a first-class man. I have also worked in other jobbing offices, and can produce the highest references as to my efficiency. » We readily insert this explanation, as requested, though, to most of our readers, it is scarcely necessary.
In the book of Ezekiel there is the narrative of a remarkable vision, in which the prophet beheld the various idolatries of the people represented in a secret chamber, with « every form of creeping things and abominable beasts pourtrayed upon the wall round about. » From the context it would seem that this was the visible representation, not of any material structure, but of the minds of the idolators—at all events this is implied in the words « every man in the chambers of his imagery. »
Far away in the most secret recesses of his mind each man possesses such a chamber. It is the sanctum sanctorum into which none but himself has the entry. There is the shrine of his worship where sits enthroned the divinity—or the idol as the case may be—to which his genuine homage is paid. And « on the wall round about » are pourtrayed the objects—lofty and ennobling, or foul and repulsive—on which his secret affections centre. It is here that the artist creates the forms of beauty or horror which his trained hand will hereafter give to the world. Every living thought, every stirring oration, every book or poem, every industrial process or mechanical invention, had its birth in the « Chambers of Imagery. »
Such being the case, it is marvellous indeed that the imaginative faculty—higher in some respects than the reasoning quality, inasmuch as it is creative, while the rational principle is only comparative and deductive—should be practically ignored by so many educational theorists, and treated with half-concealed contempt by the « practical » and matter-of-fact section of mankind. To the man whose abilities never rise above mediocrity, the imagination has the appearance of a troublesome and dangerous quality, and is something to be rigidly suppressed, especially in childhood, when its activity is most intense, and its craving for wholesome food and healthy stimulus is the strongest. The cramping of the Chinese baby's feet is less cruel and injurious than the repression of the imaginative faculty in children. Yet the greater wrong is every day inflicted, and in the most deliberate way. We can recall a case where a lad who had a remarkable natural taste for drawing and coloring was not allowed to follow his inclination, even by stealth—his father, a worthy Scot, regarded such pursuits as worse than unprofitable, and used to sternly command the boy to « go to his ari-thmétic. » The lad, who had gifts and tastes that properly cultivated might have made him an artist, became a laborer. It is not many months since some Auckland educational wiseacres expelled (for a time) some English schoolbooks from the schools because, forsooth, they contained « fairy tales. » Now, the man who can write a fairy tale that children will read is not one of contemptible intellect. He must possess qualities beyond those required for the construction of an average novel. We have only to recall the names of some of the successful writers of fairy tales to realize that they were men of more than common ability. Passing over authors like Andersen and Grimm, and confining ourselves to our own countrymen, we have such names as Ruskin, Thackeray, Kingsley, Froude, MacLeod, and MacDonald. What men such as these write for children, surely children may profitably read!
Darwin found, to his regret, that too close an application to physical studies caused an « atrophy » of the imaginative qualities, and, it may be added, of the religious faculty as well, so that he at last came to regard the existence of a Deity as merely matter for curious and somewhat unprofitable speculation. If such results can follow after mature years, how mischievous must be the result of forcibly closing the Chambers of Imagery in childhood! And what is the natural result? A man or woman to whom the arts and graces of life have lost their meaning—a character like Peter Bell, of whom we are told
A primrose by a river's brim, A yellow primrose was to him, And it was nothing more.
To one so constituted, the same poet's lines:
To me the meanest flower that blows can give Thoughts that do often lie to deep for tears,—
would be simply incomprehensible. If we are to believe Shakspeare, the absence of the imaginative faculty is one sign of moral degradation:
The man that hath no music in himself,Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils; The motions of his spirit are dull as night, And his affections dark as Erebus: Let no such man be trusted.
The « utilitarian » tendencies of the time, as reflected in the press, are against the orderly development of the imagination. The newspaper is fast supplanting all other literature so far as a great section of the public is concerned. It deals with politics, crime, accident, war, commerce, and sport, and the corner grudgingly yielded to literature is too often occupied by foolish jests, indifferent rhymes, and novels of abysmal depths of inanity. Our glorious natural heritage of literature is scandalously neglected. Lately, it was related to us, at an evening party of twenty educated folks, a gentleman in a parlor game had to privately fix on a subject to be elicited by cross-examination. He chose Moses Primrose and the gross of green spectacles, and finally had to explain, as no one could guess—when he found nineteen out of the twenty were unacquainted with the incident.
The Chamber of Imagery is the birthplace of genius in both art and science. And even to the ordinary toiler it is a possession as precious as to the artist or philosopher. His daily duties, sordid though they may at times appear, are here glorified with the idea of ultimate use. Hither may he retire and in undisturbed meditation evolve improvements in methods and materials that may revolutionize industry and impress the stamp of his creative mind on every quarter of the earth. For there is no discovery or improvement or invention, that was not made after the pattern originally limned upon the walls of this mystic chamber.
There is much boasting about the inventiveness of the present age. We feel humiliated at the thought that with so wide a field and such opportunities, so little is done. Every man, with brains to think, and hands to fashion, should be an inventor. There does not exist a machine or process that is not capable of improvement, and the marvel is how a sane man can work in any given line, year after year, even to old age, and never advance a stage beyond what he has learned from others.
The fault, as we have shown, lies partly in the suppression of an important faculty in early education. Sometimes the apartment is not kept clean. Here is the sketch of a character sometimes to be met with in the workshop or composing-room, as drawn by a contributor to the Inland Printer:
Another character, not as prevalent as the others, is the man whose mind seems to contain nothing but obscenity. If he can give an obscene meaning to remarks of an entirely different nature, made in the room, he seems to do so with an avidity absolutely fiendish. He will go sneaking around among the men, relating stories and making remarks of an immoral stamp, with little regard to their sensibilities.
This is a true portrait. When the inmost chamber of the mind is thus occupied by an unclean spirit, it would be vain to look for elevating or ennobling influences to issue thence.
One of the most effective beclouders of the imaginative faculty is Beer. The essential principle of the hop is a drug, narcotic and stupifying, and modern chemistry has supplied its place with substitutes tenfold worse. Bright thoughts and clear ideas are never characteristic of the man « bemused in beer. »
But all-pervading, and altogether inimical to progress of every kind, is the universal reek of Tobacco. What this nicotian poison has cost the world in the loss of clear thought and active energy can never be computed. Its « soothing » influence on the nerves is the deceitful lulling of an anæsthetic. Under its influence the pictured
As he rowed along thinking of nothing at all.
In the fatally insidious form of the cigarette, the Tobacco-fiend is taking captive nearly the whole of the present generation of boys; and with vile ingenuity, some of the manufacturers of these temptations put up with their wares pictures of a kind that are likely to add moral degradation to physical injury.
Those who would worthily take their part in the battle of life cannot afford to despise or make light of the great faculty of imagination. In the Chamber of Imagery are fashioned the weapons that are to overcome the world. Let it be kept open to the sunlight of heaven, and pure from moral defilement. Let no vinuous or narcotic fumes penetrate its sacred recesses. And there will issue thence a power to elevate, to command, and to control—an irresistible energy that will go forth conquering and to conquer.
The Court of Queen's Bench has rejected Mr Parnell's appeal against postponing his libel action against The Times till November. This is the barest justice to the defendants. Mr Parnell's unseemly haste to push the libel action while the inquiry is still pending is an indication of conscious weakness.
Writing of a the administration of an English bankrupt estate, a South Island contemporary says: « The property realized amounted to something over £4000; but the trustees' expenses alone were upwards of £2000. One hundred per cent is not so bad for expenses. » There is something very curious in the arithmetic here.
The hon. T. Fergus, addressing his constituents at Queenstown on the 2nd June, said: « If there is one fault more than another to which New Zealand is prone, it is that of over-legislation. Since the creation of responsible government in 1853 to the present day, we have passed something like 2028 statutes, and repealed 1466 of them. We legislate for something to-day, and next session we repeal it. »
The protectionists are veritable daughters of the horseleech. Having succeeded in carrying their proposals last session they have discovered—and the Christchurch league have passed a resolution to the effect—that the tariff « abounds with the most absurd anomalies. » Their remedy is still heavier duties. Inter alia, they direct the attention of Parliament to « the sweating system » —their own handiwork,—the protectionist masterpiece!
The smartness of American business houses is such as to compel admiration. Photographers have for some time been advertising that on receipt of photograph and a surprisingly small sum of money they will return fifty or a hundred copies, and the contract is duly carried out. But it seems that where they are suitable, the portraits are put to base uses. According to the American Stationer, « the likenesses of pretty young women thus obtained have been attached to the bodies of burlesque actresses in very scanty attire, and then circulated as the advertisement of a certain brand of cigarettes » !
We are glad to see that the Wellington Watchman has a word in season on Baxter and his « caricatures of prophecy. » We wonder that the religious press generally is so silent on the subject of the trading prophets. A gipsy woman convicted of telling fortunes is imprisoned; the soothsayer who predicts « the translation of 144,000 watchful Christians at 39 minutes past 12 o'clock noonday on the 5th of March 1896, Greenwich time, » and holds anniversary gatherings in advance, and who placards the walls of a public hall with horrible and disgusting cartoons, is allowed unlimited licence, though he is doing infinitely greater harm.
According to the Greymouth Star, an American expert in paper manufacture is about to visit this colony to ascertain the suitability of white pine as a raw material for this purpose. If found suitable it might pay to locally manufacture paper for the New Zealand market. As, however, competition among the English mills has reduced the price of news printing paper to actual cost of production, whereby one of the oldest and largest houses has had to go into liquidation, the present does not appear to be the most favorable time for such an experiment. And how would the New Zealand papers (even the out-and-out protectionists) welcome a stiff import duty on printing paper?
Mr R. J. Loughnan died in Christchurch on the 21st inst., at the age of 81. He had lived with his family in the colony from the year 1868. One of his sons is Mr R. A. Loughnan, for the past eleven years editor of the Christchurch Times, who has the sympathy of his brother press-men in his bereavement.
According to the Auckland Herald, the Auckland copies of Sir W. Buller's Birds of New Zealand, one hundred in all, were on board the ill-fated steamer Maitai, and now lie at the bottom of the sea near Mercury Island. The price of the books (to the subscribers) was ten guineas each, and they cannot be replaced, the plates having been obliterated after the impressions were taken.
Sir G. Grey states that in 1868 he issued a pamphlet on the Irish question which « produced a very great effect indeed, » and to which he attributes the home rule movement. When an author is his own critic, the criticism is generally of a friendly kind. Do any copies of this effective pamphlet remain to the present day? Does any man living remember having ever read it?
There must be a great number of educated men in Wellington in search of a « steady billet. » For the librarianship of the Athenæum at a salary of £150, fifty-five applications were received. For the assistant-librarianship of the Assembly library, vacant a few weeks ago, and for which about the same salary was offered, over seventy applications were received, some of the applicants producing very high testimonials.
From the St Louis Stationer we learn that the dotless i (referred to in our April issue, p. 41,) is « the latest Boston notion. » According to our contemporary, the experiment « has been in successful operation upon a prominent Boston daily for some five years in its local head-letter, » and « has so pleased the publisher that a fount of 6000lb nonpareil is being cast by the Dickinson Foundry in which not a single dotted i will appear. »
Our fines each month, for deficient postage, are considerable. For the enclosure of a small printed slip (scarcely turning the scale) with a letter, we have at times to pay dearly. Will our foreign correspondents be more careful? We paid a shilling last mail for what was apparently a business letter, but was only a type specimen that would have come by book post for a penny. Sixpence was paid on it in America, and Typo had to pay sixpence deficiency and another sixpence fine.
There is one of the land league delegates to the colonies—Mr Deasy—whose name always brings up the rear. He has not, like Dillon, been imprisoned for « the cause, » nor can he like Esmonde, claim an orator for his uncle. But he has at last gained distinction by accusing the New South Wales Government of intercepting and opening his correspondence. Of course they had done nothing of the kind; but it is due to Mr D. to explain that there was « half-a-truth » in his story—his « important letters » had been mysteriously opened. Close investigation by the department revealed the facts. He had been writing tender epistles to a young lady. Whether she would « choose to be a Deasy » has not transpired; but her mamma, who did not possess unbounded confidence in the league delegates, or possibly « acting under orders from Downing-street, » took the liberty of opening the letters. This explanation has made Mr Deasy extremely uneasy; and he has now very imprudently repeated his accusation. The postal department will not put up with nonsense of this kind, and a commission has been appointed to make a public inquiry.
Lord Chief Justice Coleridge, in charging the Grand Jury at the Berks Assizes, made some important remarks on the subject of indictments for libel. He said he was strongly of opinion—and he did not believe there was a judge on the bench who was not—that the practice of indicting for libel had grown to a very mischievous extent. All the great authorities laid it down strongly, and with sound reason, that while every one might bring an action for libel, there ought to be something of a public nature about it to justify the interfering by the Crown as representing the public by proceeding by indictment. The Crown was the prosecutor in a case of indictment, and therefore an indictment for libel ought to be something which interested the Crown, something which concerned the general interests of the public, and likely to create a breach of the peace…. When it was clearly an individual squabble between two persons, it was well settled law that it ought not to be, and was not, in point of law, a proper subject of indictment. The person libelled had his remedy by bringing an action. Blackstone had said that a jury ought not to find a bill, nor ought one to be presented where there was no matter of a public nature involved.
A number of interesting items have to stand over to next issue.
In the present number, Mr C. Morton, of the City Typefoundry, shows specimens of « Dado, » an eccentric style, originated by the Johnson Foundry. It is rather a favorite with English printers.—We direct attention also to the half-page advertisement of Messrs N. J. Hill & Co., dealers in printing machinery, and to several new announcements on our wrapper by English houses.
The Manhattan Typefoundry, New York, has purchased the Heinrich Foundry, established in 1855. The Heinrich Foundry is specially rich in German faces, having been started strictly as a German foundry; but has of late years added some beautiful faces of roman. Mr Philip Heinrich will continue the superintendence of the establishment. The Manhattan Foundry itself changed hands about a year ago, and is now owned by the enterprising proprietors of the Liberty Machine Works. In such hands the combined business should take a leading place among American foundries.
The Wellington Post mourns over the effects of the Gaming and Lotteries Act. This measure has completely crushed the « Consultation » swindles in New Zealand: but they still abound in Melbourne and Sydney, and our contemporary estimates that last year fully £30,000 was sent out of the colony to the lottery harpies. Some people will think we are cheaply quit of gentlemen of the George North stamp even at that price. If the totalizator were suppressed, we might also be happily rid of the idle gang of « spielers » who infest the country. As for the money sent away, and lost for ever, if we adopted the system in vogue in the United States, this could be almost entirely saved. The American Government hold that the public mails are not intended to be used either for the circulation of obscene literature or for purposes of fraud. Swindlers through the mails are reported by the police to the postal department, and their names are placed on a black-list, after which all correspondence addressed to them is stamped « fraudulent, » and returned to the writers. If our Government adopted this plan, and deducted ten per cent, of the enclosed cash for their trouble, they would spoil the little game of the Australian rascals, and add £2000 or £3000 a year to the revenue—all contributed by foolish people who apparently have more money than they know what to do with.
Nothing, says the Philadelphia News, takes the conceit out of the average man so as to order his paper discontinued, and then see the editor go right along and getting rich without him.
The article on the Southern Cross, by Mr Mills, in our April issue, was revised by two of the old staff before it appeared in print, and has been generally acknowledged to be as correct as can be expected of any record dealing with events of a quarter of a century old. However, the editor of the Hauraki Tribune, who has a considerable acquaintance with early journalism here and in Australia, finds fault with some of the details. The Cross, he says, was started in 1843, not in 1845. He adds that the statement that the paper was officially suppressed « is a piece of very neat embroidery; and moreover, land purchases at 1½d an acre, near Auckland, too, are slightly incongruous with vigorous exposure of Government abuses. The Cross was stopped because the plant and buildings were destroyed by fire, and two years afterwards was resuscitated. » —On this we may remark that we have repeatedly heard it stated that the Cross was suppressed by the Government, and the singular motto chosen on its reappearance is consistent with the statement. Before publishing the article, we endeavored to obtain explicit facts and dates regarding the « extinguishment, » butwithout success, the personal knowledge of our contributor and the friends who revised his notes not extending to such a distant date. However, we shall be glad of such precise particulars still, if any readers can supply them, as we have already received nearly enough memoranda and reminiscences regarding the old Cross to make another short article. The first article has been read with so much interest that we intend to continue the series. We invite our friend of the Tribune and any other gentlemen who have interesting memoirs or records of the early press, to send us brief articles or memoranda. In a few years, the anecdotes now current regarding the pioneer newspapers—their struggles and vicissitudes, and showing what manner of men owned and conducted them—will have been forgotten. No matter how scattered and fragmentary these reminiscences may be, they will be welcome, and will be turned to account. After completing the notes on the Southern Cross, our contributor will probably take up the Canterbury Standard. Notes regarding this paper, the Wellington Spectator, the Nelson Examiner, the Otago Witness, Otago Colonist, and the first establishment of the Otago Daily Times, will be welcome.
The twenty-first annual volume of the Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute is to hand, and is an exceptionally good one. At the same time, there is a feature in the latter portion ( « Proceedings » ), which is certainly open to criticism. We refer to the altogether disproportionate space allotted to the proceedings of the Wellington branch. This was noticeable in vol. xx, but is still more striking this year, where thirty closely-printed pages are devoted to this branch—nearly all the unpublished papers being represented by abstracts, and the trivial remarks and comments of members reported, while only seventeen pages are devoted to the other branches. This, to say the least, is making an invidious distinction, and indicates a want of judgment on the part of the Council. Had the other branches been similarly reported, this department would have filled 240 pages—an altogether unreasonable portion of the book. Reports of this kind are appropriate enough in a weekly or monthly scientific periodical; but are decidedly out of place in a year-book of transactions. The Transactions proper occupy 480 pages, or fifty more than last year, and are illustrated by numerous plates, lithographed in very good style by the Survey Department, the letter-press being executed by the Government Printer in his usual capital manner. The correction of the proofs of miscellaneous scientific papers is an exceptionally difficult task; but there is no more accurately-printed book in New Zealand than the Transactions. A scientific gentleman who contributes largely to the work once told us that in eighty pages sent to him for revision he did not detect a single error. This is high testimony to the skill and care of the proof-readers in the Government office. There is, however, in the lithographed plates, in vols, xx and xxi, an oft-repeated « literal » —a y for an n in the « ecclesiastical » running title. Unlike former volumes, where the zoological papers took first place, the present volume begins with botany, to which department the Rev. W. Colenso is as usual an extensive contributor. Mr Maskell contributes a long paper (illustrated) on New Zealand Desmidieæ, describing some new species, and Mr James Adams gives a graphic and interesting account of the botany of Te Moehau mountain, Cape Colville, of which he so far has been the only explorer. He found to his pleasure and surprise that the botany of this mountain differed from that of any other in the peninsula—that, in fact, « the top of Moehau was a veritable garden of rare plants that could not be found nearer than the Euahine range. » Mr Joshua Rutland contributes an exceedingly interesting and suggestive paper on « The Fall of the Leaf, » in which he attributes the characteristics distinguishing the British from the southern flora— « the prevalence of deciduous trees, the preponderance of herbaceous plants, and the comparatively few orders represented » —to the influence of the cold of the glacial period. « In the northern flora, » he says, « we seem to have the more or less altered descendants of a few original types; in the southern flora the waifs and strays from some rich and varied botanical region. » The zoological papers contain additional notes by Mr Cheeseman on the birds of the Kermadec Islands, and a note on the capture of a rare bird, the Shy Albatross (Diomedea cauta), near Auckland, and Mr A. Reischek writes on the Wandering Albatross (D. exulans.) Mr A. Hamilton describes the Brown Gannet (Sula fusca), rare in these waters, a specimen of which was caught in Napier Harbor. Mr Urquhart contributes a paper on new species of Araneidea, and another on a new species of Gasteracantha; and Mr Meyrick continues the subject of the micro-lepidoptera of the colony. Mr G. V. Hudson writes on three species of the same family, and also on the varieties of a common moth (Declana floccosa.) Mr Colenso describes a new species of the Hemideina, and contributes a note on ths handsome butterfly Pyrameis gonerilla, and another on the ruru, or small New Zealand owl. Mr W. W. Smith writes on the birds of Lake Brunner, and Mr James Park on the Notornis. Both Mr Smith and Mr Park are of opinion that specimens of this bird still survive in western Otago, the latter gentleman having obtained passing glimpses of the bird, and heard its deep booming note on several occasions. Mr T. W. Kirk contributes notes on some native birds, and also a paper on the mole-cricket, a recent and undesirable importation from Europe. Mr Chilton writes on the varieties of the native crayfish, Mr Maskell on some gall-producing insects, and Mr G. M. Thomson on some crustaceæ. The third section consists of geological papers. Professor Hutton discourses learnedly on the Amuri earthquake; and Mr H. A. de Lautour writes on the fossil diatomaceous deposits near Timaru, illustrating his paper with drawings of beautiful specimens of the diatoms. Mr A. Hamilton has a paper on his grand find of fossil bones of the moa (Dinornis), the extinct eagle (Harpagornis), and other birds in the Te Aute swamp, and Mr H. Hill records the very interesting discovery at Poverty Bay, of fossil moa feathers in rocks of the pliocene age. Professor Thomas contributes a paper on the geology of Tongariro and the Taupo district, with some interesting sketches of this volcanic region. There are a number of interesting papers, practical and theoretical, under the head of chemistry, and thirteen under the head of miscellaneous complete the volume. One of these, on « Vowel Sounds » by the editor of this paper, has already been mentioned in our pages; and the last in the volume, by Mr Tregear, occupying thirty pages, is entitled « The Knowledge of Cattle among the Ancient Polynesians, » and is a kind of supplement to his Aryan Maori.
We have a parcel of useful and interesting publications from the Government Printer. The splendid work by Sir W. Buller on the native birds is a luxury beyond the reach of most people; but in the neat little Manual of the Birds of New Zealand, by the same author, we have the essential parts of the larger book, and at less than one-twentieth the price. The illustrations are on a much smaller scale, are in monochrome instead of in the natural colors, and are confined to birds that are found only in New Zealand. With this limitation, there are thirty-seven plates, besides a number of woodcuts in the text. The numerous birds of this country form the most beautiful and interesting part of its fauna, and comprise several unique types—many of which are fast disappearing; and this manual will be indispensable to all who take an interest in ornithology of these islands.—The Kermadec Islands: their Capabilities and Extent, by S. Percy Smith, is a pamphlet of 32 pages, with illustrations, of the latest dependency of New Zealand. For ten years a gentleman named Bell has, with his family, inhabited Sunday Island, the largest of the group. The. reports of the fertility of the island have induced some adventurous young men to form a company to settle the unoccupied portion of the island. As, however, the island is six hundred miles from New Zealand, is only about twenty miles in circumference, possesses no harbor, has only a very limited extent of available land, and possesses a big active volcano, 1700 feet high, which in late years has more than once « erupted » so violently as to terrify all inhabitants from its shores—it seems scarcely a promising field for colonization.—Now that the flax industry is reviving, Dr. Hector's work on Phormium Tenax as a Fibrous Plant should should be in demand. The first edition of the book (published in 1872) has been long out of print; the new edition brings the information to date, and deals exhaustively with the subject.—All the bookwork from this establishment is unexceptionable as regards the composing department; but as so many of the works are of permanent value, we think it would be truer economy to use a higher grade both of paper and printing-ink.
The baneful tendency of the modern « shocker » in suggesting methods of crime is not realized as it should be. A vulgar story « The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, » lately had a great run. One mode of advertising the book was to drive a cab containing an imitation corpse through the London thoroughfares—an unseemly exhibition which the authorities should have suppressed. A murder has now been committed in Manchester under precisely similar conditions to those of the fiction, and the body of the victim, who had been drugged and robbed, was found in a cab. There appears to be something more than a coincidence here.
Mr Firth, of Auckland, is engaged on a new work—Our Kin on This Side of the Sea; or, Nation Making: A Story of New Zealand, giving an account of the Maoris and the early history of the colony—to be published in London about September or October.
The popular song Listen to the Mocking Bird brought its composer, Septimus Winner of Philadelphia, $100,000. It was published under the nom de plume of « Alice Hawthorne » the maiden name of the author's mother.
Frank Howard, the singer and composer, tells a little story concerning the inspiration which caused him to write the song, Only a Pansy Blossom. He had gone to Greeley, Iowa, accompanied by his wife, to see about buying a farm for a homestead. They walked through some lovely meadow land which they liked; and in one of the winding paths through the tall grass Mrs Howard lingered. « What are you picking? » the singer called. « Only a pansy blossom, » was the answer. Out of her expression grew the idea of the song. The royalties the composer received almost paid for the farm; and now he has a garden on the spot where his wife found the pansy blossom.
English Hymnology is the subject of an able article in the Printer and Stationer of 28th March. The issue of 4th April contains a good biography of Robert Hattersley, the well-known inventor of type-composing and distributing machines. He was born in 1830; his first patent was taken out in 1857, and was practically the machine on which he labored all his life, though many subsequent improvements were made. He died on the 13th February last, in his 59th year. The number for 25th April contains an illustration of the new Phonetic Institute, erected by Messrs Isaac Pitman & Sons of Bath, at a cost of £4,000.
The Printing Times, under its present management, is more readable than before, and of equal technical value. Its literary standard is high, and it devotes more attention to the ethics of journalism than most of its contemporaries. The character of periodicals is after all of more essential importance than their exterior qualities.
The Stationery Trades Journal (London) is one of the best organs of the trade that reach us. Its readers are kept fully abreast of all stationery novelties; the original articles are valuable and well-written, and the legal intelligence is very full and interesting.
We have received the first number of the English Typographic, published for the advancement of typography and typefounding, by Messrs Austin Wood & Co., London. A paper under a somewhat similar title was issued by the same house three or four years ago, but only reached three numbers. The present venture is better than the last, it is to be published quarterly, and is a very neatly-printed small quarto, on fine quality paper, with a colored wrapper. It contains some interesting technical matter; but the specimen pages are very disappointing. We fail to find a single « new » or original style. The series of roman faces is not uniform, and we do not think it is new. The new floral border is somewhat ungraceful; and it must be quite fifteen years since we first saw it in Caslon's specimens. The new card ornaments, seven series, are all from designs originated by the Johnson Foundry, 1880-84, and though not obsolete, are now mostly out of fashion; the « Commercial Title » is the « O1d-style Bold » of the Central Foundry, St. Louis, under another name; and the « Wide Latin » is from S. B. & Co.'s wellknown design. And this specimen represents (in a measure, at all events) the old Austin Foundry, the proprietors of which, sixty years ago « boldly claimed to be the only letter-founders in London who cut their own punches. »
We welcome a new exchange, the American Bookmaker, now in its eighth volume. This paper, like our own, has a department for criticism of new styles of type, but with the advantage that it shows specimen lines. The Bookmaker is a well-printed, thoroughly healthy concern, and deals in a practical and intelligent manner with every branch of the trade. It takes a high place in American trade journalism.
Conners' Messenger is beautifully printed as usual. The body is in a nonpareil « Metropolis » —not so dreadful as the « Cosmopolitan » certainly, but still a trying letter. Why not keep to the good old roman? To read a periodical printed in « Metropolis » is like making a dinner of sponge-cake.
The December number of the American Art Printer completes its second number. The frontispiece is a portrait of the late H. W. Beecher, in brass-rule, a clever piece of work, by B. Slater, Poughkeepsie.—The leading article deals with the subject of « Profit-Sharing, » —the ultimate solution, probably, of the conflict between capital and labor. The other side— « Loss-sharing, » however—when it comes to a loss from bad times or other causes, has not so attractive an appearance. The workman who shares the loss now—either by losing a situation or by working half-time—does not always appreciate the difficulties of the responsible head of the business.—The New Zealand letter bears the signature of our ubiquitous friend, Mr T. L. Mills, whose contributions turn up in all sorts of places in English and American trade journals. The Art Printer is a thoroughly practical paper, and always marks the highest level of American art printing.
The Paper World for May opens with a beautifully-illustrated article on the « Ives » and other processes of photo-electrotyping. Seven pictures are given, each copied from a different class of work, and each faithfully reproducing its characteristics. The rest of the number is as usual full of valuable and well-arranged information.
The Southern Printers' Journal comes to us this season with a brightly-printed cover, and the title, running obliquely across the page, is set in the new and striking « Erebus, » with « Hades » worked in as a shade. (The style of these letters, by the way, is in better taste than the titles.) It is published by a supply house at New Orleans, and is occupied chiefly with specimens from the Boston and Central Foundries.
Revista Tipografica, Madrid, regularly resets its four pages of advertisements, introducing type novelties each issue. The typography is always good, and the display ingenious. A very pretty and original effect is produced in the last number in a full-page advertisement, by Schelter & Giesecke's little border No. lxiii, 1, so set as to form a background resembling the heraldic « ermine. »
The Export Journal (Leipzig), No. 20/21, shows progress, and widely-extended advertising support. It is crowded with information relating to English and continental manufacturers and publishers, and is indispensable to all large importing houses. The present issue encloses nine advertising supplements.
The Religious Tract Society send us a list of new publications and annual volumes.
Messrs F. Warne & Co., Bedford-st., Covent Garden, send us their latest list of publications.
Feltham & Co., and Howard & Sons, amalgamated, Barbican, London, E.C., send us an illustrated price-list of all manner of materials for outdoor sports and games.
We have received No. 5 of The Indian and Colonial Importers' Guide, a well-printed price-list of stationery goods, published by Adams Bros., 59 Moor Lane, Fore-street, London, E.C.
Messrs Sampson Low & Co., Fetter Lane, London, E.C, send us their latest book lists.
From Messrs William George's Sons, Bristol, we have catalogue No. 146 of rare and choice books, chiefly second-hand.
From Messrs Dean & Son, Fleet-st., London, we have a list of new publications, including very attractive juvenile books.
Messrs Marlborough, Gould, & Co., 52 Old Bailey, London, E.C, send us a stationery price list.
Messrs Cowan & Co., Crawford-st., Dunedin, send us a copy of their June catalogue of stationery in stock.
Messrs Sydney J. Saunders & Co., St. Mary Axe, London, E.C, send us a price-list and specimens of stationery.
The Queen City Printing Ink Company of Cincinnati, send us specimen-sheets printed from some of their superb inks. In our first number we noted the excellent quality of the inks manufactured by this house.
Situation Wanted.—Compositor.
—First hand in good English office desires situation in New Zealand,—preference to Dunedin. Accustomed to best class (artistic) jobbing work, References and specimens. Apply Bertie, care of Haddon & Co., 3-4 Bouverie-st., Fleet-st., London, E.C.
We acknowledge with thanks the following new exchange:—American Bookmaker, New York, from May, 1889.
The Gisborne Standard, the best-conducted paper in Poverty Bay, celebrated its second birthday this month. Many happy returns!
The Fielding Stur has just completed its seventh year. It is a « live » paper, ably written and often sparkling with genuine wit.—Long may it shine!
The Waikato News has changed hands, Sir William Wasteneys having sold out his interest in the paper to Messrs Plaw and Hunt, employes upon it.
The plant of the late Tauranga Star has been sold for £16. We doubt whether the buyer is to be greatly congratulated on his bargain.
A contemporary reports that two subscribers to the Fielding public library fought in the reading-room for an hour for the possession of a penny newspaper! The paper itself was torn to pieces in the strife.
Mr E. T. Frisker, for eight years dramatic critic and reporter on the Dunedin Times, has left for Melbourne to join the Argus parliamentary staff. He was presented with a purse of sovereigns on the occasion of his departure.
The prospectus of a new monthly, to be entitled The New Zealand Friendly Societies Recorder, has been issued. The first number is intended to appear at Christchurch about the middle of August. Mr George Capper is the secretary, to whom all communications should be addressed.
We regret to find it reported that Mr Collier, the librarian of the General Assembly Library, has resigned. It would be difficult to find in the colony a gentleman better qualified for the position. Ill-health was the cause of his resignation, but as he has shown signs of improvement, the committee are urging him to reconsider his decision.
It is reported that Mr Malcolm Boss is about to sever his connexion with the Otago Daily Times, having received the appointment of private secretary to Mr James Mills, m.h.r., manager of the Union Steamship Company's service. Mr Boss is well known in connexion with his realistic descriptions of our Alpine scenery, and is besides a reporter of some repute.
The Taranaki Herald keeps an eye on old members of its staff. It notes that Mr D. H. Parry, who was in New Plymouth about ten years ago, is now in Sydney, where he has accepted an engagement. Prior to this, he was for two-and-a-half years reporter for the Orange Western Advocate, and on his severing his connexion with that journal, he received a handsome gold pendant and a valedictory address from the composing staff.
The Tuapeka Times publishes a parody on The Arab's Farewell to his Steed, « with apologies to—Mrs Hemans » !
The husband of Mrs Campbell-Praed, novelist, has recovered from the proprietors of the Country Gentleman the sum of £500 for libel.
The Times says that an English regiment would be received in Victoria « with enthusiasm. » Can it be serious? The Melbourne nursemaids are not the people of Victoria.
The Melbourne Age seems to be a regular target for libel actions. Mr Brown, the member for Mandurang, is suing for £20,000; and—wonderful to relate—McCarron, Bird, & Co., the well-known printers, are claiming £10,000!
Mr Daly, a Melbourne solicitor, has been fined £25 and sentenced to a month's imprisonment for contempt of Court in writing to the press commenting on some perjury cases while several of the accused remained to be tried.
Work, a new periodical published by Messrs Cassell, has proved a decided success from the start. The first issue of No. 1 was 75,000 copies, and this fell so far short of the demand that an immediate reprint became necessary.
Last month we noted an accident to a mounted runner-boy at Hawera. Two Masterton newsboys met with similar accidents this month, and were badly hurt; and a runner of the Rangiora Standard has had a four-mile race after the manner of John Gilpin: but like that ancient hero, succeeded in keeping his seat.
A cable message of 21st June conveys the important information that « the London reporter of the Dublin Freeman's Journal declares that the Melbourne press have attacked Mr Dillon under orders from Downingstreet.! Such a thing as independent journalism, as we know it in Australasia, is evidently to some minds inconceivable.
The secretary of a London hospital has recovered from Mr Gilbert Dalziel, proprietor of Ally Sloper, the sum of £300 for libel. In connexion with this case, it has transpired that Mr Dalziel has refused £100,000 for this vulgar and witless paper, which is believed to have the largest circulation of any « comic » periodical in England.
Mr H. Vizetelly, the publisher, having persisted in circulating Zola's works in defiance of an order of the court, has been sentenced to three months' imprisonment. We are sorry to say that one effect of the suppression of these books at home is that they are flooding the colonial markets. Parliament is in session—now is the time for some member to move in the matter.
The editor of the Reefton Guardian was assaulted in the streets on the 8th inst. by an individual named Hankin, who felt aggrieved at having been editorially described as « Bubbly Jock. » A fight ensued; the accounts of which in the local press vary. The Guardian says Mr Hankin was knocked into the gutter; the Herald says the editor occupied that lowly position. Is this what is meant by « gutter journalism » ?
Graver and Palette is the title of a new American quarterly, « devoted to the industrial arts, pictorial, illustrative, and ornamental, »
The Artist Printer is the latest American candidate for favor. No. 1 is not yet to hand, but from the prospectus and beautifully designed cover we imagine it will fall into the front rank.
The American compositresses have now their own organ—the Printer Girl, published at Topeka, Kansas, by the Leslie Club, and edited by Miss Mary Abarr, of the editorial staff of the Capital. Typo has not seen the paper, but would suggest that the title gives a good idea for an attractive cover. The idealized Printer Girl already adorns trade literature. We see her, with her comely right arm bare from the shoulder, on the Inland Printer, seated at a case of antiquated pattern. She re-appears, in the new Artist Printer, in flowing Grecian robes, perched bird-like on an apple-bough, amid clustering blossoms. Let the new paper show us the real Modern Type—
A creature not too bright or good For human nature's daily food
—not an Old-Style, Grecian, Classic, or Antique: the trim and familiar present-day figure will be the more attractive. And with all good wishes, we present our new contemporary with a motto:
Now Morn, her rosy steps in the eastern clime, Advancing, sowed the earth with orient pearl, As to her duties—punctual to time— With lightsome footsteps tripped the Printer Girl.
The death of Mr G. Rawson, of Leeds, a well-known hymn-writer, is announced. The deceased had nearly completed his 82nd year.
We regret to note in our English exchanges, a record of the death of Mr W. Spurrell, j.p., printer and publisher, of Carmarthen, on the 22nd April, at the age of 76. Readers of the Printers' Register will be familiar with Mr Spurrell's thoughtful contributions on technical subjects. The deceased was an enthusiastic antiquary, and published a « History of Carmarthen and its Neighborhood, » and a Welsh-English dictionary and Welsh grammar, which are much in request among students of the language. The Register promises a portrait and biographical sketch, for which we will look with interest.
Mary Louise Booth, editress of Harper's Bazaar, died recently at her residence, 101 East Fifty-ninth-street, New York. Miss Booth was perhaps more widely known than any other literary woman in the United states. She was the daughter of William Chalfield Booth, and was born in the village of Milville, now known as Yaphank, Suffolk County, L. I., on April l9th 1831. She was a sort of infant prodigy, and at the age of five years, it is said, she had read the Bible from cover to cover. Plutarch's Lives and Racine in the original she had read before she was seven, and before her tenth birthday Hume, Gibbon, Alison, and other historians. She learned French, German, and Latin, and at an early age began to translate works from those languages. The Harpers made her editress of the Bazaar in 1867 at a salary of 18,000 a year, and she continued to manage it until her death.
Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Coupland Harding, at his registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—June, 1889.
XXXI.
Great as are the number of of characters in the larger combinations—varying from fifty or sixty to hundreds—there are few indeed that contain all the fundamental sorts. We have already fully described three of these characters—the em running-piece, the simple corner, and, where necessary, the inner corner also. Next to these come two more pieces, also to the em—the cross-piece + and the T-piece, Next to these, the stop-piece. After these, say, the quadrant corner, and any further development that the artist's fancy may suggest. Until, however, these are provided for—all on the body of the border itself—the divergence into the larger and more ornamental pieces is a mistake: more especially when it is considered, as we have already fully shown, that by the mere combination of these materials, large and artistic corners and centre-pieces may be composed. Looking over our specimen-books, we do not find a single modern combination (except the « Ivy » —the most scientifically-designed as well as one of the most artistic ever devised)—that fulfils these conditions, though some come very close. We have to go far away back to an old page in Figgins's folio « Epitome » to find such a series, and there are fourteen old-fashioned and somewhat heavy designs that pretty well exhaust the fundamental characters. As they are decorated with national emblems, we presume they are of English design. They vary in size from small-pica to 4-line small-pica; they contain from six to eleven characters, which, with only two exceptions in the whole series—a two-line corner and an en justifier—are cast on the em. These are scarcely « combinations » in the modern sense of the term; though in the specimen-book some designs of remarkable flexibility are shown. Turning to Caslon's book, we find a really artistic combination—an old one indeed, but more in the modern style—Series No. 4, containing 43 characters, large and small, including all the pieces above-described. Among modern borders, MacKellar's « Silhouette, » No. 94, containing 47 characters, comes very near, but wants the T-piece.
We revert to the classification of characters (p. 11):
To which we add:
These, with their variations, make a very complete combination; but there is yet another useful character:
Where this is introduced, there may also be added:
These, however, with the exception of K, are rare. In the above category are comprised all the sorts contained in an ornamental combination having a purely geometrical basis.
But there is a class of borders which come under a totally-different category: such as represent banners, scrolls, and the various architectural combinations. In the latter especially, the pieces used for columns, capitals, dados, friezes, cornices, &c, involve devices of design and grouping quite apart from those of the border proper. Each design of this description requires separate consideration.
We will now illustrate the seven primary characters from one of Figgins's old « changeable » borders, No. 13, on 2-line emerald. It contains 11 characters, which are classified thus:
This border being symmetrical, B and its variations are equivalent to C.
The whole of the 47 characters of the silhouette combination above-mentioned may be thus classified. It will be noted that sometimes a piece comes under more than one denomination:
Twelve of these characters (those without the central line), it will be noted, constitute really an independent combination. We have marked G, or the T-piece, as deficient; but, as we show in the margin, the star-shaped general-utility character, classed also as B, C, D, and F, is equally available for this purpose.
With a combination such as this, very handsome designs may be obtained; but the effects produced by the simpler and less costly series (so long as they contain the primary characters) are by no means to be despised. We have already shown that the effects obtainable with oneand two-character borders are almost limitless, and that each addition multiplies the adaptations. In the old specimen-book of Figgins, the line « V. & J. Figgins, London, » is composed from the combination we have shown, and with the exception of clumsy N's and a singular &, the letters are well-shaped. And the flexibility of such a border is far greater than that of the more elaborate designs from which these essentials are omitted.
It might be supposed that the eleven-character border on the preceding page is perfect as regards essentials; but such is not the case. No sooner does the compositor handle it, than he becomes conscious of a defect which, strangely enough, is common to all the fourteen—the absence of the justifying character A2 (corresponding with I2, and quite as necessary) on en-set. Bruce, of New York, who has re-cut this design very beautifully, and cast it to pica, has supplied this deficiency. Caslon's combination No. 4, which we regret we cannot show, is fully supplied with justifying pieces, and is (with the exception of the « Ivy, » —which really belongs to a different class)—so far as we are aware—the only series containing all those characters that we have defined as the geometric fundamentals. And even here, though there is a square corner and a square cross, the only T-piece is not square, but ornamental—that is, the series contains G2, but not G.
Mr C. Morton's advertisement this month shows the series of « Karnac, » from long primer to two-line great primer. This is one of the original faces of the Dickinson Foundry, and one of the most artistic designs of its class.
« Cyclops » in the Mataura Ensign relates that the editor lately asked a friend in the country to report a concert. In reply, he says, « The correspondent proceeded without a tremor—at least there is no shake in the handwriting—to ask if the editor would publish 'a correct report of a country concert, with fair criticism.' Great Cæsar's ghost! What was the man thinking of?… I may inform him that when he forwards his 'correct' report of a country concert he can send with it a cheque for £50 to cover loss of subscribers and to pay for a police guard for the office for a week. »
In the autobiography of the Rev. J. G. Paton, one of the missionary pioneers in the New Hebrides (published by Messrs Hodder & Stoughton), the following interesting passage occurs:— « An ever-memorable event was the printing of my first book in Tannese. Thomas Binnie, Esq., Glasgow, gave me a printing-press and a fount of type. Printing was one of the things I had never tried, but having now prepared a booklet in Tannese, I got my press in order, and began fingering the type. But book-printing turned out to be for me a much more difficult affair than house-building had been. My biggest difficulty was to arrange the pages properly. After many failures, I folded a piece of paper into the number of leaves wanted, cut the corners, folding them back, and numbering as they would be when correctly placed in the book; then folding all back without cutting up the sheet, I found now by these numbers how to arrange the pages in the frame or chase for printing, as indicated on each side. And do you think me foolish, when I confess that I shouted in an ecstasy of joy when the first proof came out from the press all correct? It was about one o'clock in the morning: I was the only white man on the island, and all the natives had been fast asleep for hours. Yet I literally pitched my hat into the air, and danced like a schoolboy round and round the printing-press; till I began to think, Am I losing my reason?…. I afterwards heard that Dr Turner had printed a small primer in Tannese, translated by the help of the Samoan teachers; but this I never saw till near the close of my work on Tanna. Dr Geddie sent me a copy, but it was more Samoan than Tannese, especially in its spelling, and I could make little or nothing of it. »
Trade is still in a healthy state here, and the offices are kept in full swing. I hope it will continue so, for a change for the better is much needed. Some of the employers are, I am sure, glad to know that the hateful cry of « depression » is gradually dying out. I was talking to a member of one of our local firms the other day, and he expressed the opinion that when spring came round it would bring with it a briskness in trade of every kind. I sincerely hope so.
There is a rumor current in trade circles here to the effect that a new firm is about to establish a large job printing office in this city, with a plant large enough to compete with any of the present offices. I have been told it is intended to begin operations next month. I do not know if this is the outcome of the company I mentioned in my last letter as being in course of formation, as it is very difficult to glean any authentic particulars. However, I am given to understand that the new firm, if it starts, intends to work independently of the Master Printers' Association.
I may be pardoned for once more referring to the Master Printers' Association. I have cause to believe that the main point of disagreement between the members is that the new tariff has, in the opinion of some, been drawn up on too high a scale. If the tariff had been arranged on a fair basis, not too high, but at prices that would have given decent profits, no doubt the Association would have received the support of every employer, and I think every man would have stuck to his colors. I trust it is not too late yet for them to look to their interests.
I have not heard that any further steps have been taken in the Sommers-Lyttelton Times Company libel case, but from what I have been told privately I would not be surprised to see the case gone on with.
Another libel action is pending here, although no newspaper is implicated. This time two photographers have fallen out. Mr Eden George has instructed Mr Joynt to issue a writ for £200 damages against Mr R. W. Meers, a photographer, for publishing an alleged defamatory photograph during the late election for Christchurch North.
Mr W. Syms, the Press Company's engineer, has invented and applied to the Foster machine used for printing the paper, a highly ingenious attachment which performs the duty of pasting the leaves of the journal together so as to present the paper to the reader in a bound form. This improvement ought to prove a great convenience, and will no doubt be appreciated by its readers. The Press says:— « So far as we are aware, the Press and the New Zealand Herald are the only papers throughout the whole of the Australasian colonies which are issued in this improved form. »
I have been shown a copy of the syllabus of the second session of the Literary Society of the Y.M.C.A., and I see Mr Chapman's name down for a paper on « Slang, » on the 26th of August. I am given to understand that this Society has a number of members of the craft on its membership roll.
The first number of Zealandia, the new monthly magazine, has sold well in Christchurch. One bookseller told me that he had sold out every copy. The local press has also given the journal favorable criticism, but the Press is a little severe on its general get-up. Of the cover, it says: « Whenever anything supposed to be essentially New Zealand in its character is introduced, whether it be a banknote, a periodical, or a pot of jam, it seems to be considered indispensable to illustrate it by a picture of a moa, a Maori chief, a tree fern, and a kauri tree. These are all on the cover of Zealandia, depicted in unusually sombre colors. We would advise the conductors to banish all this doleful paraphernalia, and to go in for a bright attractive cover with the title in 'taking' type, and, if it is thought advisable, a list of contents. »
The Canterbury Typographical Society's Social passed off very successfully. A large number of youngsters sat down to the tea, and were afterwards well entertained by Mr Cook, with his dissolving views. The adults thoroughly enjoyed themselves at the dance afterwards. During the evening Professor Bickerton delivered an address, eulogizing these Socials as a means of engendering good fellowship among its members. The Society's half-yearly meeting will be held on the 20th inst.
The Thames Advertiser (a home rule paper) says very truly that the object of the leaders of the movement « is quite as much if not more to achieve the abolition of landlordism as to gratify a national aspiration. In fact it is very questionable whether in the absence of the former the latter would not cease to be assertive. »
Trade is still comparatively dull in Melbourne, although the unemployed cry has to some extent died out. Parliament resuming has, no doubt, relieved a little of the depression, and also kept the hands in the morning offices going more steadily. Of late, the influx of comps from other colonies has greatly subsided, and when the unemployed were so severely sat upon, their cry was useless. Several advertisements were inserted in the morning papers shortly after the agitation for an increase of allowance (presumably by some of the aggrieved ones) offering to accept work at reduced wages, but as far as I can learn nothing came of the action. Another period such as the last land-boom would give the printing world a happy impetus, but the chances of that are so small, that the change of the season will have to be awaited.
The New Zealanders here all seem to keep steadily going. Those I have spoken to lately have all been in constant employment. Speaking to a few comps who came out of the Daily Times at the strike, they remarked on the good days they had on the « old Times, » and from their accounts it must have been a good office at that time for the compositor.
Mr Bailes, M.L.A., introduced a deputation from the Typographical Society to the Postmaster-General last week with reference to the advantages held by New South Wales publishers over those in Victoria, the former having the privilege of free postage into this colony. The Victorians maintain that they cannot compete with the New South Wales publishers, and that their interests are greatly damaged by the free admission of numerous journals into the colony. Several papers that had been in existence here for some years had removed their whole plant to Sydney, where they could participate in the free postage, and thus men were thrown out of employment. Mr Hancock made reference also to the fact that numerous supplements were imported from England and circulated in the colony free of postage, which, he maintained, was a glaring injustice to the colonial workman. Mr Hall, M.L.A., together with Mr Graves, M.L.A., and Mr Stevens (the secretary of the Society) supported the deputation, and until free postage is instituted here the cry will remain. Mr Desham admitted the disadvantages, and promised to open up communication with the Postmaster-General of New South Wales. It was clearly shown that the number of papers received from Sydney greatly exceeded those dispatched, and that undue advantage was taken of the privilege. From the experience of other colonies, there is reason to believe that the re-imposition of a duty on papers sent from Sydney will be the outcome of the movement, otherwise free postage throughout Victoria.
The Master Printers' Association have also begun an agitation in favor of having school-books, &c., printed in the colony, and this will no doubt end by their gaining that concession. The printing of all school-books used in the colony would be a considerable addition to the printing establishments, and will therefore receive general support from the craft.
A new trade journal is to be started here at an early date, and from the prospectus it would appear that the production would be on an extensive scale. It really seems unaccountable that a colony such as this has been so long without a journal of the kind. There is ample scope; for with an intelligent community, and perhaps the main feature for its success, a splendid field for circulation, it should flourish from the start, and if conducted on a systematic scale its success is a foregone conclusion,
The new evening paper (the Standard) continues to run out eight pages daily and the Herald has also increased its sheet to ten columns to the page. The Standard is securing a good field, and makes a special feature of fully reporting all football matches, thus gaining a point with the community who dote on that pastime.
A compositor named Hewiston, employed in the Age office, died from typhoid fever on Saturday morning.
The American typefounders' « ring » has broken up Prices remain nominally the same, but there is now a big difference in the discounts.
A Victorian comp writes us: « I trust that your useful little sheet is making headway. Being a Maorilander, I like to be posted up in the progress of the trade in New Zealand, and accordingly send my subscription. Things are dull in Melbourne; but most of the New Zealanders who betook themselves to Victoria are, I believe, doing well—a few having become proprietors of country papers. »
Cold Stereotyping.—The Paper and Printing Trades Journal gives an account of the cold process of stereotyping invented by Messrs Byles & Sons, proprietors of the Bradford Observer. It has been found that the heat of the ordinary papier maché process tends to elongate the type, and cause subsequent irregularities in printing. « To avoid this and other disadvantages, Messrs Byles invented the cold process, wherein the matrix is dried separately, being removed when moist from the form, as soon as the impression on the matrix is obtained. It is then placed face-downwards on a bed of sand heated by gas as much as possible, short of burning the sand. In this way the form is never heated, and there is a saving of time in making the plate, as the period for drying the matrix is reduced from seven minutes to one minute—no inconsiderable advantage in a newspaper office. Or, the mould may be laid on a frame-work of wire gauze within an iron frame, so constructed as to secure rapid evaporation of all moisture. A few thicknesses of flannel are then laid on the mould, and upon the flannel is placed an iron frame interlaced with wire and of sufficient weight to prevent buckling. This is prevented by leverage from pressing on the mould unduly until a certain amount of moisture has been drawn off. The rest of the drying is done by the sand-bath heated by gas…. We have recently seen an impression from a form of one page of the journal, the type whereof has been in use for no less than nine years. Without a magnifying glass the proof might be thought to be printed from new type. This is certainly a wonderful result, and a most beneficial one to all concerned. »
Front-Edge Cutting under Difficulties.—We have a hint to offer, and will ask the reader to imagine that a number of books have been marbled contrary to order, and the customer demands that they shall be re-done. Of course there is then no alternative but to re-trim them, and it is upon re-trimming that we ask attention. Now, to trim the ends of these books would not be a troublesome job, but with the fronts it would be, especially if a large number had to be tied and jogged up, as is usually done. The common practice of tying-up books so that the round shall not slip back to its original position before the cutting has been completed is a long process, but there is a more simple and speedy way of accomplishing the same end, and to describe this is our object now. It is as follows:—Cut a piece of No. 50 binders' board the exact width and length of the front edge to be cut. Set the gauge of the machine to the right distance, and with the binders' board push the front of the book so that it becomes perfectly flat and nearly even with the knife, and so that when the cutting is done only a mere shaving can be cut off. The man at the cutting-machine is the one who should see that the book is pushed to the right distance, while the boy holds the clamp lightly upon it, and at the proper time gives the last pull, so that the book may be held down firmly at the time the cutting takes place. At the first thought it may appear impracticable that a book could be pushed back in this way and trimmed perfectly, but it can be, and thus the importance of giving a detailed account of this ingenious remedy for saving books as well as time under very critical circumstances.—The Bookbinder.
At a case to be heard in Wellington, according to a country paper, some of the principal citizens will « configurate as witnesses. » We commend this new application of the verb to all ambitious penny-a-liners.
The Melbourne correspondent of a contemporary writes: Mr David Gaunson was not joking when he declared war against the Age two months ago. The ex-M.L.A. accused the Age of helping to keep him out of Parliament, because it had suggested that the new House would get on better without him. He still adheres to his resolution to oppose the Age with a new morning paper. This will be a serious thing for the Age, though I imagine, not quite so serious as to those who invest in the new concern. If Mr Gaunson gives up law and takes up literature, we may expect to witness a somewhat startling, if not an edifying performance. The scheme has one weak point in it. The new organ is to be run in the interests of those classes who now so liberally subscribe to the Age. They are invited to give up the Age, and not only take in its proposed rival, but to become proprietors in the venture as well. Now a newspaper that relies upon a working class proprietory stands no chance at all. You may write in their favor, and pat them on the back as long as you please, and they will pay their penny every morning to read the flattering things you say about them. But I do not think they will purchase a costly newspaper plant, and maintain an extensive staff of writers, merely to pleasure Mr Gaunson, when they can obtain all they require from the Age at the very reasonable outlay of sixpence per week.
It is our object, in this department, to critically note every new and original design in types, borders, combination ornaments, and initials. Without specimens, however, such an article is little more than a catalogue of names. New faces can only be described by comparison with previously-existing patterns—it being impossible to convey by description an idea of the essential characteristic of any given design, that being precisely the quality in which it differs from all others. Typefounders are invited to send us specimen letters or lines of original faces, which can be readily and cheaply done by parcel post. (Types from the continent of Europe should be to English height.) We insert such free, finding our recompense in the additional interest this column would possess to our readers. Many of the beautiful styles we describe from month to month would be irresistible to colonial buyers if once seen, and those we criticise unfavorably might commend themselves strongly to printers whose tastes differ from our own.
Germany comes out well ahead in the specimens to hand this month. The Rudhard Foundry, Offenbach am Main, send us a parcel of very beautiful novelties. First we note a preliminary specimen showing four sizes of a sharply-cut and legible Gothic, the « Germania. » Three sheets of vignettes follow: the first containing a portrait of Pope Leo, and a number of papal emblems, and the other two chiefly national subjects—portraits of the present and the two late emperors, Bismarck, &c. The « Annoncen » border, 5 characters, is a curtain design, on solid background, suitable for handbills where heavy type is used. The « Zeitungs » or news borders are of a class dear to the Teutonic newspaper comp, who seems never so happy as when he puts an advertisement into the deepest mourning. These are peculiar to continental papers. The present series contains 19 characters on pica em body, and 3 on 2-em. With some of the lighter sorts, pretty borders can be composed, and we think that characters 20 and 22, shown only in black, would look well together in colors. A large quarto sheet shows the synopsis of the « National » border, in five series, from 12- to 72-point, with a total of 61 characters. This is really seven separate and distinct borders. The first, on pica, contains 9 characters, all on em set,—oak-leaves in silhouette, very like MacKellar's oak ornaments. Series B, a 24-point border, is a close design of laurel-leaves with a broad band wreathed round them, and the same design is repeated in Series E, on 72-point, with three fine square corners to 96-point. Series D is a border of German imperial eagles in silhouette. Series C contains 24 characters, all square—12- to 24-point and 12- to 36-point. It is really four borders. Each size contains six pieces of a laurel and six of an oak border, in white, on stippled ground. This is a most artistic and graceful design. The whole five series are shown in colors on a great broadsheet, with fine effect. The oak and laurel borders (series A and C) would be a valuable acquisition to any artistic printer. But the finest of all—and one of the grandest of modern German combinations—is the magnificent Gothic « Herbaria » border. It is not overburdened with sorts—the border proper contains 30 characters, 10 are added for inner corners and ornaments, and for two-color work, 21 solid groundwork characters are added. Six pieces to 72-point, carefully designed in regard to justification, with a square 96-point corner, form a grand border in the best mediæval style, which has never been more successfully imitated in typography. Three characters on 36-point, with two corners on the same body, form a second border, harmonizing with the first, but of different design. Four more, on 24-point, represent a graceful acanthus, twined around a staff, and two pieces on 18-point make a beautiful border by themselves. The whole series, displayed on a broadsheet in the most elaborate and tasteful manner, with colored groundwork and gold rules, has a magnificent effect. The sheet is a triumph, both of typefounding and art-printing, and the border is one that will bear the closest criticism—one of which the eye can never tire.
In one of our English exchanges we find specimens of a very comprehensive combination—the « Renaissance » border of the Berger Foundry, Leipzig. There is not the profusion of sorts that distinguish architectural combinations like the « Akanthea » and « Germania » the design being more in the nature of the « Florentine » or « Holbein, » with this difference, that there is no background, either solid or stippled. The design covers the ground more closely than any other combination we have seen, and the drawing and shading is also very close, but delicate. The border, which is in five sections, contains 136 sorts, but many of them are of very large size, so that the complete set weighs about a hundredweight, and costs about £20. The design is very artistic, and the effect, when well displayed, is striking. There are no two-color sorts in the combination. The sixth section is not only distinct from the other five, but contains twelve separate borders: two 6-point, six 12-point, and four 18-point. These are intended primarily as inner and outer boundaries for the main design; of which, however, they are quite independent. A complete fount of this series would be a welcome Christmas-box to a job printer. Not many in this part of the world, these times, could afford to buy it! However, either of the sections, apart from the others, forms a useful series. We would like to see the founder's own specimens.—The same house has brought out also a set of eight very tasteful corner vignettes. They are similar in size and general character to those by the Gronau Foundry, noted in our March number, but they are designed and drawn with greater delicacy, and have the further advantage of being rights and lefts in equal numbers. They are all, however, for the lower corners of the page. A novelty in initials by the same foundry is the « Curtain » series, in two sizes. In a square, on a dark ground, is a prettily-figured curtain, upon which appears the initial in black.
Hr. W. Woellmer, Berlin, shows a new combination, the « Raphael » border, 56 characters. It is in mediæval style, with diversified effects in open and tint backgrounds, and the pieces being mostly small, the printer does not require an enormous weight. The border has a decided character of its own, and is not an imitation of any previous combination. Typographic artists with a taste for the German style will find this new design add materially to the attractiveness of their work.
The « Rococo » border is a new and very graceful combination by the Flinsch Foundry. With some of the novelties of this house our readers are already acquainted. The design is exceedingly well wrought out, and the drawing is correct and delicately executed. The specimen page before us does not show the synopsis of characters, so we cannot say how many sorts it contains.
The Actiengesellschaft für Schriftgiesserei (Offenbach-am-Main) show a series of new ornamented. The lowercase is an ordinary lined latin, but the caps are extra-decorated with filigree work.
Mesrs Day & Collins, London, show about a dozen series of large ornamental initials, nickel-faced, for one and two-color work. They vary in size from 6- to 12-line, and some of them—notably series 20 and 23—are very handsome and effective.
A neat and beautifully-printed little book comes to us from the Boston Typefoundry, showing original faces, most of which we have already described. « Record » is a light-face fancy italic, caps only, some of the letters running out beyond the line. « Boston » script is in the American style of penmanship—flourished caps, like the « Penman » and « Spencerian. » « Skinner » script, is a quaint and pretty style, named after a gentleman whose handwriting it imitates. « Bewick » is a backslope heavy-footed italic, for circulars. « Mantua » is a hair-line roman, and « Milan » an exceedingly thin-faced condensed ionic sloped. « French Old-style » in pica, is an original and very striking and legible old-face body-fount, in the French style. « Lubeck, » a thin condensed ornamental old-style; « Bremen, » a similar character, extra condensed. « Rimini, » a heavy, condensed sloping sans, many of the letters projecting beyond the line; « Dunbar, » an expanded heavy roman, with an exaggerated bracket to the serif. « Soudan, » a neat lined French clarendon; « Syrian, » the same
In the new dotted ground borders of the Cincinnati Foundry, the white lines between the dots do not run in the usual fashion, horizontally and perpendicularly, but at an angle of 45°. This is somewhat of a defect when the borders are set straight-ahead, as the dots are closer at the edges, breaking the pattern at every square. When, however, they are set with alternate nicks sidewise, a very pretty regular pattern is the result.
The Manawatu Herald, recording a find of moa bones at Foxton, says: « We do not know whether any skeleton of this now extinct bird has ever been found in the North Island. » One of the largest finds on record was at Te Aute, thirty miles from Napier; and moa remains abound among the sand-hills on the Wanganui coast. It adds « It is generally supposed that no large moas have been seen alive since about 1650. » These are pretty precise figures. The Mataura Ensign is responsible for the following: They are unearthing the remains of a moa at Waikaia. A correspondent says the specimen is complete even to the 'teeth.' Moa in our next. »
This is the kind of news that sometimes appears among the cable messages. The extract is from the Wakatipu Mail:— « The racing clubs of Australia are in a satisfactory position. The reasons for the Caulfield Cup being increased to £2,000 and the Melbourne Cup to £5,000 are owing to the expressed determination of the foreign Powers to refrain from participating from public commemoration of the French Revolution. » —Our readers will remember how last year a racing telegram « Veracity, Tyrone, Lobster, » was interpreted as « the voracity of a Tyrone lobster. » Other sporting telegrams have been similarly misinterpreted. In 1885, « Roquefort, Frigate, Black Prince, » was thus expanded: « The frigates Roquefort and Black Prince have been added to the Australian squadron. » Some weeks ago, a West Coast paper published as a cable message: « An enthusiastic reception was accorded to Donovan, the pioneer. » This was also a racing item: « Enthusiast, Donovan, Pioneer. »
When Mr Jenkinson wished to impress his audience with his learning, he gave them the benefit of his solitary piece of erudition, beginning: « The world, sir, is in its dotage. » We were reminded of this when we stumbled across the correspondent's letter from Opotiki, a little coast settlement, in an East Coast paper, beginning: « The Earth is the third planet in order of distance from the sun, » &c. Like the good Vicar, we « thought we had heard this before » —in fact we recognized the whole paragraph as forming part of the brief « account of the Solar System, » in our N. Z. Almanac. Following this was an item from the same source (now nine months old) about the protection of the native owl; a provision of the Slaughter-house Act of 1888; several memoranda for the current month; and a paragraph relating to the position of the Southern Cross in July. Then followed the local news. It is satisfactory to know that the East Coast correspondent studies his almanac to such good purpose; but when he transcribes verbatim from various parts of it matter to the extent of half-a-column at a time he might give his authority.
« Marco Duo, » as his Italian translator dubbed him, never in his wildest flights of humor, imagined a more comic incident than occurred in the New Zealand Parliament this month. A foolish item of £150 for the introduction of chamois was on the estimates, and it was opposed by Mr Kerr, a Nelson member. « What are these chamoyce? » he asked. « A species of small deer, » a member explained. « If the hon. gentlemen will wait a minute, » said Mr Turnbull, « I'll send to the library for a book which contains a very interesting description of the animal and its habits. » The book was brought and handed open to Mr Kerr, who began to read aloud. « Don't read it! » excitedly whispered Mr Turnbull. « But I will read it, » said his victim, « I want to know what these things are. » And amid roars of laughter he read the passage in which the veracious Mark Twain describes the flea of the Swiss hotels under the name of the « chamois. » Parts of the description somewhat staggered the reader, and as he finished the passage he said « 'No bigger than a mustard-seed!' What do we want with animals like that? » « What book have you got? » he was asked. « The Tramp Abroad, by S. Clemens, » he replied— « and with a final shriek of laughter at this announcement, the incident ended. »
According to the Bay of Plenty Times, Mr C. Spencer, of Tauranga, has been experimenting with the heliotype process, and has produced some excellent relief blocks from photographs.—We would like to see some of Mr Spencer's work.
Last year we noted that Dr. Johan Martin Schleyer, the inventor of « Volapük, » died on the 9th October. Some four months afterwards it was on record that an admirer had left him a valuable legacy. Dr. Schleyer finding that he is generally believed to have departed « to where beyond these voices, there is peace, » denies the report in his paper the Volapükabled Zenodik. He says he has been dangerously ill, and even received the last rites of the church; but he has been cured by the baths of Baden.
Some time ago the Champion Mean Man was under discussion, and we thought we had found him; but after reading the Australian correspondence of a contemporary, we think the Belt must go to Melbourne. It seems that a young woman employed in the postal department married a young man in the same branch of the public service, and received immediate notice from headquarters that under a certain specified regulation she had thereby forfeited her situation. She returned a polite reply that this was not correct, the regulation having been annulled by the new Civil Service Act. Finding that his subordinate knew more of the regulations of the service than himself, the Postmaster-General was paltry enough to remove the bride of a week to Wangaratta, her husband remaining in Melbourne!
The Times (says the London correspondent of the Dunedin Star), is not quite on its last legs yet. Saturday's issue, for example, contained more than eighty columns (equal to 150 ft.) of advertisements. The price paid, even by contractors, seldom falls below ten shillings per half-inch, so that one may fairly reckon the takings for an average day in the Printing-house-square advertising department at £1,760. This doesn't look like bankruptcy, does it? I happen to know, too, that the « Thunderer's » influence in literary, if not in political matters, remains great as ever. A column review which it gave on Thursday last to a novel called The Awakening of Mary Fenwick, has in less than a week caused that story to be the most asked-forbook of the season, and necessitated the printing-off of a large second edition.
A very interesting and well-edited department in the Wellington Press is that entitled « The Half-way House, » appearing once a week, and devoted to notes and queries, literary competitions, mathematical problems, &c. A question of some historical importance raised lately still remains without a satisfactory reply, though several correspondents have attempted to answer it: « When did these islands receive the name of New Zealand, and by whom was the name given? »
« A number of English sovereigns, coined in the jubilee year, are being called in owing to the mis-spelling of the abbreviation which does duty for Britannia. The abbreviation appears with two t's. » This paragraph is going the rounds, though its origin would not be easy to trace. It is all wrong. The abbreviation « Britt. » is so common on the English coinage that it should have prevented any one from making such an egregious blunder as this. The second t is the correct method of indicating that the word abbreviated— ( « Britanniarum, » ) is plural. The abbreviation does not « do duty for Britannia. » Let any man who is the happy possessor of a half-sovereign examine the inscription, and he will find the word in full.
Mr John Macdonald, who has just resigned his post as manager of The Times, has held that office some fifteen years, Life tells its readers, but he has been connected with the paper in one capacity or another for upwards of forty years. He was first engaged as Parliamentary reporter. After some eight or ten years' service in the gallery of the House of Commons, he was sent out to the Crimea during the war with Russia, in order to administer the fund collected by The Times for the benefit of the sick and wounded. His immediate predecessor in this charitable work had died of fever; and with cruel mockery had during his illness been denied admission into the hospital established by The Times, on the ground that it was intended not for civilians, but for military persons only. Mr Macdonald gave proofs in the Crimea of a kind of ability which seemed to fit him specially for the business department of the paper: and he was appointed sub-manager. Mr Mowbray Morris was the manager, and upon his death, some twenty years afterwards, Mr Macdonald in due course succeeded him. Mr Macdonald, in addition to to his qualifications as a man of business, possesses a remarkable talent for mechanics; and in Mr Mowbray Morris's time he had charge of all that belonged to the printing-rooms. Both in connexion with typesetting and with presswork he introduced several important improvements, the result of his Own inventiveness.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Goschen, has in presenting his budget, given the newspapers of Great Britain a grand gratuitous advertisement. The sale of coffee had, he said, largely fallen off of late, owing to the persistent advertising of their wares by the dealers in cocoa, the result of which was the establishment of a tremendous trade in that commodity. No more significant statement, perhaps, was ever made by a finance minister. Here we are informed, on the highest authority, that continuous advertising had succeeded, in the course of a comparatively short period, in producing what is equivalent to a dietetic revolution in British society. No more emphatic tribute was ever paid to one of the most important functions of the newspaper and periodical press. There is nothing, probably, in the range of human habit on which it is more difficult to work a change than the articles of food to which daily use has accustomed a community. And of such articles there are none which, in the course of generations, have acquired such an undisputed right to their places on the British breakfast table as the tea-urn and the coffee-pot. If a law were passed prohibiting the use of tea or coffee to the British householder, he would be a wise or bold statesman who would answer for the consequences. Temperance reformers may contemplate with complacency the gradual creation of such a change in public sentiment that the British workman will no longer look upon his beer as an inalienable right. But they have not yet ventured to propose an interdict on the tea and coffee of the British millions. Yet, without the least agitation, without mass meetings, without the aid of either pulpit or platform, the thing has been brought to pass in thousands of homes, the inmates of which have consented to forego their habitual beverages. How was the marvel accomplished? Simply by the insertion in certain newspapers and magazines of a few business-like words recommending a rival commodity. This is an economic fact of some importance, or the Chancellor of the Exchequer would not have deemed it worth mentioning. But it has also a lesson of deep interest to all persons who have wares to sell. It reveals, in a most striking manner, the wondrous power of advertising, and it is worth while to make inquiry as to the kind of advertising which produced so remarkable a result. If a notice of anything—a meeting, an auction, some specialty in food and dress, or a house to let or sell—appears a single time in the columns of a journal in the ordinary way and is paid for—we call that an advertisement. But advertising, such as Mr Goschen had in his mind, was something more than that. It was persistent advertising. Only persistent advertising can have any effect on a busy, versatile, frivolous, and distraught public. What is seen once or twice fades from memory. To impel the public mind with determination in any direction, it is necessary to agitate, whatever the object, question, or cause, at stake may be. A single grave and lucid article, lecture, speech, or sermon, may suffice to inspire a few earnest minds with fervour of purpose strong enough to carry them to the goal of accomplishment. But the mass of mankind is hard to move, hard even to touch. The same truth, however obvious it may seem to the initiated, must be repeated over and over many times before it begins to make an impression on the many. It is the same with advertising. An advertisement may be seen a dozen times before it is even read. But gradually it wins its way to the inner consciousness, and then it is never forgotten. Such a maker's name is thenceforth associated with such a commodity, and quis separabit? There are articles which we could easily mention that it would be well nigh impossible to disconnect from certain names. Nor is there the least likelihood that the owners of those names ever regretted the outlay to which that association of ideas is due.
Mr Scobie Mackenzie, the member for Mount Ida, in an address to his constituents, made the following remarks: « There is no greater absurdity in the world than to speak of a parsimonious Government. The thing is a contradiction in terms. Did you ever hear of a country that came to grief over the parsimony, or, let us say, even the economy of its Government? I never did. History does not record such a thing. There are instances of nations decaying through the spread of luxurious and enervating vices, and plenty have come to grief through extravagance. I once knew a celebrated schoolmaster, a man of great experience, who was much puzzled at hearing of the number of boys who were supposed to break down through overwork. 'I should like to see the photograph of one of them,' was all the comment he used to make. Well, I should like to get a good photograph of the Government who brought their country to grief through parsimony. They would make a very interesting group. »
Messrs Lyon & Blair, printers and booksellers, Wellington, write: « Permit us to express our admiration of the ability with which Typo is being conducted. It is a highly creditable organ of the printing interests of the colony, and should be in every printer's hands. We know of no publication which is so instructive and interesting, and so directly suitable for the active and progressive members of the craft in New Zealand. »
The « Rubber Chess Printer » is a stationery novelty which should be appreciated by lovers of the noble game. In a polished box, the size of a cigar-case, are a supply of chess blanks, an inking-pad, and twelve stamps, representing the several pieces—also, if required, the four characters for draughts. With this, any problem may in a few seconds be accurately copied from book or newspaper, or a record taken of any given position in actual play.
The following, according to a floating paragraph, is « the language of stamps: « Top right-hand corner: Upright—I desire your friendship. Across—Do you love me? Upside down—Don't write again. Crooked—Write at once. Bottom corner of right hand: Upright—Your love makes me happy. Left top corner, upright—I love you. Across—My heart is another's. Upside down—Good day, my darling. Bottom corner of left hand: Upright—Fidelity will be rewarded. Across—Do not leave me alone in my sorrow. Upside down—You have withstood all trials. When on same line as surname: Upright—Accept my love. Across—I long to see you. Upside down—I am engaged. » To avoid misapprehension, it should be added that this does not apply to stamps sent out of printing offices. The average printer's devil, in stamping papers, will exhaust the whole of the above code in five minutes.
The San Francisco Times is waking up the city. The correspondent of a contemporary says: « A lady reporter who mixes in society one day, and in back-slums and vile resorts the next with a suitable escort, is one of the features. A great sensation was caused a few weeks since by a long report from Sophie Search (the nom de plume of the reporter), of the various saloons which she had visited as a fast woman. This had the effect of closing by forfeiture of licence nearly a dozen of the so-called high-class houses. Then a short time after, disguised as a ragged and destitute woman, admission was obtained to the hospital and infirmary, where for three days she remained an inmate. Her report of the dreadful state of affairs in that institution caused a searching inquiry to be made, with the result of the dismissal of nearly all connected with it. Numerous other places have been visited, and now every public official is on his best behavior. The crusade against abuses of all kinds seems to be carried on with such vigor that all classes are subscribing to the paper, and the size has been doubled, though it has been barely a month under the present management. Those who have withdrawn their subscriptions have had their names published in full, and in consequence few have now the courage to stop the paper for fear they will be considered as wearing the cap that fit. »
The Melbourne evening Standard signalized its first appearance by a terrific blunder. The report of an action brought by Mr Price, the advance agent of the Jubilee Singers, against Mr Loudin, the manager, was headed, « A House of Ill Fame.—Revolting Disclosures. » —The B. & C. Printer and Stationer has some excellent original articles on literary subjects, but they are often disfigured by printers' errors which must make the writer tear his hair. In an article on « Traditional Errors, » he is made to refer to a certain work by the Abbé Prévost,
as « Marion Lescaut. » —A correspondent of a Ballarat paper, complaining of the cruel treatment of some goats by a band of larrikins, signed himself « One of the Sufferers. » —A contemporary, after stating that in Queensland one out of every 410 persons is insane, and in Victoria one out of every 224, endeavors to account for Queensland's « undesirable predominance » !—Scientific items bother some of the papers greatly. A telegram reporting the discovery of some large bones, « one of them recognizable as part of a tibia, » we find prominently headed « Discovery of Tibia Bones. » — « Christchurch ecclesiastics, » says a contemporary, « have banded themselves to set up a bulwark against the pest of decency, cursing, swearing, and prostitution. » — « A11 the banks, » says a North Island paper, « will be closed on Monday next—the anniversary of Whit Monday. » —An impounding notice in a Dunedin paper includes among the animals « a black gelding, marked on both horns. » A beast for Barnum.—The same paper contains an advertisement concerning a lost dog. « Name, 'Spring.' If found in anyone's possession after this date, will be prosecuted. » — « The widows of the Southbridge church, » says the local paper, « need washing badly. They are too dirty for any use, and are a disgrace to the town. »
In reply to Mr Reeves, the Government have announced that they have no intention of remitting the post-age fee charged on newspapers. We well remember when newspapers posted in this colony could be sent absolutely free to all parts of the world—an undoubted boon to struggling proprietors in the hard times of native and other troubles; and we have not forgotten how, to meet war expenditure, a postal rate of one penny was suddenly imposed. To many of the smaller papers, the new impost was fatal; and the indignation of the press was great, but unavailing. The inland rate has since been reduced one-half; but for home and foreign postage it is heavier—one penny to England, the British colonies, and the United States, and twopence to the continent. In our own case, the foreign postage is a very heavy expense. Hundreds of our papers are despatched monthly to Europe and America—not to subscribers, but to exchanges and trade houses, and every name on our list represents an outlay in postage of either one or two shillings per annum. This is a hardship, but our case is an exceptional one; and great as the relief to us and to newspapers generally would be if the proposed change were made, we cannot advocate it; and for this reason: the postal charge is not a tax, but a payment for services rendered. The post office is a public institution, and does not, like a private concern, need to look for a stated profit on its operations; but there is no reason why it should be carried on at a loss. It pays heavy subsidies to the swiftest steamboat lines for mail conveyance, and no sound reason can be given why tons of newspapers should be carried away from the colony every week at the public expense. If this is done, the service must either be conducted at a serious loss, or the writers of letters must most unfairly pay a heavy rate in order that newspapers may pass free.
There are certain difficulties in the fixing of a postal rate on newspapers. In the case of a uniform rate, publishers of a small and light sheet like our own, for which only a nominal rate of subscription is charged, are placed at a great disadvantage in comparison with the proprietors of the overgrown weeklies of fifty or sixty pages, in addition to the extraneous matter in the form of supplements. In fact, these papers—reprints of dailies, in every case—owe their very existence to the postal rate. The saving of postage alone is sufficient to warrant the cost of a separate issue and a separate subscription list, as well as the extra expense of large quantities of standing type, and the re-arrangement of matter. The first cost of composition (as well as reporting and editorial work) being saved, they can be produced so cheaply that no independently published weekly could compete with them. In fact, the colonial weekly is a device by which the matter of six big daily papers may be transmitted through the post at a single rate. The only fair method would be to treat newspapers like letters and book-parcels, and charge by weight; but there are considerable difficulties in carrying such a proposal into effect. But, admitting all the defects of the present system, and its unavoidable hardships, we consider the proposal to remit the postage rate altogether, as entirely unwarrantable. It is strange, too, that the suggestion should have come, not from the small and struggling papers, upon whom it really presses severely, but from the great newspaper companies, who receive in return from the postal department much more than an equivalent for their outlay.
Curiously enough, this question has just come prominently forward on « the other side. » Some interesting remarks on the subject are to be found in the letter of our Melbourne correspondent in this issue. New South Wales and Tasmania, alone of all Australian colonies, send papers through the post free to all parts of the world, and the Victorian publishers are agitating for a like concession, which the Government naturally hesitates to grant. The correspondent of a contemporary—a newspaper-man, evidently—describes the rate as « the iniquitous stamp-duty, » and says:
This half-penny stamp that the Post Office clings to with such tenacity, has driven, and is still driving away hundreds of thousands of pounds, which might be earned as wages and profits in Melbourne, for the benefit of printers and publishers in Sydney. This is a rather unique way of « protecting » local industries, and shows how little our sapient legislators know about the matter. I am reminded of this by the announcement that the
Centennial Magazinehas kept the first anniversary of its birthday. It is essentially a Victorian publication, written in, and largely circulated in the colony. But, it is printed in Sydney, because from that capital it can be circulatedfreeall over the world,Victoria included.TheChristian Worldwas removed from Melbourne for the same reason. Nearly all the contributors to the——live in Melbourne, but the proprietors are said to save £500 a year postage by publishing in Sydney.
Of course it is not a « stamp-duty » at all. The objectionable English stamp-duty on newspapers, long since abolished, was altogether different and apart from any postal fee. The truth is, that « free-trade » New South Wales has been protecting the publishers by carrying and distributing their periodicals to all parts of the world at the cost of the tax-payers. Just as the « bounty » system supplied John Bull with cheap sugar at the expense of the French citizen, so the New Zealand or Melbourne subscriber to Sydney literature can obtain it cheaper than that published in his own colony. The result is, a temporary stimulus to the trade in New South Wales; but which, we venture to predict, will ultimately result in disaster to the publishers there. From our correspondent's letter it will be seen that two schemes are proposed in Melbourne to meet the difficulty. One is to remit the rate there, and put both colonies on an even footing. The other is, to impose a heavy Customs duty on imported literature. Both proposals are bad—the latter the worse. In either case the Victorian public would pay the piper, and in either case the New South Wales publishers—whose business has been unduly inflated by State aid—would find a terrible reaction. One or other proposal will certainly be carried into effect—to the mutual disadvantage of the colonies—unless, indeed, the postal department of New South Wales, in a lucid interval, impose a reasonable fee.
Therefore, while we would welcome a remission in the unduly heavy rates of foreign postage on papers—in our own case amounting to nearly £20 a year, for which our foreign exchanges are our only equivalent—we should decidedly oppose the abolition of the postal fee. The temporary gain to the publishers, at the expense of the general taxpayers, would be more than counterbalanced by their ultimate loss. Either as regards states or individuals the same rule holds good: He who works for nothing, injures those who depend upon their labor—he does not benefit himself, and he inflicts a wrong upon the community.
We have good news this month. The new libel act has passed both houses of Parliament, and a reform in the copyright law is in hand. The former measure is substantially the same as the English act, with additional safeguards against speculative actions by men of straw. We intend giving a full summary of both measures at an early date. Typo has to congratulate the press on these two important reforms, which have been steadily advocated in these pages since our first number appeared, two-and-a-half years ago. Under the unjust libel laws, the press has been plundered of thousands of pounds during the past thirty years. The two important reforms of 1889 in the law affecting the press, will remain a standing memorial to the value of trade journalism.
As a Court of Appeal the newspaper press has no legal status; but nevertheless this is one of its numerous functions. A man in Wellington was lately waylaid and foully assassinated on a lonely road. Suspicion fell on an Italian named Chemis, and a jury—Wellington juries have more than once broken the record for stupidity—have found him guilty of Wilful Murder on extremely slender circumstantial evidence. The Chief Justice put on the black cap, and sentenced the prisoner to death. The newspapers, without exception, declare that the verdict was not warranted, and that to hang the prisoner would be judicial murder. And we venture to say that, notwithstanding the « verdiet, » and notwithstanding the sentence, Chemis—unless he make confession—will not be hanged.
Some of our readers last month would notice that three lines on our postal wrapper were cancelled. Thereby hangs a tale. A considerable portion of the issue had been posted, and the English and foreign copies had been addressed for the mail, when we received a notice from the department that our wrapper (which we have used from the very first number) was not in accordance with the regulations. Being unconscious of any offence, we inquired wherein we had broken the law, when our attention was directed to the following rule: « A newspaper shall not contain…. anything on the cover but the name and address of the person to whom it is sent, the printed title of the newspaper, and the printed name and address of the publisher or vendor who sends it. » Even then it was difficult to see wherein we had erred. But it appeared that after due consideration, the department had decided that the words: « A Monthly Newspaper and Review, devoted to the Advancement of the Typographic Art, and the Interests of the Printing, Publishing, and Bookselling Trades, » could not be tolerated on the wrapper of a newspaper! We submitted that this was really part of the title, as might be seen from the cover of any number or title-pages of the volumes, but in vain, Our papers were however allowed to pass, after the objectionable words had been struck out with a pen. So we have altered our wrapper—not without some misgivings lest the boundary-Rule may yet be found contrary to Regulation. The wrapper sent back appears to have been objected to by some keen-eyed postmaster in the Otago district, whose learned leisure is occupied in the study of those regulations which have apparently no other object than to entrap the unwary publisher. As it bears a postmark dated last September, the department have been just nine months making up their minds as to whether or not the regulation has been infringed. Meantime, we have been allowed, all unwittingly, to commit a good many thousands of breaches of the law, in sending the illegal wrappers to all parts of the world. It is about time that the medley of regulations in the Postal Guide relating to newspapers and other periodicals received a thorough overhauling. It is only fair to say that the Parliament is not responsible for the foolishness of which we complain, except that in the Post Office Act it has allowed too much scope for the eccentricities of that mythical personage « The Governor in Council. » From time to time the stupidest provisions are drafted—no one knows by whom or wherefore—and gazetted, and thenceforth-have all the force of law.
Typo has now entered on the second half of its third year, and we are glad to say that it has attained a firm position. Each month now brings a gratifying addition to our list of subscribers, and to our advertising connexion; and each new subscriber, we find, does what he can to enlist further support. We are pleased to find subscriptions coming in, with words of greeting and encouragement, from our brethren in the Australian colonies. Some send friendly suggestions, which will be carried into effect as increasing support enables us to do so. We have many improvements in view, which will not however, affect the size or style of our page. Our present issue is the largest that has yet appeared.
Writing on the subject of « rings » and « corners,), the Mataura Ensign says: « Most of the recent great corners have resulted in disaster to the speculators, as, for example, those in wheat and copper. That this should be so is a kind of poetical justice. For these rings are in no sense useful to the trade of the world. They are obstacles to commerce. A species of highway robbery under the forms of law, that brings disaster and suffering to thousands of innocent people. It is the object of rings to prevent production, to prevent distribution, and to produce famine. They throw thousands out of employment and compel millions to pay black mail for necessaries. That they end so often in the ruin of their promoters is therefore a kind of judgment of Providence which mankind as a whole may well rejoice in. »
The American correspondent of a contemporary states that the San Francisco Times refuses to accept complimentary tickets for any place of public amusement. This, we may add, has for many years been the practice of The Times in London. In the colonies, where nearly every paper has its « job department, » actors do not rely on an admission-ticket to secure notices of their pieces. They studiously avoid the job-printer who does not control a newspaper, and they generally display remarkable generalship in the distribution of their job-work among the daily papers.
The manner in which technical terms are abused in the daily papers is not surprising when it is considered that they are always produced under circumstances of pressure. But the lapses of the scientific press in this respect are notorious and altogether without excuse. In a late number of the Hospital, for example, tobacco is referred to as « the most harmless of stimulants. » Now tobacco is not a stimulant, and containing a potent nerve-poison, is anything but harmless. The term « homœopathic » is often abused in the sense of « infinitesimal » —but it is not generally known that the first thus to misapply it was Hahnemann himself—the man by whom it was coined!
An industrious calculator has been compiling the statistics and curiosities of the reports of the Parnell commission, with some comical results. His list concludes thus; « Mr Davitt has had piercing eyes thirty-nine times, and been lost in thought ten times. He has also stooped to pick up a pin. The Government has been referred to five hundred and sixty times as a leaky vessel. It has sunk with all hands on board seventy-six times. Once it fell through the air, pierced by the arrow 'forgery,' to be dashed against the breakers, and dig its own grave. It has also been a coach without a rudder, the horses gone over the precipice, and the foremast in tatters. »
The following, from the Toledo Blade, will show that the American law is pretty severe on delinquent newspaper subscribers.—A newspaper in Ohio recently brought suit against forty-three men who would not pay their subscriptions, and obtained judgement in each case for the amount of each claim. Of these, twenty-eight made affidavit that they owned no more than the law allowed, thus preventing attachment. Then under the decision of the Supreme Court, these twenty-eight delinquents were arrested for petty larceny, and bound over in the sum of $300 each. All but six gave bond and have since paid the publisher, with costs of suit, and the above six were sent to jail. The postal laws make it larceny to take and receive a paper from the mails and then refuse or neglect to pay for it.
Mr Carnegie, the millionaire ironmaster of Pittsburg, is well known as the author of Triumphant Democracy, a book in which the United States are represented as a labor paradise, and which was considered as affording such an argument in favor of high tariffs, that a New Zealand protection league paid for the insertion of the whole work in instalments as an advertisement in a leading daily paper. Mr Charles E. Wheeler, secretary of the Ohio Reform League, has been visiting Mr Carnegie's coke ovens near Scotdale, and found that the laborers tending the furnaces were Hungarian women. « They were clothed with a short kilt and a pair of boots, and, so far as the eye could judge, that was all. From waist up they were as naked as the cold truth. In all the habits of daily life, with men they are as men. » The philanthropic founder of free libraries in Scotland wrings his gains from the toil of female serfs. We have as yet no millionaire manufacturers employing « undraped » female laborers in this colony: but « triumphant democracy » is rapidly preparing the way for such a condition of things.
On the 12th April, a social evening was spent by the employés of Messrs Cassell & Co., limited, on the occasion of Mr Galpin's retirement from the office of managing director. The chair was occupied by the Right Hon. A. J. Mundella, m.p., who made an excellent speech. Referring to the « Penny Dreadful » literature, he said it was neither exciting nor interesting, but unformly vulgar and trashy. None except those of poor mind and bad education—none who had once enjoyed the exquisite privilege of reading the English classics as produced in Cassell's National Library—could find pleasure in reading it. Regarding the « National Library, » he said that the fact that such volumes could be published and sold at 4½d seemed to indicate that the rising generation would be better than the one which had preceded it. He was, he was proud to say, the possessor of more than a hundred and fifty volumes of the series. His first difficulty with them was to know where to put them so as to be most accessible. At last he decided to put them in his dressing-room, so that when he returned from the House of Commons he might read a page of pure English, and by it take the bad taste out of his mouth.
The British Printer comes to us all together—a neatly-bound volume for 1888, for which we thank the editor, Mr Hilton—and the first number of the second volume. This is not only a technical journal of the first rank, but is also the most beautifully-printed of all the home trade papers. It comes from the capable hands of Messrs Raithby & Lawrence, Leicester, who evidently take no little pride in its appearance. Our sole regret is, that there is so little of the « British » element about it. The English founders—who, if they choose, might take the lead—are almost unrepresented here. They most unwisely ignore the trade press, and the trade journals retaliate by silence. With every desire to give all prominence to English novelties, and with the advantage of being in direct communication with more than one of the great foundries, we ourselves can only note a new English production three or four times in the year. The German element, (and in a secondary degree the American), pervades the British Printer. Page after page is occupied with specimens of German novelties—and beautiful designs they are—while the ink with which the paper is printed is from Kast & Ehinger.
The Paper and Printing Trades Journal, Mr Tuer's 80-page quarterly, is crowded as ever with trade news, criticisms, and original notions. There are some more « Optical Illusions, » and some clever specimens of rule-work. Nothing seems to escape the observant editor, and this periodical is the most complete record of trade matters—all the world over—that reaches us.
Paper and Press for April contains some beautiful plates illustrative of high-class « process » work. It also contains an interesting illustrated article on the new Bingham process of roller-casting, in which the composition is forced upward from the bottom of the moulds. The advantages of this system are obvious. All the air is driven out as the composition rises, and the bubbles, streaks, hollows, and annoying flat patches which occur in spite of every precaution in the old system are avoided. This firm undertakes to cast absolutely perfect rollers—seamless, and without so much as a pinhole in the surface.
The Inland Printer for May overflows with original practical articles and art illustrations. Two engravings of Denver, Colorado,—one in 1858, the other in 1888—strikingly illustrate Western progress. In the first there is a background of mountains, a patch of forest, a bullock-team, a log-hut, and two wigwams. In the second, all is changed save the mountains. The plain is occupied by a large and thriving city, with beautiful suburbs.
The proportion of advertisements to text in trade papers is very variable; but the most extreme instance we have yet seen is the issue of I'lmprimerie Belge for 20th May—containing twelve quarto pages of advertisements, and not a single line of reading matter. This paper is evidently a good property.
It is a long time since the American Lithographer and Printer published an art supplement. With the issue for 25th May, there is a very fine one,—three photo-engravings by Wolfe's half-tone process. The blocks will bear comparison with the best process work in the market.—This journal has now been chosen as the official organ of American litho-artists—a well deserved compliment.
Cassell & Company.—Catalogue of Lett's Diaries for 1890.
Dean & Son, 160a Fleet-street.—Catalogue of books, including the well-known colored publications for children which are a specialty of this firm.
J. S. Cook & Son, 7 Silk-st., Cripplegate, London, E. C.—A beautifully-printed catalogue of printing machinery and materials, comprising presses, paper-cutting, paging, perforating and other machines, and nearly every other appliance in use by printers.
N. Antoine & Fils, Paris (London branch, 1 Prior-st., Greenwich, S. E.)—Catalogue of writing inks, with lithographed fac-similes of labels and full-sized colored illustrations of the various bottles and jars in which their wares are put up.—By parcel post we have also sample bottles of the excellent inks manufactured by this firm.
H. S. Cropper & Co., Minerva Works, Nottingham.—Circulars illustrating improvements in the Minerva machine. The framework is now cast in a single piece, and instead of the two concentric disks, rotating in opposite directions, there are now three small disks, arranged in the form of an equilateral triangle, rotating in the opposite direction to the large disk.
Messrs Baber & Rawlings, Auckland.—Price-list of printers' sundries; also specimens of printing inks by A. B. Fleming & Co., limited, kept in stock by Messrs B. & R. The high quality of Messrs Fleming's inks needs no recommendation; but they do not appear to great advantage in this specimen, some of the pages of which are not well printed.
Mr Walter Haddon, of the firm of John Haddon and Co., 3 and 4, Bouverie-street, E.C., was elected at a recent ballot as a Director of the Booksellers' Provident Institution.
The proprietors of the Wairarapa Star, alias the South Wairarapa Advocate, alias the Eketahuna and Pahiatua Mail, are endeavoring to float a joint-stock newspaper and printing company, with a capital of £10,000 in £10 shares. The abridged prospectus, a copy of which has reached us, is a very interesting document, and in these bad times is enough to make printers less fortunate than their Wairarapa colleagues feel a little envious. The proprietors offer the concern for £8000, reserving to themselves the management and two hundred paid-up shares. They guarantee for five years a dividend of not less than ten per cent on the paid up capital. Reports of two valuers are apppended, one of whom values the business at £7250, and the other at £7551 15s. The profits for 1887 were £1134, and for 1888, £1115. As nearly every newspaper in New Zealand has lost heavily during the same period, these figures are remarkable—the more so as the book-debts amount to over £2000. The rush for shares should be tremendous.
The New Zealand Schoolmaster reflects credit on the editorial department. To a very large extent it is necessarily occupied with technicalities; but subjects of general interest are not overlooked. In the June issue, the review of « The Land of my Fathers » and articles on « The Godless Schoolmaster » and « The Waimangaroa Case, » are exceedingly well written.
A Wairarapa paper puzzled its readers by giving the name of « Andrew Maguire » as a candidate for the road board—no person of that name being known in the district. The Returning Officer had filled up a model paper for the guidance of ratepayers, using an imaginary name; and a vigilant reporter, mistaking the document for a genuine nomination, constructed the item. « The announcement, » says the editor, « caused the greatest interest throughout the district, and the Returning Officer and ourselves have been literally besieged with inquiries. »
Dr. von Bülow indulged in a delicious bit of satire, by way of a parting gift to the United States. It seems that one of the critics, in his notice of the doctor's recitals, devoted less space to the music than to a lively description of the opera-hat which is the great pianist's inseparable companion on the concert platform. So Dr. von Bülow made his headgear into a parcel, and despatched it to the editor, with a polite note that as his critic seemed to know more about opera-hats than about Beethoven, he might like to keep the thing as a souvenir.
The following literary gem is from the Wellington Times: « His life had its fevers, but the Supreme anodyne has been administered, and he is now pluming for a higher flight. » Now, Jonathan! excel that, if you can!
Mr Deasy ought to be thoroughly ashamed of himself. The special commission has investigated his complaint, and it turns out that his letters were neither intercepted nor opened—not even by his prospective mother-in-law. There was not even half-a-truth in his assertion. Like his great leader, he made « a boastful and exaggerated statement, designed to mislead, » which according to our « religious » contemporary, the N. Z. Tablet, is « an artifice commonly employed, and admitted to be completely allowable. »
Some of our contemporaries speak of the action of the Town Council of Edinburgh in deciding (by a narrow majority) to present the freedom of the city to Mr Parnell as a compliment to that gentleman. It appears more like an insult to the citizens. Their votes were taken on the subject, and out of a roll of 43,000 only 3197—one-fourteenth of the whole—voted in favor of the proposal. About half of the citizens did not record their opinion, but nearly eighteen thousand took the trouble to record a formal protest. This is sufficient to account for the Lord Provost's refusal to participate; and the large majority of 14,611 who voted « No, » sufficiently proves that the action of the council is in direct opposition to the will of the citizens of the Scottish capital.
The Pall Mall Gazette sometimes stumbles upon extraordinary mare's nests. Its latest is about the Romanist Bishop Moran of this colony. « He has a substantial grievance to pour into the private ear of the Pope…..He is the only Irish bishop in the country, the other three prelates being English, with no very pronounced affection for Mr Parnell » ! Here is a « grievance » ! New Zealand is a British colony, and is no more concerned with Mr Parnell's movements, than with those of Boulanger or Emin Bey. But the richest part of the paragraph is the suggestion that in the appointment of the papal hierarchy in distant lands, the selection should be not on grounds of ability, orthodoxy, or general fitness, but on the strength of their « pronounced affection » for an Irish heretic! Bishop Moran is not such a Pius Innocent as to make a suggestion of this kind to Leo XIII.
Where are Sir Charles Russell's four hundred witnesses? Each one called since Mr Parnell's extraordinary confession has made the case for the league worse, and it is ten times blacker than even The Times ventured to represent it. So bad is it, that counsel have with one accord thrown it up in disgust. The pretext upon which they retired is too hollow to be accepted. The fact is, that it was more than their professional reputation was worth to be longer connected with men who openly acknowledged themselves to be associated with fenians and dynamiters, and gloried in the fact. Mr Parnell says no human tribunal can deal with the question. Ireland has had about enough of the inhuman tribunals of the league, which exist largely to manufacture « bogus » public opinion by means of intimidation and relentless coercion. If, however, Mr Parnell means that the inquiry should be carried before some superhuman court, he might indicate how it is to be done. Failing this, the human tribunal must do its best. Every one else has to accept justice as administered by fellow-mortals, and it is scarcely reasonable for Mr Parnell to ask for more. At all events, The Times is vindicated; and the ex-Attorney-General, in asserting that it was a party to a « foul conspiracy, » made a statement which he has been unable to support by a shadow of proof.
The appearance of a new literary magazine is a notable event in our little world of letters, and press and public alike were prepared to give Zealandia a kindly welcome—though the florid prospectus did promise a little too much, and did not err on the side of modesty. A discerning public scarcely looked for a periodical that would combine the literary ability of the Cornhill in its best days with the artistic excellence of the Century, and the colonial flavor of the Centennial; but they were justified in expecting a magazine that would fairly represent the literary talent of the colony—and they have been disappointed. The first number does not reach the level of the old Southern Monthly, and is in no respect—not even typographically—in advance of the ordinary weekly newspapers of the colony. The compositors' work is very much on the newspaper model; the articles are set in large or small type without any discrimination; and no two headings—whether of articles or departments (except « Chess » and « Draughts » ) are in the same type. In fact, the titles might have been purposely designed to display the great variety of inappropriate jobbing-letter at the disposal of the printer. The lithographed design on the wrapper is a nightmare. On the left a black kauri-pine, on the right a black tree-fern. Beside the tree-fern a moa, ungainliest of extinct birds, black as night. At its feet a broken egg-shell, and at its side a moa-chick or a full-grown kiwi, ill-defined. A sable figure in Maori costume stands near the moa, black feathers in his raven hair, and a black mere in his hand. Behind lies a gloomy lake, and on its farther shore some black objects which may be canoes or saurian monsters. In a valley beyond is something which may be a city, a quarry, or a cemetery. In the remote distance are alps, and a murky sky above, suggestive of Thomas Hood's lines:
Oh then, what black Mont Blancs arose, Crusted with soot, and not with snows: What clouds of dingy hue! In spite of what the bard has penned, I fear the distance did not lend Enchantment to the view. Not Radclyffe's brush did e'er design Black Forests, half so black as mine, Or lakes so like a pall; The Chinese cake dispersed a ray Of darkness, like the light of Day And Martin, over all.
The title, in a very ugly lower-case letter, runs across the upper part of the page, the initial Z being left to the imagination. The whole design is crude beyond description. The publisher had far better have followed the established custom of a cover in typography or in wood engraving. A corresponding absence of unity is observable in the literary contents, and editorial advertisements, which should be relegated to the wrapper, crop up everywhere. The opening piece is a rondo, « Bon Voyage, » by Mr Sharpley, followed by an address « To our Readers, » in which a self-gratulatory solo is performed on the editorial horn. The egotistic spirit is displayed more strongly still in « Arrow-heads, » in which after a lofty reference to previous local magazines which have not succeeded, the readers are informed that this one is modelled on the lines that Dickens would have chosen, « had he brought his genius to our shores! » The first instalment is given of the leading serial « The Mark of Cain, » by Owen Graham. It gives promise of being a good story, though the impending catastrophe is perhaps a little too plainly foreshadowed. This is the best thing in the magazine, and is set in the smallest type. A very amorphous and inconsequent paper by the Rev. R. Waddell, « Some Social Responsibilities of a Young Community » is the next item. The writer appears to have been afraid of drifting into a sermon, and therefore shrinks from pointing his moral. The lines of thought go off at all manner of tangents, and the style is painfully jerky, sentences of from one to six words abounding. The passage most likely to be remembered is this: « I agree with those who criticise Henry George as not being sufficiently radical. He objects to private property in land: I object to private property in anything. So does the Bible. » From other parts of the same article it is pretty clear that the rev. gentleman does not hold that Property is Robbery, or that the Eighth and Tenth commandments have been superseded. His underlying thought is apparently based on the New Testament doctrine of stewardship; but he has put the idea in a manner liable to leave a very erroneous impression. Mr Bracken's contribution is an extravaganza in verse, bristling with puns, entitled « Our Pet Kangaroo. » « Wanderings in Lakeland, » a well-written descriptive sketch of the Manapouri, by Malcolm Ross, betrays the practised hand of the journalist. The complete story, « A Helpless Spectator, » by W. P. Reeves, is a « thriller » in the unwholesome style affected by the late Marcus Clarke. Under the head of « New Books, » there are two signed critiques. The first, by one of the staff, reviews a book by the editor. As might be expected, the notice is a flattering one. The other, by the editor, criticises a story which appears to be scarcely worth criticism. The remaining pages—boys' and girls' column, fashions, chess, draughts, &c., are scrappy—just the kind of thing that is already overdone in the weekly press. The most noticeable quality of the articles is the extraordinary self-consciousness of the writers. They adopt an unnatural and constrained style, as if they were upon a stage, and unpleasantly aware that the eyes of their audience were upon them. We would have more hope of future improvement if the editorial staff looked upon their maiden effort with less complaisance. The magazine is printed in Dunedin, but the printer's name does not appear.
Last month we referred to Mr Tregear's paper in the Transactions on « The Knowledge of Cattle among the Ancient Polynesians. » It is another example of this author's transcendental philology, and exhibits enormous labor and research. Few will follow the writer through the maze of Sanskrit, Arabic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Celtic, Chinese, Malay, and Polynesian words here collected. His object is to prove from the internal evidence of language alone, that in prehistoric times, the ancestors of the Polynesians were acquainted with cattle. He takes half-a-dozen of the commonest syllables, and parallels them with cattle-words in any other language where they approximate. Kai, or the still commoner ka = Scottish kye (this at one fell swoop includes about one-fifth of the Polynesian vocabulary); kau or ngau = cow; po = bos; whaka or waka,=vacca; mu, onomato-poetic, &c. With these materials, and a wonderful power of inference, Mr Tregear has built up a most marvellous edifice. Waka is a canoe: this he connects with the supposed early semi-aquatic habits of cattle, and the custom of the Tartars to cross rivers (the Oxus for example) holding on to the tail of an ox. Waka is also the Polynesian form of bark and barge; and our own word bark (of trees) is the same as the Maori waka on account of its application to similar uses. Rau is a leaf; therefore rau-po and bul-rush, referring to the same plant, are composed of the same primitive elements! The Maori spear kaukau, is so called from having prodded sluggish cows in those prehistoric times when the Maoris were herdsmen. Kau to swim, is from the aquatic habits of ancient kine—or probably from their inflated skins being used as floats.
In Maori a compound word uwha means the female of beasts. Why? U means « teat, » and wha means « four. » What four-teated animals did the Polynesians ever know in Oceania?
Mr John White has given us some curious dissections of Maori words, and some startling etymologies deduced therefrom; but has never reached the height of inspiration which would render « uwha » as « four-teated. » It is as if one should translate « varied fortunes » into « four melodies with variations. » Here is another characteristic extract:
The English etymology of « tale » gives « a number, reckoning, narrative; » Dutch,
taal, language, tongue, speech; both from Teutonictala, a tale, number. In Maori,tau (ta-tau)means to count; so thattauandtarawould be forms of√ taur, and the original idea « mustering » or counting cattle. The Sanskrittara« a spell for banishing demons » (Benfey), =Maoritara, to influence by charms. The Maoripu-tatara(orputara, alsopu-tetere), a « trumpet, » compares with Old Dutchtateren, to sound with a shrill noise, to taratantara with a trumpet (Hexham);—
Mr Tregear might have strengthened his argument by adding that in Irish tradition tara is also associated with the sound of another ancient instrument: « the harp, that once through tara's halls the soul of music shed. » He says, moreover:
A curious fact in connexion with
tarais that this word is used as denoting « a fable »(korero tara).Perhaps the stories of the elders respecting thetauraortara—impossible creatures, as the new generation of islanders began to believe—made all fabulous narratives be calledtara.
By a most extraordinary oversight, Mr T. does not adduce the significant (and evidently allied) word « tara-diddle: » tara = a fable; diddle, to deceive or beguile. In following our author through his devious wanderings, we never feel that we are on firm ground, and we cannot but regret that so much ingenuity and research has been devoted to a korero tara.
The Dean of Christchurch has received information from home that his History of the New Zealand Church will appear on 12th October next.
The sale of the library of the Duke of Buccleuch is notable in the history of book-sales. The first day's sales amounted to over £100,000—the largest result on record for a single day.
Mr C. C. Roe, a well-known wood-engraver of Louisville, Ky., has a novel entitled Deceived in the hands of the printers. It will be profusely and finely illustrated with cuts by the author's own hand. Mr Roe is a nephew of the late Rev. E. P. Roe, who read the MS. before his death.
A manuscript copy of the Gospels, for which the price of £5000 has been refused, is about to come under the hammer in London. It is the splendid Evangelarium, written in letters of gold on purple vellum, which was produced by an Anglo-Saxon scribe for Archbishop Wilfrid of York about the year 670.
A copy of the Gutenberg ( « Mazarine » ) Bible was lately found in the library of Lord Hope-toun when the books were being catalogued for sale—its existence there being previously unknown. Some of the leaves of vol. ii were injured; but it was otherwise a very fine copy. It was bought by Mr Quaritch for £2,000. During the past fifteen years three other copies of this book have been sold—the Perkins copy, £2,690; the Systar Park (Sir J. Thorold's), £3,900; Lord Crawford's, £2,650. It is reported that a Yankee tourist in Mexico lately discovered a copy of this precious work in a second-hand shop, and purchased it for a few dollars.
To a brother in the craft in Buenos Aires, we are indebted for some more copies of the excellent fortnightly illustrated paper El Sud-Americano. Its illustrations are produced by one of the modern processes—probably zinc-etching, and are exceedingly good, though making no attempt to emulate the almost microscopic detail attained in the American style of art. Much attention is paid to the history and antiquities of South America. One of the most striking sketches in the numbers to hand represents some of the extraordinary vegetable growths of Peru. The scene is in the Valle de Ayacucho, and in the foreground are seen an immense aloe and a group of giant cacti, some apparently fifty feet in height, and of singularly grotesque forms; while the background represents the effects of geological denudation in the form of mighty pyramids and obelisks of rock.
The Dominion Illustrated is a Canadian weekly, now in its second year, copies of which have been sent us by Mr John Haddon, the English agent. Considered either from a literary or artistic standpoint, this paper takes a very high rank, and is exceedingly creditable to Messrs Desbarats & Son, Montreal, the publishers. No such admirably printed newspaper has yet appeared in the Australian colonies—in fact the press-work and paper is superior to those of the two great London illustrated weeeklies. The illustrations are produced by an exceedingly delicate process, requiring the finest press-work, and full justice is done to them in the working. The reviews are judicious and ably-written, and the periodical is one of permanent interest and value.
The Christchurch Church News states that the new edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern contains a contribution by a New Zealand writer. The hymn beginning « Return, O Wanderer, to thy Home, » was written (with the exception of the first verse) by the Rev. A. G. Purchas, of Auckland, in 1886. The first verse is taken from the New Zealand Hymnal.
The Cromwell Argus has no sympathy with Sir W. Buller in the loss of his books in the Maitai. It says: « We add our opinion that in having to bear the loss, Sir Walter Buller is served rightly for the barbarously ignorant idea of destroying the plates; this having been done to keep the books at a fictitious price and, therefore, out of the reach of common people. »
Criminal informations for libel having been laid by H. G. G. Hanking against James Wilkie, editor, and W. Hall, publisher of the Reefton Guardian, the cases came before the R.M. on July 19. The information against Mr Hall was dismissed, but Mr Wilkie was committed for trial to the Supreme Court, bail being allowed—the accused in £300, and two sureties in £100 each.
It is gravely asserted by the Detroit Free Press that at a town in Nebraska the people are so short of Bibles that the local paper, at the urgent request of the inhabitants, published the Ten Commandments for their guidance.
Mr C. A. Lober, of Messrs C. Troedel & Co., Melbourne, was presented on the 21st June by his fellow-employés with a handsome clock on the occasion of his marriage.
Mr J. D. Robertson, overseer of the Silver Age, Broken Hill, was presented by the companionship on the 16th May with a handsome marble-cased clock, in token of their regard, on the occasion of his marriage.
The action for wrongful dismissal taken in the Court of Queen's Bench on the 21st May by Mr James Greenwood against Mr H. Hucks Gibbs, proprietor of the St James's Gazette, has been settled by the payment of the plaintiff's claim (£975) and costs.
It is dangerous to write disrespectfully of that classic dance, the can-can. The Era, having described a performance of this kind by a certain Mr and Mrs Barnes as « indecent, » Mr Ledger, the proprietor of the Journal, has had to enter in his Cash-book a payment of £300 damages, in addition to costs.
The employés of Messrs A. H. Massina & Co., Melbourne, enjoyed a day's outing at Lilydale on the 16th March. Mr George Hall, a clerk in the establishment, met with a painful accident towards the close of the day. He was knocked down by a horse, breaking his collar-bone and three ribs.
The Duke of Cambridge recently assaulted a newspaper reporter, and a magistrate refused to issue a summons against his Grace. Chief Justice Coleridge has ordered the magistrate to issue the summons, on the ground that in the eye of the law all subjects are on an equality. We hope that the services of the magistrate, who apparently holds the view that the sacred person of a duke is above the law, will be dispensed with.
The recent failure of Messrs Spalding & Hodge—a firm established for a century—was the largest and most disastrous the paper trade has known. It is satisfactory to know that the business will not be broken up. The first offer was one of 14/6 in the £, in instalments; but at a later meeting the creditors unanimously accepted 10/- in the £ cash; all new debts since the bankruptcy to be paid in full. At this latter meeting, Mr Judd (chairman of Messrs Spicer & Co., limited), speaking as the mouthpiece of numerous creditors, said that the fact they had unanimously agreed to confirm the proposal, was a sign of great sympathy with a firm whose career had been so long and so honorable.
The libel action, in which the Pall Mall Gazette lately had to pay heavy damages, was brought by a certain Mr Granville Lay-ard (a legal gentleman) and a Mrs Irwin. The libel upon this precious pair was that they had conspired to immure the lady's husband in an asylum—a charge which the Gazette was unable to substantiate. Speaking of the female plaintiff, Mr Justice Field said that « though she was an immoral woman and had been guilty of adultery, that did not disentitle her to redress » —and the jury gave her £1000 damages! Mr Layard got £500. Mrs Nora Sophia Irwin must surely be good-looking, for the verdict of the gallant jury in her favor was « received with symptoms of applause. » In a case against another paper they got £300 each. £2100 is a pretty handsome total for « damages » to characters like these.
The partnership carried on for the past ten years between Messrs J. B. Innes and J. C. York, Hawera, as printers and publishers, and proprietors of the Hawera Star, under the name of « Innes & Co., » has been dissolved, and the business is now carried on by Mr Innes. The Star has the reputation of being one of the best-conducted country papers in the colony.
The Wanganui Herald says that the present tariff from a protectionist point of view is accepted « on the the principle that half-a-loaf is better than no breade… It was a beginning and a good beginning. » Said we not truly that the protectionists are daughters of the horse-leech? The working man who pays the taxes, will scarcely agree that his « half-loaf » is better than the whole one free-trade would give him.
Messrs Mason, Firth, & McCutcheon, Melbourne, celebrated their removal to their new premises on the 3rd June by a social meeting in the new composing-room, to which their staff and friends were invited. Over two hundred guests were present. Mr G. Blackmore, overseer of the printing department, who was one of the speakers, testified to the good feeling which existed generally throughout the office.
The South Australian Advertiser office is lighted by electricity. It says it has led the way to the adoption of this light in printing offices in the colonies, and that no other printing office in Australasia is installed with electric light.—Wrong. The Advertiser forgets what a go-ahead place New Zealand is. The new Government printing office is lighted throughout by electricity; and the Hawke's Bay Herald was the newspaper to « lead the way, » but finding the experiment too costly, reverted to gas.
The dead level of commonplace advertising does not satisfy the aspiring editor of the Akaroa Mail. He keeps a poet, whose dulcet strains compel attention to the local business announcements. The « renowned cash drapers of the locality, instead of proclaiming in the time-honored style that he sells several hundred per cent. below cost, and has marked seventeen-and-sixpenny goods at 9s 11¾d, comes out with six stanzas parodying Longfellow's Village Blacksmith. Another draper follows with an imitation of The Birks of Aberfeldy:
Bonnie lassies, will ye go, Will ye go, will ye go; Bonnie lassies, will ye go To the shop o' Geordie Dearsley?
The concluding stanza is decidedly practical:
Ere « fortune's gifts at random flee, » Guid-wives get a' your cleeds fra me; But ye maun leave the wee bawbeeAt the shop o' Geordie Dearsley.
The local tailor rhapsodizes thus:
When a pant-hunter pantless is panting for pants, And pants for the best pants the pant-market grants, He panteth unpanted until he implants Himself in a pair of my superfine pants.
And the general storekeeper gushes in a spirit-stirring lyric of six stanzas, in this strain:
Where shall I find the sweetest onions, The best-grown seeds and the nicest rake; The surest cure for my corns and bunions; The richest cocoa, both nut and flake; The sharpest saw and the best axe-handles; The whistle that makes the loudest noise; The brightest oil and most lasting candles, Made for my dear ones, my boys! my boys?
Thus do the arts become tributary to commerce!
Four fully paid-up £25 shares in the Press Company, Christchurch, and twelve on which £20 10s each had been paid, were sold by auction a few days ago, for £18 the lot.
« The Rev. Archibald Sharper leaves on Monday for a ten months' trip to the old country. » So says a cruel telegram in yesterday's Wellington Press. We dimly recognize the venerable Archdeacon Harper in this uncouth disguise.
Good Form is the name of the latest manual of etiquette. As one of the fundamental rules in good society is the avoidance of slang, the choice of a cant title like this for a book on such a subject displays not only vulgarity, but a lamentable want of judgment.
A well-known journalist, who writes under the name of « The Vagabond, » on arriving at Auckland lately, was found to have more than the regulation quantity (half-a-pound) of cigars in his luggage, and they were accordingly confiscated by the Customs. Some of the papers think he suffered hardship. We fail to see it.
A bull recently invaded the printing establishment of Mr C. Butter, Retford, which is conducted in upstairs rooms. The animal ascended a narrow and winding staircase, peeped into several apartments, and finally paid a visit to the composing-rooms. His tour of inspection was interrupted by a number of men, who had considerable difficulty in getting him down stairs and into the street. Not much damage was done.
In the discussion on the new libel bill, Mr Downie Stewart especially opposed the sections which made the speakers of libellous words responsible for their utterances when reported in the press. There is nothing remarkable in this; but it is somewhat surprising to find Mr Ballance, an old newspaper man, agreeing with Mr Stewart, on the ground that it « would place public speakers in an awkward position » ! Very awkward, no doubt, if they choose to publicly slander their neighbors—but why, in the name of common sense, should they, as heretofore, go scot free, and the press be vicariously responsible?
The silly system of cutting up items into a kind of literary sausage-meat to suit the taste of the indolent reader may lead to awkward results, as in the case of the following, which appeared in a Queensland paper lately:
Mr Charles Johnson and Miss Fanny West were married by the Rev. S. Hills, on Wednesday last.
So far no trouble has resulted, and those best informed as to the situation say there will be none.
The prospects, however, are by no means promising.
The editor didn't think they were, as he ran his eye down the column that morning. Trouble did result. The infuriated Mr Johnson made an early call—a cowhide in his hand, and something very like murder in his eye. He was in no mood to listen to reason, or to receive instruction in the art and mystery of making-up. In fact, while he was gently restrained by the pressman, it required the combined efforts of the overseer and the entire literary staff to convince him that the comments related to « an incipient strike » referred to in another column.
The Reporter is the name of a new Victorian weekly. Messrs S. B. Cumpston and T. C. Bright are the proprietors.
A small eight-page paper— « out-and-out radical » has been started at Christchurch by Mr F. Guiness. It is called The Age, and is not likely to die of old age.
The Korimako, an eight-page Maori newspaper, edited by the Rev. J. Maunsell, is announced to appear this month. A Maori paper under the same title was published some years ago. The korimako is a native bird (Anthornis melanura) the « bell-bird » of the colonists.
Two native papers have already borne the names of birds. The king natives, with the press and type presented by the Emperor of Austria, printed a paper called the Hokioi, a native bird. Copies of this paper, entirely printed by natives—and amateurs at that! were not prized at the time, but are great curiosities now. Mr J. E. Gorst as a counterblast, started the Pihoihoi (the common ground-lark, Anthus N. Z.) This paper had but a brief existence—a raid was made under the chief Rewi, the press and type carried off, and the latter melted into bullets!
The Railway Review is the name of a small paper started in Auckland, and « devoted to the interest of New Zealand railway men. » It advocates railway reform on the principles proposed by Mr Samuel Vaile.
A recent addition to the Victorian press is the Mount Wycheproof Ensign, Karyrie, Marl-bed, Carapugna, Cooroopajerrup, Wirmbirchip, Whirily, Towma, Jilljill, Nullawil, Narraport, Thalir, Corack, Teddywaddy, Bungelooke, Towaninnie, Tittybong, Ninyeunook, Glenloth, Fort Cameron, Kalpienung, Quambatook, Jeruk, Budgerum, Shinglehut, and East Wimmera Advocate. It is printed in English.
Mr John Ballance, m.h.r., who has for twenty-two years edited the Wanganui Herald, has been chosen as leader of the Opposition. This is a proof of the high esteem in which he is held on both sides of the House, especially when it is considered that his views on certain points—especially on protection and the land question—are a long way too « advanced » for the most radical section of his own party.
The Reefton Guardian now comes out with an engraved old english title—a great improvement.
Mr Thomas Morrison, of Napier, has again been appointed chairman of the Reporters' Gallery in the House of Representatives.
The church militant! The new editor of the Catholic Times has introduced some curious novelties. The latest is a dictionary of military terms, published in instalments. Is this preliminary to a call « Aux armes citoyens! » ?
Mr J. Kirby, a Blenheim journalist, has just been « received » into the Church of Rome with great ceremony. He was for a considerable time editor of the South Canterbury Times. Originally a member of the Church of England, he lapsed into unbelief, and became a prominent Freethinker.
Dr. Rudolph von Mirbach, a Waipawa medical man, has issued a writ against the Mail for libel. The alleged injurious matter appeared in the correspondence columns, in a nearly-forgotten warfare in which the combative doctor took a prominent part some twelve months ago. Under the new libel act—unfortunately not yet in force—this action would be barred by lapse of time.
While rhymes are only too common, it is so rare to find poetry in the New Zealand papers, that the following lines in the Buller Miner, « On a Chunk of Westport Coal, » are worthy of preservation. The writer, who signs himself « Macandro, » appears to have caught the flow of his triplets from a venerable American poet.
On the 29th ult., just as the little Tauranga Star was going to press, the police entered the premises and seized the press, and the paper, type, and other material, conveying the whole to the police station. The seizure was made under §4 of the Printers and Newspapers Registration Act. Mr Bodell, the owner, had duly registered his newspaper, but had overlooked the fact that the plant also required registration—the law of this colony placing a private press and an illicit still on precisely the same footing. The information was laid by Mr Galbraith, proprietor of the Bay of Plenty Times. Mr Galbraith is a solicitor, and probably better acquainted with the law than his rival. His action will scarcely meet with the approval either of his fellow-journalists or his own circle of supporters.
The Reefton Guardian states that in the libel case, subpœnas were issued to all the compositors, with the idea of stopping the issue for the day. The only effect, however, was, that the paper came out late.
In our May issue we spoke of the Daily Telegraph as being the Melbourne evening paper. We should have said the Herald. The Telegraph is one of the three morning papers. We have to thank the A. T. Journal for setting us right.
Messrs Galvin & Bishop have started the « Central News and Advertising Agency Company » in Melbourne. The Hawera Star says: « Many of our readers will remember Mr Galvin as one of the first proprietors and originators of this journal, and his friends know him to be a worthy and honorable man. »
The seizure of the unlucky plant of the Tauranga Star is not, as some of our contemporaries suppose, the first that has taken place under the act of 1868, a private plant having been seized at Waipawa in April last year. In this case the exceedingly objectionable nature of the matter issued from the press induced the police to take the step.
Mr Vincent Pyke is a notorious joker, and the Wanganui comps are unconscious humorists of the first class. We are therefore not quite sure as to whom the credit is due for the following singular quotation, which the Wanganui Herald attributes to Mr Pyke:— « John Milton winds up one of his most famous sonnets:
Now presbyter is but old priest writ large,And parsimony is just economy writ small. »
The following mixed metaphor from the Washington Craftsman, would be hard to beat: « The Pacific Union of San Francisco comes to us this week as a new venture in journalism. While it does not float any particular platform from its masthead, » A New Zealand contemporary, however, comes in a good second with the reflection that « the turn in the tide of prosperity is beginning to dawn. » —A delightful « bull » has been perpetrated by the grave and devout Wellington Watchman in reference to Romish
schools in Protestant countries. It predicts that they will yet prove to be, « like Maynooth College, vipers' eggs, hatching out a brood of scorpions. »
Mr W. H. Waters, for many years known in Melbourne in connection with theatrical journalism, and for a short time a contributor to the Australasian under the nom de plume of « Call Boy, » was found drowned on 2nd July in Barbeta's baths.
Mr Peter Johnson, printer, youngest son of the late Mr Peter Johnson, died at Camper-down, Victoria, of consumption, on 23rd May, at the age of 26. He served his apprenticeship in the office of the Camperdown Chronicle, and attained the position of overseer. He afterwards obtained a situation on the Melbourne Telegraph, where he was so highly esteemed that after he was compelled to leave on account of ill-health, his place was kept open for him for a whole year. Much sympathy is felt for his widowed mother.
Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Coupland Harding, at his registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—July, 1889.
XXXII.
However large the number of characters in a combination, they are, as we have shown, all developments of a very limited number of geometrical forms, and are therefore capable of classification under a very few heads. It is self-evident that, however free and ornate the border may be, its basis is necessarily geometrical; and directly the plainer forms of running border are departed from, and the floral or foliated style is introduced, the art of the designer is shown in disguising the rectangular forms by which the design is built up. As an instance of a successful effort in this direction, we may refer to Bruce's Chinese combination No. 57, characters 32-41. We are not able to show these; but those of our readers who are able to refer to the founders' specimen-sheets will see that the curved lines on these pieces are so ingeniously arranged that when they are used in combination the most practised eye has some difficulty in mentally separating the component parts. On the other hand, some very recent floral ornaments of American origin, noted by us when they appeared, are brought close to the type at so many points that their rectangular character is painfully apparent.
In pursuing the subject of classification of characters, we have been necessarily led to anticipate in some degree the final section of this series of articles—the department of Combination Borders. It is necessary, in dealing with the foundation of the whole subject—the elementary forms—to trace these forms into some of their combinations and elaborations. Having done this, and clearly defined the thirteen classes into which the constituent parts of all ordinary combinations may be resolved, we have now to return to the simpler—and on that account the more widely useful—forms of running borders, in the use of which no greater artistic skill is required than to see that the pattern is not broken by reversing the pieces, and no more mechanical skill than to observe proper justification, so that an effect may be avoided at once destructive to the type and ruinous to the design—the border working « off its feet. »
No experience of the beginner is more common or more annoying than this. It may arise from opposite causes—the border being too tight or too loose. In the first case it will spring, and rise at one or more of the corners—in the latter the pieces, having too much play, lie partly sidewise, and there is a tendency on the part of pieces of the border, and the corners in particular, to drop out of the form.
When this effect, in ever so slight a degree, is seen, the work should at once be attended to, as every movement of the press or rollers tends to increase the mischief, which, if allowed to continue through a long-continued run, becomes irreparable. When a well-cut border stands true, the joins in the pattern are scarcely perceptible. When it is tilted, each type rests on one edge, the opposite edge at the top catching the full weight of the impression, the separate pieces standing—to use a somewhat exaggerated comparison—like the teeth of a saw. The highest angle of the type bears the full brunt of the planer, digs into the rollers and becomes foul, and is unmercifully crushed by the platen or cylinder. The impression at this end is black and heavy, the edge of the type as well as the face making an impression. From thence the impression becomes fainter, and in a bad case disappears altogether at the opposite end, being borne off by the uptilted edge of the next piece. All continuity of design is lost, every piece in the border may be counted, and the broken, piebald, and dentated effect is peculiarly hideous. The mischief does not end here, for the types, on examination, will be found to be seriously flattened at one end of the design and at the opposite end of the foot—they have acquired a permanent set off the perpendicular, and will never stand straight or give a good impression again. First and foremost, in border composition especially, avoid the slovenly and destructive practice of sending a form to press with the type off its feet.
Careless and hasty justification is the general cause; but the fault does not always lie wholly with the compositor. The varying standards of different houses have much to do with the evil. He may have a large fount of border and no justifiers from the same foundry, or an insufficient quantity; his quads may have been mixed from causes beyond his control; and even when the type and justifiers are from the same manufacturer, and professedly agree, there is often a sufficient discrepancy to produce this undesirable result. The compositor must never depend on his quads. He must test his work at every step, and at the last—though the task may be tedious and thankless,—must be sure that his work is right in this important particular.
If the defect appears, make no change in justification until the true cause is discovered. A single lead too long may push the whole form out of square. A lead too short is sometimes worse, as it is less easily detected. A space or thin type slips down at the end of the lead, and causes a « bind. » Avoid the error to which all beginners are prone, of putting hair-spaces, short pieces of lead, or other thin justifiers at the ends of lines. They are certain to slip, and cause mischief. Even when the form is carefully and accurately composed, the mischief may occur in the lock-up. A warped or uneven chase, or a piece of furniture bulged, battered, or slightly too long, outside the work, will throw the whole page out of justification.
This lesson in justification is so important—applying to the plamest as well as the most ornamental work, that we have written largely upon it. We hope all our younger readers will ponder it well. It is truly a matter of « design, » for no ornamental composition, no matter how artistic, can be other than a dismal failure if the type is in the least degree « off its feet. »
One of our contemporaries lately referred to the election of Mrs Besant to the London School Board—and reminded its readers that she had been deprived of the charge of her own children on the ground of her « atheism. » This is incorrect. The order was made partly on account of her publicly-expressed views on marriage and the family relation; but chiefly because she was concerned in the circulation of an infamous and obscene book, which had to be suppressed in the interests of common decency. The election of Mrs Besant to the School Board is truly a strange phenomenon. The latest news regarding her is that she has drifted from her literary colleague, Mr Bradlaugh. He is an individualist, she favors socialism, and now she has abandoned atheism for Blavatskyism.
If the object of the protective tariffs of the colonies were to bring fiscal institutions into contempt, they could not have been better devised for that end. Not only does the New Zealander pay his 25 and 30 per cent, through the customs, but in various surreptitious ways he is plundered for the benefit of « local industry. » Certain kinds of goods are subjected to differential rates on the Government railways, according as they are forwarded to or from a port—that is to say class A becomes B, and vice versa. Local harbor rates are arranged on the same principle—wharfage dues are doubled on imports of produce. By this beneficent arrangement, the producers of the colony are « protected » against the competition of their fellow-colonists. If a coaster carries potatoes from Waimanuka to Wairaupo, forty miles away, and returns with apples, the consumers pay a special import tax, in the guise of harbor dues, but really to keep out « foreign » produce. In fact, the wiseacres of a little Fast Coast port have remitted all charges on exports, and derive their whole income from imports!
Since my last letter to you, a deputation from the Executive Council and Wellington Branch N.Z.T.A., and the Federated Trades' Council waited upon the Public Works Committee of our City Council, to draw their attention to the manner in which its printing was given out. It was complained that the work contained in the last tender was given to the lowest tenderers, which was a firm notorious for employing cheap labor—employing only one man—as an overseer—and about a dozen boys and turnovers. It was pointed out that the whole community suffered by the Council's supporting cheap labor, and the deputation claimed, as ratepayers, that their complaint should be listened to, and strongly urged the Committee to stop their system of encouraging low-tendering, and suggested the insertion of a clause in all future tenders to the effect that man-labor was to be the consideration. The deputation experienced strong opposition from the Mayor (Mr John Dnthie), who is well-known as a large employer of cheap labor—his business being a wholesale ironmonger and general storekeeper—and for some years he has kept an underpaid head storeman and a host of boys and youths. Mr Duthie objected to the plea put forth by the deputation on the ground that if the Committee granted the request of the printers, then all the other trades would likewise come upon them. After a good deal of discussion the deputation were informed that the matter would be considered by the Committee, for which they returned thanks and withdrew. In the course of a few days the secretary of the Trades' Council was informed that the Public Works Committee could not see its way to accept the suggestion of the deputation. I understand, however, that two or three of the councillors are in sympathy with the objects of the deputation, and they will keep the matter in view. Mr Muir, who was at one time a proprietor of the New Zealander (N.Z. Times) a good Union comp, is one of our City Councillors, and he will bear the matter in mind next time any printing comes before the Council.
News reached here the other day of the death of Mr G. M. Jermy, who died of typhoid fever, in Melbourne, at the age of 22 years. He served his time, I believe, on the Rangitikei Advocate, at the termination of which he obtained a frame in the Government Printing Office, working in the piece-, and afterwards in the time-room. About twelve months ago he went to Australia, settling down in Melbourne as a frameholder on the Argus. When the Standard was ushered into the light of « Marvellous Melbourne, » Mr Jermy obtained one of its frames, of which he was a holder when the fever struck him down. He was a steady young comp, and was well respected. At the general meeting of the Branch, last Saturday, on the motion of the President, a vote of condolence to his bereaved mother was carried, a copy of which was ordered to be sent to Mrs Jermy.
The bookbinders and rulers of Wellington, numbering 20 odd, have formed a society, to be called the New Zealand Bookbinders' and Paper-rulers' Trade Society. The first general meeting was held on the 19th inst., when the following officers were elected: President, Mr W. Franklin; Treasurer, Mr W. Jall; Secretary, Mr F. Chinchen; (G. P. O.); Committee, Messrs Green, Hare, and Vear. There has been a movement in this direction going on throughout the colony for some time past. Christchurch has just organized, and Dunedin and Auckland are on the rail.
The urgent necessity of constructing a fire-proof building to accommodate the Parliamentary Library is recognized by the Government, and they are now considering the question of ways and means—whether it would not be possible to place a sum of money on the Supplementary Estimates for the purpose.
The Evening Press quoted your article on free postage, and added their own opinion—backing you up.
The 16th half-yearly meeting of the Wellington Branch of the N. Z. Typographical Association, was held at Queen's Chambers, Grey Street, on Saturday, 17th August, 1889, at 8 p.m. The following are interesting items from the report:—The Board of Management have to record a slight improvement in trade outside the session-work, the latter keeping a considerable number of men fairly well employed. Your Board wish to specially note the fact that much greater interest has been displayed by members of the Society in general, to accomplish the objects for which it was established. In this connexion it is pleasing to state that, notwithstanding the unpopularity of the Brisbane strike, nearly everyone has paid the levy of 4s. Your Board have paid considerable attention to the question of boy-labor, but this matter will require the special attention of members as a body, with a view to making a strong stand against the existing evil. Little, however, can be accomplished in this direction until the Society is placed in a much better financial position; and your special attention is directed to this matter, which will be brought before you in due form. Re the question of apprentices in the Government Printing Office. A deputation from the Trades and Labor Council waited on the Colonial Secretary with regard to this matter, and the reply of that gentleman was to the effect that the Government Printer was instructed to recognize the rules of the Association in future. During the past half-year your Board have fully discussed the question of « fair » and « unfair » offices, and the best means to be adopted to bring about a more satisfactory state of affairs. With this end in view, nine offices which were considered « unfair, » were recommended to be closed, the names of which were duly forwarded to the Executive Council, who have further referred the matter to the Australasian Typographical Union; but so far the result is not known. A deputation from your Board, in conjunction with one from the Executive and Trades Council, waited on the City Council, to ask that body to consider the advisability of giving their printing to offices which employed men in preference to those employing boys, or, in other words, to encourage a fair system of labor. The result of that interview was to the effect that the Conncil would keep the matter steadily in view. The following resolution, passed at a meeting of the Board on the 7th March, is inserted for the information of members:— « That any member leaving one office to go to another should notify the same to the secretary of the Branch within forty-eight hours; and that any member entitled to out-of-work allowance shall call on the secretary every Monday. » Two compositors who sought admission to the Society were fined £2 each for not joining the Society before the end of last year, both of whom consented to pay the amount by instalments. Eight new members joined the Society during the last half-year, three of whom were apprentices in their last year. The number of members on the roll is 96, as against 80 at the last half-yearly meeting. There are also six honorary members. In many cases the arrears have been considerably reduced, but in one or two cases they have slightly increased. The amount outstanding is £8 7s 6d, as against £14 18s at the end of the last half-year. Two members have been struck off the roll, owing over £3; but taking this into account, the arrears have been reduced by quite £3 during the half-year. A hearty vote of thanks is due to the various Collectors, as a slight recognition of their services, for the manner in which they have carried out their duties, and which are not at all times of the most agreeable character.—At half past ten the meeting was adjourned until that night fortnight, to consider Mr McGirr's notice of motion:— « Whereas the N.Z.T.A. has been found an expensive and unsatisfactory system of administering the affairs of the Branches, and it is advisable that the Branches of the N.Z.T.A. should undertake the management of their own affairs, as heretofore:—Resolved,—1. That in the opinion of this meeting the N.Z.T.A. should be abolished. 2. That all funds in the hands of the officers of the N.Z.T.A. should be distributed pro rata amongst the Branches. 3. That the Executive Council of the N.Z.T.A. be requested to give effect to the above resolutions, also the new rules of the Australian Typographical Union. »
The Report of Delegates to Trades Council reads as follows:—To the President and Board. Gentlemen.—In presenting this our First Annual Report of our connexion with the above body, we have much pleasure in reporting that the Council has proved itself of use to your Society, and also to other affiliated societies. By its missionary efforts the Council has succeeded in forming into organized societies craftsmen who were each going their own way—such as the painters, plumbers, gasfitters, tinsmiths, and ironworkers' laborers. The bodies thus formed are affiliating themselves with the Council. The Societies at present forming the Council are—the Seamen's Union, the Ironworkers', the Shipwrights', the Painters', the Plumbers', Gasfitters', and Tinsmiths', the Tailors', and Typographical Societies. Your delegates have the honor of holding office in the Council—Mr Fisher as President, and Mr Mills as Treasurer. The Council some months ago was asked by the Bootmakers' Society to arbitrate for it in its trouble with Mr Hannah, and was successful in its mediation. We are also pleased to be able to say that the Council has been of some use to the Society which we represent. We refer to the apprentice question in the Government Printing Office, and not only was the Council the means in this case of settling the grievance, but an order was given by the Colonial Secretary to the Government Printer to recognize the rules of the N.Z.T.A. The Council will shortly issue the « fair » list of employers, which it was requested by your Board to prepare. In a recent interview which took place between the Council and a member of our Parliament, this gentleman made the remark that the Council was considered to be the first in Fisher, Tom L. Mills, Delegates. A hearty vote of thanks and confidence was passed to the delegates, and they were requested to continue as the Society's representatives on the Council. In the election of officers, Mr W. McGirr was enthusiastically re-elected President; Vice-President, Mr Joslin; Secretary, Mr D. P. Fisher; Trustees, Messrs Vaughan and Henricks; Board Members, Messrs Mills and Webb.
The annual meeting of the members of the Auckland Branch of the N.Z.T.A. was held-on Saturday evening, August 17. The President (Mr W. J. McDermott) occupied the chair, supported by the Vice-President (Mr T. S. Gibbins). There was an unusually large attendance of members, owing chiefly, no doubt, to the fact that part of the evening's business was to elect officers for the Executive Council of New Zealand, which is to be located in Auckland for the next twelve months, and in which so much interest is taken. The annual report and balance-sheet were read and adopted, showing matters in connexion with the Society to be on a good sound basis, and having a substantial balance with which to commence the new year. The election of officers then took place and resulted in the re-election of Messrs W. J. McDermott and F. Christmas as President and Secretary respectively, with Mr J. Turner as Vice-President. Officers for the Executive Council were elected as follows:—President, Mr M. Connolly, Herald; Vice-President, Mr J. Carnahan, Star; Secretary, Mr W. Jennings, Star. Matters relating to loans, &c, also suggestions upon the new rules of the Australian Union were relegated to a committee to report upon. The customary votes of thanks to the outgoing officers brought to a close one of the most enthusiastic meetings of the printing profession.
Trade is not particularly brisk this month; in fact, most of the offices are very slack, and in some cases several of the hands have had to lose one or two days in the week.
The Canterbury Typographical Association held its half-yearly meeting on 20th July-last, when the balance-sheet and report for the half-year was submitted, and, with a few slight amendments in the report, adopted. The balance-sheet showed the Association's funds to be in a healthy state, considering the short time it has been in existence. The following clause in the report was unanimously approved:— « No doubt your attention has been drawn by the recent formation of the Tailors' and Tailoresses' Union to the fact that 'sweating' exists to a very alarming extent in our city, and your Board are of opinion that one of the most effectual means of checking this and other similar evils will be the formation of a Trades and Labor Council. By a mutual interchange of information relative to their respective trades, the representatives forming the Council will be in a position to advise the members of their own Societies as to the firms employing cheap labor, and it will then be the duty of members, individually and collectively, to patronize only such employers as pay a fair day's wage for a fair day's work. If we desire to maintain our own standard wage we must assist other trades to do the same. It is therefore the intention of the Board, with your consent, to communicate with other Societies on the subject at an early date. »
With reference to the Trades and Labor Council suggested in the above clause, I may add that great interest is taken in the movement among the various trades and trades unions in this city, and with the object in view of forming such a trades league a deputation from the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, who appear to have taken the initiative, waited upon the board of management of the Typographical Association at its last meeting, and placed before the members of the latter for their consideration the proposals made by the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, which, briefly stated, were:—That the whole of the trades should amalgamate and form into a Trades League, with a subscription of not less than 1s per month, the object being to protect labor. A council would be formed, consisting of a delegate from each trades union, and also a Board of Arbitration. The secretary should be paid, and should be independent of outside labor. It was said that if the whole of the trades would federate, in less than two years labor here would be on a better footing than it ever had been. Should this League be established—as I hope it will be— « it will be a grand kick towards the goal of unionism, » as I heard it put the other day. It ought to commence operations with a membership of about two thousand—a body of men strong enough, I should think, to cope with any difficulty that might arise to interfere with the interests of tradesmen.
Mr R. A. Loughnan, who has filled the editorial chair of the Lyttel-ton Times for the past fourteen-and-a-half years, was, on the eve of his departure for Wellington, where he continues his journalistic work on the Catholic Times, presented by the proprietors and employés of the Lyttelton Times Company, with a purse of sovereigns, a handsomely-bound volume of « A Singular Legacy » (a novel from Mr Loughnan's pen), and a handsomely-framed illuminated address. One of the sovereigns bore the following inscription:— « This token was one of a number presented to R. A. Loughnan, Esq., on the occasion of his departure from the Lyttelton Times office, July, 1899, after fifteen years' connexion therewith as editor. » The address was very artistically illuminated, and was embedded, so to speak, in a front page of the Lyttelton Times, space for it being made by tearing away the centre portion of the page. Mr E. V. Hamilton, who made the presentation on behalf of the subscribers, in a neat speech, spoke in eulogistic terms of Mr Loughnan, and said:— « In losing R. A. Loughnan, we are losing a good friend, a good journalist, and if he has such things—a rare good enemy. » Mr Loughnan suitably replied. I hear that Mr W. P. Reeves is likely to be his successor as editor of the Times.
The libel case I mentioned in my last letter as pending between George and Meers, rival photographers, was heard before his Honor Mr Justice Denniston, on the 5th inst. The case resulted in his Honor making an order for the delivery of the negative complained of by the plaintiff, and the destroyal of the copies in the defendant's possession, without any damages, each party to pay their own costs.
Mr George Capper, late of J. T. Smith & Co.'s office, is now reader on the Weekly Press and Telegraph.
Great interest is taken here among the members of the craft in rifle-shooting with the Morris tube, and several matches have taken place between the employés of the different offices. Some of the knights of the stick and rule are fast developing into crack shots, but occasionally one hears a very amusing story of some new beginner, who has fired all round the target, but failed to strike it.
Since my last letter trade has undergone very little change being, if anything, in a more satisfactory condition. The unemployed have drifted to other parts, or secured work to such an extent that their cry has almost ceased to be heard. In the jobbing offices trade has not improved much, but better times are now expected. The reports from the other colonies announce business in a fair state, but in all cases there are sufficient hands to meet the demand. During the last few weeks a number of additional frames have been fitted up in the Government Printing Office, where a large work is being turned out. The annual roll hands will of course be taken on, and there is a likelihood of seven or eight months' work on the statutes.
At the ordinary monthly meeting of the Board of Management of the Melbourne Typographical Society on the 15th June, Mr S. Moore gave notice of motion for the half-yearly meeting, to the effect that in future all levies be based pro rata upon a man's earnings, as follows: 1/- a week for men in full time; half-time, 6d; piece hands earning £3 or over, 1/-;. £1 10/-, 6d; under, exempt. With such levies the Society should soon recoup its funds; but the matter has of course to come before the half-yearly meeting.
An election was held at the end of last month for a secretary to the Society in the stead of Mr Stevens, who has accepted the position of editor of the new Trades and Labor Journal. Mr Stevens has been an excellent servant during his term, and regret was expressed at his resignation. There were four candidates in the field, from which Mr John Hancock was elected on the first poll. Mr Hancock has been a prominent man in the trade since his arrival here, and should fill well the post of secretary.
The Trades and Labor Journal made its appearance on the 13th July, with eight pages of reading-matter, and a colored wrapper. The journal is carefully edited, neatly designed, and well-turned-out from the machine; and should command a good share of support from the working community alone.
A compositor named Jermy, lately of New Zealand, employed in the Evening Standard office, fell a victim to typhoid fever on Friday last, and the funeral on Sunday was well attended. Jermy was an industrious comp and well spoken of by those who knew him.
The Bush Advocate publishes a brief but very interesting history of the Dunedin Star, the successful evening paper of that city, which has a circulation of nearly ten thousand. We have put the « note » on our file for future use.
It is our object, in this department, to critically note every new and original design in types, borders, combination ornaments, and initials. Without specimens, however, such an article is little more than a catalogue of names. New faces can only be described by comparison with previously-existing patterns—it being impossible to convey by description an idea of the essential characteristic of any given design, that being precisely the quality in which it differs from all others. Typefounders are invited to send us specimen letters or lines of original faces, which can be readily and cheaply done by parcel post. (Types from the continent of Europe should be to English height.) We insert snch free, finding our recompense in the additional interest this column would possess to our readers. Many of the beautiful styles we describe from month to month would be irresistible to colonial buyers if once seen, and those we criticise unfavorably might commend themselves strongly to printers whose tastes differ from our own.
In the new specimen-book to band from Messrs Barnhart Bros. & Spindler, of the Great Western Typefoundry, Chicago, we find many useful hints to printers, a carefully-compiled price-list of job-work, and other valuable matter. In the specimens of body-founts, an outline profile figure of the type, showing the nick, is exhibited with each fount. It is not long since we received from this firm their small book of original styles, and most of their novelties have been noted in these pages from month to month. One job-face only is new to us—a pretty condensed eccentric with lower-case, entitled « Asteroid. » The present book contains some choice series of book-and news-founts, both modern and old-style, from 5- to 18-point, cast in copper-mixed metal.—We have also, from the same enterprising house, No. 22 of the Typefounder, showing a useful and durable wide and somewhat heavy « Inclined Lining Gothic, » caps only, in seven sizes, from 6- to 12-point. The « Dearborn » initials, cast on L-shaped bodies, with long flowing processes from head or foot, are distressing. Most of these letters would be vastly improved by simply chiselling away the streamers. The O, for example, is a Q, a monstrous tail at top instead of bottom, and the I is an exaggerated Greek r. The device of L-bodied letters so far has been productive of mischievous rather than of useful results. « Phantom Ornaments, » 5 characters, are streaky and scrolled designs in tint, resembling, at first sight, the mark of a half-inked quad, that has risen at press.
The Union Typefoundry, Chicago, send us a card showing a neat Latin Antique, with lower-case, on 5-point—the same face cast also on 6-point if required. The cap I is rather light and insignificant, and beside the O, which is very wide and heavy—too much so—looks like a wrong-fount letter.
The Boston Foundry sends us a sheet of their latest novelty « Samoa, » a very peculiar and eccentric, but strikingly legible job style, with lower-case. That the fount embodies some original notions may be gathered from the manufacturers' note at the foot: « The lower-case letters b, d, h, m, n, p, q, and y can be used to represent q, p, y, w, u, b, d, and h; capital M makes W; figure 7 makes L, and figure 6 makes 9, by merely inverting them. These are important items for the consideration of the printer when short of sorts. The letters line both ways. » A new idea, saving loss and trouble both to founder and printer, and deserving of commendation. If you had sent us some sample types of this style, gentlemen—if it had been only a line 20 ems long,—we would have shown them, and you would have found some of the New Zealand and Australian printers asking for « Samoa. » It is cast to 18-, 24-, and 48-point.
Messrs Sohelter & Giesecke send us some sheets of a small and very neat specimen-book, in which their original borders, &c, are shown in a very compact form. We note some very pretty groundwork patterns, which are further illustrated in some beautiful specimens of job-work. We notice some large scroll end-pieces which are used with fine effect, greatly enforced by the use of tint-grounds. Another novelty is a series of ragged and torn corners.
Some fine « Renaissance-Kanzlei » initials, in five sizes, are shown, with accompanying lower-case sorts, and a series of appropriate ornaments. A number of fine specimens, showing types and groundworks in actual use, are enclosed; and one of these—Messrs S. & G.'s own letter-head—is a triumph of delicate typography.
Herr Poppelbaum sends us No. 8 of his Neuigkeiten. A double-page
in the centre shows some pretty new corners; also a tricolor border—a very old friend. We have known it in Caslon's collection for many years. This differs from Caslon's, not in design, but in the absence of the third and fourth forms shown above, for printing leaves and flowers in different colors. Their place is taken by a piece which we cannot show—the whole design in solid tint, an exact counterpart of the second piece. The rest of the number is occupied with excellent plain job founts, German and Roman.
The Patent Typefounding Company, London, send us specimen sheets and a neat card in colors, showing their well-known pica combination in the form of handsome groundworks. We expect to be able to illustrate some of the specialties of this firm in our specimen column at an early date.
« Sir Henry James, » says the Pall Mall Gazette, « is pre-eminently a scholar and a gentleman. He is a man of culture, and his diction is scholarly; he never offends against good taste and good manners. » And in the same issue, this gentleman and scholar appears as a hideous ape, the central figure of a brutal and repulsive cartoon! The Pall Mall's caricatures are as shameless as anything Gillray ever drew. And Gillray could draw, and possessed keen—if not always nice—humour. The Pall Mall cartoons, as works of art, would discredit a school-boy of twelve years old—and beyond their vile drawing, their only characteristic is their vulgar insolence.
Mr David Christie Murray, the novelist, like many other successful men, owes a good deal to his training in the practical school of journalism, and still looks back with pleasure to his early experiences as a reporter. He says: « I am certain of this: that for a man who wants to study men and manners, there is no better school than that of journalism. I began journalism at twenty-five, first going to the Police Court for the Birmingham Morning News. I was soon, however, made special correspondent. I went to a flower-show, of which I was to do a paragraph. I did an article. I could not help it. I first made my mark, though, at a private execution at Worcester—the first private execution in the Midlands. My article created a considerable sensation. Mr Sala wrote to the editor about it, and spoke very warmly of the writer, whom he did not know. At that same execution I met Archibald Forbes for the first time. He introduced me to Mr Edmund Yates. I was engaged to do some articles for the World, which was just then started. The articles were entitled 'Our Civilization,' and they have been reprinted in book-form under the title of 'A Novelist's Note Book.' I spent only a session and a half in the gallery, and I was the worst reporter in the place. I never could write shorthand. I remember a peculiar experience. Mr Robert Lowe, now Earl of Sherbrooke, was one of the best speakers in the House. He was also the most difficult man to report. My turn had just come as Mr Lowe rose to speak on the Army Purchase Bill. His speech was a regular mass of literary quotations, all most wittily applied. He quoted from Father Prout, from the last new novel, from the last society verses, from Horace, Juvenal, and Shakspeare. I tried to take the speech. I sweated; in my anxiety my book got greasy. At last I gave up the attempt as useless. I folded my arms and listened. 'We want this, every word,' said my chief, tapping me on the shoulder. 'For mercy's sake, hold your tongue,' I answered; and so I sat and listened. As the speech was over, my relief came. At the same time I saw another reporter, an Irishman—a fine fellow he was, one of the old type which seems to be almost extinct in the gallery. 'By Jove!' said he, 'Parliamentary eloquence is not dead yet.' He was an extraordinarily fine classical scholar. He knew all the Greek and Latin quotations; I knew all the English ones. So we wrote our report—I doing mine from memory. The result was that the next morning I got a special letter thanking me for my report. I stood out as a shining light that morning, and got known for a time as the man who reported difficult speeches by looking upon the painted ceiling. »
Several times we have made reference to the ingenious optical illusions devised at Messrs Field and Tuer's Leadenhall Press. Some of these, used as advertisements of Pears' soap, have gained world-wide celebrity. By the kindness of Mr A. Tuer, of the Paper and Printing Trades Journal, who has sent us the blocks, we are able to reproduce the best and most recent of these designs. They are all based on well-known optical laws.
The first demonstrates the existence of a minute blind spot in every eye. As they are differently situated right and left, they do not impede vision, and can only be detected by some such experiment as this:—Close one eye, and look steadily at the eye of the Sphinx farthest from your open one, taking care that the eyes of the figure are opposite your own. Though looking with one eye only, you will see both. Bring the diagram steadily nearer your face, and one of the eyes will vanish.
Judging by the eye alone, most people will answer these questions wrongly:—
We have to thank Hr. Smalian, Berlin, for sending us two copies of the Journal für Buchdruckerkunst, containing an article bearing his signature, Über ein Welt-Schriftsystem. It contains much valuable information on the basis of the type-standards in use in Germany—information which we have long desired to possess, and which will form a valuable supplement to what we published in the series of articles in our first volume. We are the more obliged to Hr. Smalian, as the Journal is one of the very few trade papers of any importance that do not exchange regularly with Typo.
Now is the time (says the Printing Times) when the art-critic astonishes the world with the peculiarities of his vocabulary. Even a staid paper like the Athenæum has adopted the common slang of art. Thus, in the course of a few lines we read:— « The art of the scene-painter is frequently precious and grandly inspired. » « We have in a view of the Medway a sheeny piece of milk-white water, almost as precious as a Hook in its multiform tints and delicate tones. » « The morbidezza of her flesh is what is called English in its wholesomeness, and the firm impasto which distinguishes a charm-mingly unaffected subject. » There are those who are modest enough to think that their education has been neglected when they do not understand writing of this kind. The need be under no apprehension. Nobody understands it, least of all, artists.
A libel action which extended over ten days has just been concluded at Adelaide. William Hutchinson, a large pastoralist of the southeast, sued the proprietors of the Narracoorte Herald, claiming £2000 damages for charges of conspiracy to dummy lands, and of attempting to take possession unlawfully of a portion of the Bordertown main road by placing fences across it. Mr George Ashe, the writer of the alleged libels, made a brilliant address to the jury. Mr Justice Boucat, in summing up, ruled that the occasion was not privileged, and strongly animadverted on the plea of justification which the defendants had put in, indicating in plain terms his opinion that none of the assertions made in the article had been proved against the plaintiff. The jury after a retirement of two hours and a quarter, returned a verdict for the plaintiff, awarding £250 damages. They stated that they were divided in opinion as to whether the charges of conspiracy against the plaintiff were proved.
A friend has sent us a copy of No. 1 of the Australian Trades and Labor Journal, the company weekly so long promised. The first thing that strikes us is the large size of the sheet—five columns to the page, 13 ems wide and 102 deep—the next, the beautiful press-work and paper. The pages are enclosed in a broad double-rule border, and the engraved heading is an excellent piece of emblematic work, and really well engraved. We recognize the ten trade emblems as being adapted from a series by Bruce. There is a lack of uniformity in style of composition—large and small, new and old, leaded and solid, being alternated without apparent reason—unless it be that the founts at the disposal of the office were not strong enough for the work. The first page is in all respects but one a model of neat display. The fault is in the two long lines of roman under the engraved title, which kill each other. In the hands of Mr J. C. Hart, it was to be expected that the paper would be well printed; but we think it is a little too superfine for a newspaper. It is better than a good deal of what passes for bookwork in the colonies, and yet it is not bookwork after all. The literary work is good, and if the Australian trade-unionists have any public spirit at all, the paper will prove a great success. It has our best wishes.
There is no love lost between the Dunedin Tablet and its rival the Catholic Times of Wellington. The former is owned by a Bishop, the latter by an Archbishop. The manager of the Tablet, writing to the proprietor, who is in Great Britain, made some damaging remarks about Mr Weale, then editor of the Catholic Times. The Bishop handed over the letter to the Dublin Freeman's Journal, in which it was published in due course, and the manager of the Tablet has had to apologize, both on his own behalf, and that of the Bishop. He says the letter was private, and this really appears to have been the case. At any rate, the freeman's Journal has been guilty of publishing a very serious libel, for which no shadow of justification can be alleged.—Mr Weale, in a long letter to the Tablet tells some queer tales about the Catholic Times. He says it was started with the double object of opposing the « national » Irish movement in the colony, and of running the Tablet out of the field; but that in his capacity of editor, he was able to counteract these objects. This may or may not be correct, but it shows very singular ideas on the part of the writer as to the duties of a salaried editor. If he felt justified in conducting the paper in direct opposition to the instructions of its proprietors, he need have felt no surprise when they dispensed with his services.
A Napier compositor summoned on a Supreme Court jury, applied to be excused on the ground that he was engaged on a morning paper, and had not got to bed until 5 a.m. The judge asked if he was in a fit state to serve, to which he replied that he did not know, but that he had only had four hours' sleep. His Honor said he could not grant the application, adding, half-seriously, « I think I ought to punish you for coming here when not in a fit state to serve. »
Richard Pigott's life was insured for £2000, and after satisfying certain charges upon the policies, a sum of £830 will remain for his children. The money will be paid, notwithstanding a clause in the contract by which the policy would be void in case of suicide. The company are wise. Not only have they gained a reputation for liberality, but they have avoided the necessity of proving to the satisfaction of an English court that Pigott died by his own hand, as is commonly reported and believed.
In reference to the late murder in Wellington, a weekly paper has published a sensational imaginary account of the crime, endeavoring to connect it with some unknown « maniac » who lately published an advertisement in a Wellington paper predicting divine vengeance on the city, and its overthrow in forty days. To assert that one of the most familiar forms of mental disturbance is necessarily homicidal is a piece of gross presumption. The unknown advertiser may be a lunatic, though of a harmless type; the writer of « Who killed Hawkins? » is dangerous, and should be forthwith made the subject of an inquiry de lunatico.
Until the newspaper establishments in the larger cities abandon job-work, the trade will never be in a thoroughly healthy condition. To keep up two establishments is a costly and wasteful system, and to attempt to conbine the departments is hopeless. Job and news-printing are really different trades, and require different methods and machinery. A correspondent sends us a copy of a bill of fare, turned out of the office of an influential and admirably-conducted newspaper in the south. There is an attempt at decoration with Yankee card ornaments, and the whole thing is a botch that might put an amateur to the blush. A specimen of work like this awakens feelings that « do lie too deep for tears. »
The correspondent of the Tuapeka Times gossips thus concerning old New Zealanders in Melbourne:— « Mr T. Richards, at one time a comp on the Tuapeka Times, has dropped into a frame on the Standard, the new evening paper. Speaking of the Tuapeka Times reminds me that Mr W. Epps was at one time a member of your staff. After a spell on the reporting staff of the Age, he has started a paper of his own in Melbourne, called the People's Weekly, and a creditable production it is, with a circulation of about 50,000. Mr J. F. Edgar is one of the contributors. Mr Edgar is, perhaps, the latest arrival here from Tuapeka. He soon secured an engagement on the staff of the Melbourne Herald, the leading evening paper. I have also seen him in the Press Gallery at Parliament, where he takes a seat for the Press Agency. Speaking of newspaper men, I had it on good authority the other day that Mr Chas. Norman, recently of the Dunedin Star, and who is now on the Argus, is making his £500 a year; and Mr E. T. Fricker of the Otago Daily Times, who has only recently joined the Argus, is already spoken of as one of the best men on the staff. When up in the house the other night I saw the three Otago men—Messrs Fricker, Norman, and Edgar—sitting side-by-side in the Press Gallery; and felt gratified to see that even New Zealand newspaper men are not inclined to take a back seat among their Melbourne rivals. »
One of the tendencies of modern journalism is towards the abolition of the reporter. The craving for the sensational is not satisfied with a faithful record of current events. If a statesman makes a speech on a matter of international importance, a class of newspaper readers is far more interested in the fact (or fiction) that he blew his nose in a red silk handkerchief than in the opinions he expressed or the arguments he adduced. To this class of readers an increasing section of journals is almost exclusively addressed. Their conductors, accepting apparently Carlyle's dictum that mankind are « mostly fools, » choose to ignore the intelligent minority, except to flout them. This practice was neatly satirized the other day by Dr von Bülow, who sent his opera-hat as a parting memento to the « musical » critic of an American paper, who had written more about the doctor's hat than his music. The plain honest straightforward report is voted « dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage. » In its place is demanded something hot and spiced—no matter if the spice be, as it very often is, the rankest falsehood. We regard the tendency as entirely evil—demoralizing alike to the press and the public. In the Reporters' Magazine, Mr William Hill has written on « The Reporting of the Future, » and as he is the news editor of the Pall Mall Gazette, which with Mr O'Connor's Star, and Bennett's Herald, is in the front rank of the « new journalism, » he is in a position to speak with some authority. And this is what he says:—
What I contend is simply this, that a good deal of the reporting that we have to-day, is purely formal, and almost red tape in its character…..The report begins: 'Last night the annual meeting of the A. B. branch of the Church of England Temperance Society was held in the town hall. Mr James Smith, J.P., presided, and amongst those present were—then follow half a dozen names of influential persons. Then comes the Secretary's report, of which some half dozen lines are given, quite colorless, and conveying only ideas which have been within the cognisance of the reader ever since he was able to read a newspaper, and so on.
He goes on to give his idea of a « good report »:
Whatever the meeting, the report, written in simple, familiar, even colloquial language, should he lucid, terse; every point of importance, and only points of importance, should be conveyed in the clearest and briefest language.
The reporter of the future, according to Mr Hill, will not be a recorder of facts, but a descriptive writer. He will produce « a picturesque panorama, » « no suggestive incident being omitted, and even the under-currents being clearly and decidedly delineated. »
To those unfamiliar with the technicalities of journalism, and the actual scope of a reporter's duties, Mr Hill's picture may seem attractive. To those who can read between the lines, it has a particularly ugly appearance. It means that all those qualities which have placed the best reporters at the head of their profession—clear perception, quickness of apprehension, good memory, accuracy of reproduction, impartiality, and, most of all, conscientious fidelity to the truth, are out of date. The man possessing all these qualities, whose short-hand notes, years after they were taken, are accepted as unquestionable evidence in a court of law, is to find his occupation gone. His place is to be taken by the egotistical, shallow, and inaccurate « impressionist, » who records how « Mr Gladstone carefully deposited his handkerchief in his hat, » or « Mr Davitt stooped to pick up a pin, » but is too indolent to take short-hand notes—even if he has the ability. He must be sketchy, superficial, and, above all, a partizan. He must be personal, abusive; and an occasional flavoring of profanity or indecency will make his mess still more acceptable to the sensation-mongers for whom he caters. The reporter of the past was an historian—the « reporter » of the future is to be a penny-dreadfullist.
Such, in plain English, is the ideal of journalists like Mr Hill and Mr O'Connor. They are guilty of the usual vice of depreciating the good work that has been done in the past. Notwithstanding all they may profess, descriptive reporting is no new discovery. It has always been freely and quite sufficiently used, but has hitherto been kept in its proper place. For many years (to take a prominent example) Mr J. Ewing Ritchie has supplied the Christian World with descriptive reports of important meetings: but the gifts of a « Christopher Crayon » are rare, and exceptional as they were, they have never been allowed to exclude the formal record. We may read Punch's « Essence of Parliament » with pleasure, and smile at Mr Harry Furniss's sketches of « M.P.'s in Session; » but no one out of Bedlam would propose that these should be taken as the official record of proceedings. « Business done: None » —reads well enough in Punch; but would scarcely pass as an entry for the day in the Journals of the House.
When school histories are abolished in favor of The Three Musketeers and Jack Sheppard, Mr Hill's millennium will be at hand. For then the young will be trained from their earliest days into an appreciation of the qualities of the « new journalism. » One of the worst signs of the times is the multiplication of trashy and conscienceless periodicals which sacrifice without the slightest scruple, truth to « sensation. » It is not a mere question of supply and demand—the two react, and the supply creates demand. Formerly, the evil was confined to well-known weekly papers—generally the mouthpiece of some self-assertive literary Bohemian, too dangerous, too unstable, and too quarrelsome to fill a niche on the staff of any established periodical. Now the disease is seizing on the daily press. We look for a report, and find a squib. We wade through a farrago of stale and strained jocularities, and dreary drivel; and turning to the opposition paper, we find a similar caricature from the opposite point of view; and for days afterwards the two journals are occupied in accusing each other—righteously enough—of falsehood and misrepresentation.
So long as the daily press kept its hands clean the evil was no serious. No one of undepraved tastes would dream of buying an ordinary « society » weekly, and its worst evil would be the effect of its pictures on the juveniles who might see them exhibited in a tobacconist's window. But this is rapidly changing. It is difficult to imagine anything more revolting than the spirit of irreverence that jests with such themes as crime, suffering, disease, death, and the ultimate destiny of mankind. Such themes are becoming the staple of the funny column not only of « society » papers; but—as we have more than once noted, even of papers professing to be the official organs of a religious denomination. Nothing is more saddening than the revelations of wickedness and sorrow in the daily records of the police courts. It is necessary that they should be reported; and under the « old » system this was done in a decent manner. Under the new, in a large section of the colonial press, it is simply indecent. Let us give an imaginary example:—
Our examples are in no way exaggerated. Which is the best? Which is the most in accord with that self-respect which should distinguish the honorable profession of journalism? And which of the two is the more fit to be introduced into the family circle of the ordinary common-place home-loving Christian Englishman?
No spark of wit or honest humor enlivens the « new journalism. » Its jests are strained when they are not stolen, and its idea of humor, as in the sample above, is flippancy, coarseness, familiarity, vulgar slang, and inconceivable inanity.
Apart from the moral depravity which « literature » of this kind induces, with its irreverence and affected cynicism, the question has its practical side, as affecting the law of libel. After many years of struggle the advocates of the liberty of the press have wrested from Parliament the recognition of their right to report matters of public interest, and such bonâ fide reports are now privileged. No sooner is this concession gained than we are threatened with a development under which this valuable privilege will be voluntarily abandoned. Reports are to be superseded by fancy sketches, more or less scurrilous, in which the knob on a man's head or on his cane will be the central object, and in which the imaginary and often entirely fictitious « undercurrents » a will be noted, to the exclusion of actual facts. If this system is ever generally adopted by the press, it must be at their own risk. No law of libel could privilege the personal abuse and low caricatures which characterize the « new journalism. » In proportion as it extends will libel actions increase, and the same readers who grin and chuckle over the gross attacks on public men will, when they confer in the jury-room, award exemplary damages against the offending newspaper. Reports such as are foreshadowed will be neither « true, » nor « for the public benefit, » and when an enterprising journalist of the kennel-raking tribe is cast in ruinous damages, the verdict of the public, fully endorsed by Typo, will be « Served him right! »
The Dunedin exhibition is one of the greatest mistakes the colony has ever made. The Christchurch fiasco was bad enough, but this bids fair to be worse. The promoters calculate that the £10,000 promised by the Government, besides railway concessions, &c., will be insufficient, and are asking for more. By a « fluke » they have carried in both houses a bill that will practically turn the thing into a big liquor saloon. The stupidest part of the affair to fix it coincidently with the Paris Exhibition, to which all the world is going. New Zealand is said to be miserably represented there—all her exhibits are in Dunedin, for New Zealanders themselves to look at! And notwithstanding the paltry and humiliating show at Paris, without even a catalogue in the French language, our liberal Government has appointed more paid « commissioners » than are found necessary for the whole of the United States! New Zealand indeed possesses marvellous vitality—otherwise it would long ere this have been strangled with Red Tape.
A good many suicides have taken place in this colony lately, and in three recent instances in Napier, letters were left by the parties, setting forth their motives, their disbelief in a future state, &c., and these letters have been published in full in the press. It is a suggestive and significant fact that letter No. 2 was in many respects an echo of No. 1, and No. 3 was evidently the composition of a man who had read both the others, and whose morbid state of mind they had greatly affected. The local coroner, while admitting the perfect right of the press to publish such letters, strongly deprecated the practice, as being mischievous; and in consequence he has been warmly criticised. We are not sure that the coroner was right. We doubt whether the press had any right whatever to publish either of these letters. In each case they were addressed to surviving friends, whose property they were, and who were entitled to say whether or not they should be published. It does not appear that such permission was given; and if not, the press have not only published very unwholesome reading, and telegraphed it far and wide, but have taken an unjustifiable liberty with papers of a private nature.
« Macandro, » in the Buller Miner, referring to our criticism of his little poem last month, acknowledges his obligation to Whittier for the measure employed, but « thinks he can fairly claim some originality for being the first, as far as he knows, to engage the Muse in the service of the coal trade. » We copy another short piece this month by the same clever writer, and commend it to the notice of the compilers of New Zealand School reading-books.
England has given Europe an object-lesson on the subject of sabbath observance far more impressive than any homily. Sunday is the high-day of the Paris exhibition, and the day of heaviest toil and strain for officials and servants. But on each Sunday « the many thousands who flock to the exhibition are struck by the silent protest presented by the fact that the British section with its exhibits is covered up, and the exhibitors away. »
The Mataura Ensign has discovered the following comical instance of telegram interpretation:— « This is what the Southland Times made of a message yesterday:—'Dr Moorhouse, Bishop of Manchester, in an address dealing with the burial question, expressed himself in favor of the adoption of cremation as against the present system of interment.' The Otago Daily Times made it another suit altogether. It said:—'Bishop Moorhouse, of Manchester, whose name was amongst those mentioned for the Primacy of Australia, has expressed himself in favor of the creation of a bishop for the purpose.' Now, what is it? Is the bishop a convert to cremation, or does he want a special perambulating Australian bishop? »
There is no better test of a working principle than to follow it out to its logical issues. When this method is applied to free-trade and protection, the fallacy of the latter becomes evident. No protectionist, « fair » -trader or advocate of « reciprocity » has ever ventured to be consistent. If interchange is good between street and street of a town, or a town and its suburbs, and restriction would be injudicious, the same rule applies between town and country, city and city, colony and colony, nation and nation. No free-trader is afraid of pushing his doctrine to the fullest extent. The more widely it is accepted, the better for all concerned. The protectionist is always in a vicious circle. Each new duty imposed upsets the desired equilibrium, and necessitates fresh imposts, which in their turn neutralize the supposed advantages of the former taxes, and the whole machinery of state is diverted to the humiliating object of bolstering up private monopolies. Protection reduced to its ulti-mates would sweep every ship from the ocean, and every railway train and carriers' cart from the land. It would bring about a state of barbarism more primitive than that in which the simple savage who is an adept at carving exchanges his paddle for the fish which his neighbor has caught. In the protectionist paradise, every man must build his own hovel, weave his own loin-cloth, and live (or starve) on such subsistence as he can wring from the soil by his own unaided exertions.
If there is a department in the government of New Zealand more under the dominion of red tape and characterized by administrative folly than that of her Majesty's Customs, we should like to know what it is. The anomalies of the tariff are bad enough, but they are outdone by the contradictory decisions of the commissioner at head-quarters, which have made confusion worse confounded, and have made it almost impossible for an importer to pass entries for a case of sundries without some dispute or discussion with the department. Formerly a disputed matter could be adjusted by a post entry, and unless the amount was serious, the importer paid the difference rather than go to the trouble of appealing to Wellington. We have known a post entry required for an alleged deficiency of 1s 6d in an amount of £8 or £10 duty, when the discrepancy was due to a bonâ fide question of classification. But the vagaries of the new « expert, » instead of opening the eyes of the government to his invincible stupidity, have apparently impressed them with a fixed belief in the deep-seated dishonesty of all importers, great and small. An order has now gone forth that in future no post entries are to be allowed, any supposed error in description is treated as a fraud, and is to be reported to Wellington, the offender is to be fined, and his goods retained until the matter is settled at headquarters. Importers have submitted to injury long enough—they are now subjected in addition to the most scandalous insult. And the kind of tariff which they are supposed to master is one which passes paperhangers' shears free and taxes tailors' shears, and in a single series of drawing-books, admits free those numbers containing ornamental subjects, and claps a tax on the more practical ones dealing with engineering and freehand drawing. The civil service of New Zealand is a costly and magnificently-organized institution. One thing, however, it entirely lacks—brains!
It was away back in the sixties I think, when the incident I am about to relate took place. There was a venerable comp, much given to snuff and beer, and who was not very prompt in his payments to his landlady—may his sins be forgiven him—and when pressed one day for the settlement of his just debt, the old fellow put on a woful look and told a pathetic tale of how he had accidentally broken a diamond full-point in the office. « You see, » the old rogue said, « I have to make this good, and as it is of great value, it takes nearly the whole of my earnings every week to meet the payments. » The old fellow worked his case so well, I am told, that he even persuaded the landlady to lend him a trifle to meet the claim. The old sinner was proud of his ingenuity, and could not keep the story to himself; and the tradition thereof still lingers in the office.
This quoin is from the drawer of the American Craftsman:
—It was a game of « shoe-peg » which the tourist encountered while traversing the State of Ohio in search of work and adventure. He found it in one of those country towns where the hotel, post-office, and store, are frequently under one roof, and the Solomon of the village is depended upon to inaugurate something new. As the tourist brushed the dust of the highway from his travelling costume the game of shoe-peg was in full blast and betting ran high. To play the game each player was furnished with a handful of pegs, surreptitiously obtained from the village cobbler, and the one who picked up the greatest number in a given time was declared the winner. The new arrival gazed at the game and then at the stakes, and asked permission to take a hand. He was furnished with a supply of pegs and a tin box, and, when he had put up the required ante, time was called. The tourist easily won at a thousand-an-hour speed and took the pot. Again and again he beat the champion shoe-peg players. The philosopher became suspicious and quietly left the room to investigate. At the counter he learned that the stranger had inquired if there was a printing-office in the village. This was enough. The game was still in progress, with stakes piled high on a pork-barrel, when the philosopher quickly returned and shouted: « Don't play any longer with that fellow; he's a blooming printer! » Slowly and sadly each patriarch arose from a mackerel-keg and adjourned to the, bar; quickly and gladly the itinerant compositor arose from his nail-keg and rode to the next town.
Mention of the name of Mahoney in your May number by your contributor « T.L.M. » brings to my recollection a little incident that occurred in the Timaru Herald office a few years ago to a compositor hailing from the « Ould Sod, » and rejoicing in the ownership of a similar appellation. The individual had a « take » of telegrams, and was slowly threading his way through it, many a time leaning against his frame and gazing intently on the copy trying to decipher the words that failed to come quickly to his comprehension. At last he got to the end of the take, and, lo! the sub-editor in his carelessness had forgotten to erase the signature of the correspondent who had sent the message. After scratching his head for a time the individual suddenly struck a line for the overseer, and in childlike simplicity said:— « Please sir, shall I put the signature in caps or lower-case? » Mr Turner, a rugged, gruff old gentleman, but as honest as the day, and as true as steel, looked at him, and then quietly drew his pencil through the signature, and returned the copy. Then it suddenly seemed to strike the Irishman that he had made a fool of himself, and a look of sickly paleness crept over his countenance as he walked back to his frame. His simplicity was too much for the Herald, however, and he had very soon to fold his tent like the Arab, and quietly steal away.
A case of interest to jobbing offices was heard in the City of London Court recently (says the Effective Advertiser.) Mr James Savage, 41 High Street, Kensington, was sued by Messrs Potter for 14s 6d, goods supplied. The plaintiffs did some printing for the defendant, and sent him a proof, telling him that unless it was returned in three days the work would be proceeded with. The proof was not sent back, and when the work was proceeded with the defendant said it was incorrect. The Provisional Registrar found for the plaintiff.
A business note from the Waipawa Mail is written in one of the neatest memo-heads we have seen. The job is in plain black, bordered with Stephenson & Blake's combination rules, with an advertisement on a plain panel in the centre. It is simplicity itself, and is all the more effective on that account. We think we recognize the hand of Mr Mogridge, one of the best job printers in the colony, in this design. If the Waipawa folk go farther than the local office for their work, the great probability is that they will fare worse, so far as quality is concerned.
In our January issue we stated, on the authority of a cable message, that the notorious O'Donovan « Rossa » had taken action against the New York Herald for libel. The telegram was incorrect—the action was really taken against Herman Ridder, proprietor, and Cassidy, editor of the New York Catholic News. The article—if it had referred to anyone else than O'Donovan—would certainly have been a libel of the first class. « It accused him of inviting a gang of ruffians to desecrate his first wife's grave out of spite to her relatives; of being afraid of collecting an insurance policy on the life of his second wife; of refusing his starving son ten cents though asked for God's sake to buy him a sandwich; and of allowing that son to die in a charity hospital and be buried in Potter's Field. The article further accused him of defrauding servant girls by taking their money and giving them bogus passage certificates to bring relations from Ireland, and charged him with giving secret credentials to James Macdermott to betray and sell men into penal servitude in British prisons. Finally, the article accused Rossa of pocketing $2000 for his individual benefit which had been given him to send to the worse than widowed and orphaned dependents of the men whom he and Macdermott consigned to a living grave. » O'Donovan (his name is not Rossa) claimed $100,000 damages. The suit came on on the 13th June, and was dismissed. It was proved that plaintiff has received $500 from Patrick Ford, of the New York Irish World, for the family of a prisoner in an English gaol, of which he only disbursed $300. The defendant caused a great sensation in court by submitting a letter dated April 1st, 1889, stating that Rossa was in receipt of secret service money from the British Government. This information, however, requires confirmation. The British Government are not likely to have had anything to do with so unconscionable a scoundrel. The date of the letter is significant, and it was written by a noted practical joker—Mr Labouchere.
« Mr Henry Brett, the proprietor of the Auckland Star, the principal New Zealand daily, who arrived in London yesterday morning on a visit to the old country, was one of the pioneers of journalism in the antipodes. Nearly a decade ago he left his home in Folkestone a very young man indeed, with nothing but pluck and brains and that everlasting quill to make his fortune in the colonies. Content with a modest beginning, he undertook the work of a city shipping reporter on the only paper Auckland possessed at that time, and in this capacity he soon obtained a reputation as a pushing and energetic young journalist. His progress was rapid, but not sufficiently so for the ambitious young man, who soon determined to start on his own account. He took a small back office, improvised some furniture, and there wrote the copy and corrected the proofs of the first copy of the Star. » So says the London Star, and after this astounding piece of history, we are not surprised to come to « the conclusion of the whole matter » —namely that « most colonials are staunch Gladstonians » —which is quite as true as the rest of the paragraph. There is not a single fact correctly stated in the whole story. Mr Brett could never have given such a ridiculous account of his own history, and the full credit must therefore be given to the imaginative reporter of the Star. The Star is not the principal New Zealand daily, and takes the second place in its own city. Mr Brett was not a pioneer of journalism in New Zealand. Journalism had lived and flourished for more than twenty-five years, and each big city had its daily papers, when he arrived. The Star's « decade » is twenty-five years. Auckland has never had less than two papers for more than forty years, and when Mr Brett joined the Herald as shipping reporter, instead of it being the only paper, the city possessed three dailies, or, counting the short-lived Morning News, four. Mr Brett did not take a small back office and start on his own account. He did not write the copy and correct the proofs of the first copy of the Star. He had nothing to do with its establishment. It was started by Mr G. M. Reed (now of the Melbourne Standard) and Mr W. T. Ferrar. Mr Reed's able writing made the paper a success, and Mr Brett afterwards became a partner by purchasing Mr Ferrar's half-share for £300. For many years the firm was « Reed & Brett. » We were well acquainted with these facts at the time, and remember them well, but for some of the minor details we are indebted to our well-informed contemporary, the Pahiatua Star.
With the second number of Zealandia there are signs of improvement. Some of the press criticisms have borne fruit, and the grim design on the cover has given place to a typographic page, which, though cramped and poorly displayed, is a great advance on the last. As before, the presswork is sharp and clean; but in the composition and arrangement of the matter nearly all the canons of bookwork are ignored. These rules are not arbitrary—they are the outcome of four centuries of experience; they allow full scope for individual taste and originality of style; and they cannot be neglected without injury to the work. The lines of this serial being now laid down, no real improvement in this respect can be looked for till a second volume is begun, when—if the venture is so far successful—we hope to see some attempt at unity of structure and uniformity of style. The old fault of self-consciousness is again present. In a two-page article the editor most unnecessarily makes his acknowledgments and advertises his plans for the future. We are sorry to see that more departments are in contemplation. We find already more than in any other magazine of our acquaintance, even though containing five or six times the matter. The editor accuses unfavorable critics of « journalistic immorality. » This is nonsense. He also resents the insinuation that the magazine is a « commercial speculation, » and says that its « patriotic aim and intention » have been ignored. As a matter of fact, it is a commercial undertaking, pure and simple—the property of a joint-stock company, and ushered into existence with a prospectus which made extravagant promises, and which cast really unjust and unpatriotic reflections upon previous literary work in the colony. The leading serial « The Mark of Cain, » is again the best feature, and is written with considerable ability. But it is prefixed with a monstrosity—a « synopsis of previous chapters » ! We have seen this kind of thing in low-class Yankee weekly « dreadfuls, » which are not considered worthy of preservation; but never before in a literary monthly, and we hope never to see it again. No greater disfigurement could be introduced into a work intended for preservation than this—it is even worse than the advertisements mixed up with the reading matter. Sir Robert Stout's article on « The State » is a strange production. We fail to find an original idea or a practical suggestion in the essay. He says that « the State as an organism is an idea born of the past and present century. » On the contrary the idea is as old as human society, pervades the most ancient literature, and has left its indelible trace on the very roots of language. The short story « The Burning of Kororareka » has one good point—it is brief. It is too flimsy for criticism. « Zealandia's Fair » (what a title!) does not refer to the coming show in Dunedin, but is a page devoted to tea gowns and evening dresses. There are two brief poems, and some fragments to fill the spaces at the bottom of pages. One of these « The Faery Palace, » possesses some merit, but has neither beginning nor end. A reviewer writes with great reverence of a trashy « inspirational » pamphlet published in Christchurch, which teaches the doctrine of transmigration of souls. « The Corner Cobweb » should be swept away. It is a page of bad jokes. We would like to find something worthy of hearty commendation—something better than schoolboy essays and schoolgirl rhymes and stories. As we have said, the leading serial shows signs of careful workmanship, and promises to be a good story; but the author's self-respect should make him insist upon the omission of the wretched « synopsis. » « Wanderings in Lakeland » is a very good piece of descriptive writing, and deals with Lake Wakatipu. We would like to see equally good descriptions of some of our northern lakes. « Out in the Open » contains a very interesting note on the native Peripatus, « a caterpillar-like creature, found usually in decayed tree-stumps or logs, » and another upon a pet lizard of the species Naultinus. « Our University » is an article recommending on various good grounds a central university at the capital instead of four expensive colleges in different parts of the colony. The writer indulges in some banter about the Empire city which leaves it partly doubtful whether he is wholly in earnest. But some allowance must be made for an Aucklander, who, after reading in his own local papers daily for the past twenty-five years that Wellington is remarkable chiefly for gales and earthquakes, may be excused for supposing that there is some ground for the idea. We hope that Zealandia will succeed, and that it will become a magazine of which the colony will be proud. But, if this end is to be obtained, it must reach a higher standard, both literary and typographical, and the articles must be of a more manly type. All the trifling of boys' and girls' pages, fashions, and games, should be left to their proper place, the weekly newspapers. The essays should not be dreamy discourses on vague abstract questions, but should deal in a direct manner with practical themes. If they raise debatable matter, so much the better—they would be of little value indeed if they did not supply material both for thought and discussion. And editorial advertisements, even in the disguise of « To our Readers » should be rigorously shut out, or relegated to the advertising pages. One of the fragments of poetry (?) ends with the original sentiment « Heaven save me from success. » We trust that this does not represent the real feelings of the promoters.
It is gratifying indeed, in these days of imitation and plagiarism, to find a well-conducted periodical which is in every way « out of the rut. » Such is Mr Harry Quilter's Universal Review, now in its second year. The editor is a well-known art critic, but quite without experience in the thorny ways of periodical literature. But he had some original ideas, and ample means to carry them out, and as the ideas were good, the venture is proving a commercial success. The new review is a large octavo, printed in large type, in the best style; its articles are signed, and it is profusely illustrated. The pictures are of many kinds, in every case illustrative. Some are the merest outline sketches; others delicate process blocks; but the style of wood-engraving in microscopic detail, after the American school, is absent. The cuts in the text often transgress upon the broad margins, after the French style; in fact, there is a « Frenchy » aspect about the magazine which will be objectionable to some. At the same time, the French taste in book-printing and book decoration is better than the English, and Mr Quilter has caught its best features. The articles are ably and vigorously written, and the art-criticisms are sound. The last two numbers, 13 and 14, contain articles of interest to the craft. No. 13 opens with a very readable article (anonymous) on The Times: « The Aunt, the Nieces, and the Dog, » by Samuel Butler, is a curiosity of type-composition, the irregularity of illiterate writing being imitated by setting in a large- and small-faced ionic, and the crookedness of the lines managed by intricate leading. There are several pages of this work, which must have been worse to set than algebraic equations. No. 14 contains the first part of an article by Alfred Pollard, on « The History of the Title-Page, » liberally illustrated with fac-similes; and Mr E. Glode Ellis writes advocating the simplification of musical notation by the abolition of the clefs.
Life-Lore is a beautifully-printed, well-written, and well - illustrated fourpenny monthly magazine of natural history, a copy of which has been sent to us through our home agent. It has just entered upon its second year. The design on its cover is a model of emblematic decoration. It is more popular in its style than Nature, and as it occupies a somewhat different field from its contemporaries, ought to be very successful. Oliver Wendell Holmes has sent to a Scottish admirer a stanza which he wrote on Burns as long ago as 1856. These lines have appeared in a Glasgow paper, accompanied by the remark that « nothing better has been said on the same subject in a briefer space. » Here is the stanza:—
The lark of Scotia's morning sky, What voice may sing his praises? With heaven's own sunlight in his eye. He walked among the daises, Till through the cloud of fortune's wrong, He soared to fields of glory, But left his land her sweetest song, And earth her saddest story.
We rejoice to see that the Quarterly Review has some trenchant remarks on « the purveyors of literary husks on which numbers of swine are content to feed. » It specially singles out the Hansom Cab, and remarks: « Bad as are all the shilling dreadfuls, most of them are high works of art compared with this detestable production. It is a tale of commonplace murder, written in the vilest English, in which the criticisms on life and manners would argue abnormal stupidity in a boy of fourteen, in which there is not even an attempt to portray a character, and in which the plot is as uninteresting as the style is vulgar. »
Only two reviewers—those of the Daily News and the Spectator—have had a word in favor of Sir Julius Vogel's book. The former spoke of it as « the day-dream of an amiable and accomplished statesman, » and the latter says that making allowance for all shortcomings the author « has done that which is the sovereign test of merit: he has produced a readable book. » The Melbourne Argus describes the book as « a wild and incoherent dislocated extravaganza, which has not imagination enough to keep it afloat, or art to make it readable. » It thinks it will probably serve one useful purpose, in keeping its author permanently from office.
Referring to the forthcoming work by Mr Benzon, in which he is to relate how he gambled away a great fortune, the Marlborough Express says: « No wise man's book was probably ever looked for more anxiously than a book which a superlative fool has just promised us. »
According to a floating paragraph from some American paper, a humble marble slab in a secluded corner of Otterbein cemetery, about twelve miles north of « this » (which?) city, marks the grave of Benjamin Russell Hansby, the author of the famous ballad, « Darling Nellie Gray. »
The favorite Scottish song, « There's nae luck about the hoose when our guidman's awa', » says a contemporary, was written by a poor seamstress, Jean Adams, who never knew what it was to have a guidman of her own, for all the cheering ring of welcome in her song.
Welcome, Artist Printer!
Nos. 1 and 2 to hand. Beautifully printed, original, lively, and practical, it has stepped straight into the front rank of trade journalism, and we think it will keep there. In place of an ordinary running-head, it has its title device repeated on every page. The young lady in the apple-tree sits on the left in even pages and on the right in odd ones. She is very graceful, but as she makes her appearance some fifty times in the two numbers, there is perhaps a little too much of her. The new paper is very outspoken in its criticisms, both of its trade contemporaries, and of typefounders' novelties.
In the Printers' Register, under the head of « A New Zealand Caxtou, » Mr William Blades tells the story of Mr Colenso and the first Maori New Testament, gathered from Mr Colenso's « Jubilee » paper, already referred to several times in these pages. No man is better qualified than Mr Blades to deal with a subject like this.
Mr Hilton's British Printer for March-April, as a fine-art trade organ, has far surpassed any of its English contemporaries, and will bear comparison with the best periodicals of the kind published elsewhere. As we said before, we would be glad to see it more English and less German. In the present number we see a beautiful curtain combination, with a great variety of scrolls and fringes. There is no hint as to its origin, but it is self-evidently German. No English founder would venture to produce so elaborate a design, and no American combination would have been wrought out with so much delicacy and attention to detail. The leading feature in this number is a portrait, with ornamental border, in chromo-xylography—or, in plain English, wood-engraving, a special block having been cut in register for each color. We have never seen a piece of chromographic printing, by lithography or any other process, to approach this for beauty and delicacy. The portrait is that of Johan Rudolph Kutschker, first Bishop of Vienna, and is a masterpiece by the greatest master of compound wood-engraving the world has known—Heinrich Knöfler, who died near Vienna in 1886. A portrait and biography of this remarkable man appeared in the first number of the British Printer, and we intend one day adding the latter to our series of « Worthies of the Craft. » We are not surprised to read that an exhibition of works by this artist last year was a great attraction to English printers. The work possesses a fascination to us beyond anything of the kind we have ever seen. How many blocks have been used in the plate before us we cannot say, but a common number with the artist was ten to twelve. Part of the design before us consists of an oval of pearls, two or three hundred in number, about one-eighth of an inch in diameter, each one delicately shaded in two shades of gray! Each one of these must have been engraved in each of the eight or ten blocks, and the register is absolutely faultless. It is astonishing to read that the artist produced « numerous » works of this class, some very large. And it is gratifying to know that the art is not lost. His two sons were carefully trained by their father, and produce work of similar character. They have reprinted this splendid example of their late father's work specially for the British Printer. Some very good specimens of job-work are shown, indicating the increase of taste among the English printers. One of these—a photographers' business card, by Mr Jones of the Darien Press, Edinburgh, is very beautiful in its direct simplicity.
Our valued weekly Paris contemporary, the Gutenberg-Journal, is chiefly occupied with exhibition notes. Typo would give a good deal to see this show—the finest world's fair ever held.
The Paper World for June has a valuable and interesting illustrated article on typewriters. It has also portraits of two distinguished journalists—the late Horace Greeley and Mr George W. Childs of the Philadelphia Ledger.
F. W. Warne & Co., Chandos House, Bedford-st., Strand, London.—Trade List of new books.
C. Schraubstadter, jun., 402 North 3rd-st., St. Louis.—Specimens of work executed by the « Star » engraving process.
Messrs W. & A. K. Johnston, 16 South St. Andrew-st., Edinburgh, and 5 White Hart-st., Warwick Lane, London, E.C.—List of recent publications, chiefly geographical.
Cowan & Co.,38 W. Register-st., Edinburgh and 17 Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow.—Stock List and Diary, June 1889. Also Monthly Stock-list, Dunedin Branch, N. Z.
G. Waterton & Co., 56-60 N. Hanover-st., Edinburgh and 8 St. Bride-st., Ludgate circus, London, E.C.—Illustrated wholesale and export list of manufactured stationery.
Queen City Printing Ink Company, Cincinnati, Ohio.—A beautifully-printed specimen-book, neatly bound in cloth, of high-class printing-inks.
Hr. Carl Schlenk, Both near Nuremberg, Bavaria (English agency, 14 Aldersgate-st., London, E.C.)—Price list and specimens of bronzes, accompanied by sample packets.
G. W. Wilson & Co., 2 St. Swithin-st., Aberdeen.—List of series of photographic views of England and Scotland, and illustrated catalogue of photo frames and photo albums.
Mr H. Wilson, representing Messrs Wilsons & Horton, Auckland, has handed us a very beautifully-printed card in four colors and gold, bordered with Berthold's combination rules.
Messrs G. Bullen & Co., 119 Cromer-st., London, W.C.—Parcel of specimens of plain and ornamental types, card-ornaments, &c. A number of very useful series, marked at a low rate. We do not recognize any new or original faces in this excellent collection.
J. M. Huck & Co. (J. Haddon & Co., agents.)—Sample of patent grooved furniture. We have aready described this furniture, by which a form may be tied, locked up, worked off, and unlocked and put away without untying. One of our friends, on seeing the sample, gave an order « right away. » We will be happy to show it to any printers who take interest in labor-saving novelties.
For two consecutive months we have sent out a double number, yet nearly a page of interesting items in type has to stand over from the present issue.
In the libel action brought by Mr O'Brien against the Marquis of Salisbury, a verdict has been given for the defendant. Only on the exploded principle of « the greater the truth the greater the libel, » could any other decision have been given.
Rosa Bonheur, says an English paper, who is still painting with all her old vigor and freshness, is nearing her seventieth year. It is not easy to imagine that the picture of « Scotch Cattle at Rest, » on view at Lefévre's Gallery, is the work of a woman of sixty-seven.
A draper in Vienna, who exhibited a pocket-handkerchief in his window, on which was a portrait of the late Crown Prince, and the date of his death, has been fined for not taking out a licence to sell periodicals, the pocket-handkerchief in question being regarded as equivalent to a newspaper.
A Poverty Bay contemporary says that « Tolago » Bay is the Maori Taraka, the east wind. We may add that this is only a surmise. The best Maori linguists have been unable to decide what Maori word took this form in Cook's journals. No local name approximating to it has been discovered.
We have to thank a Quotations, compiled by himself, and printed in Nelson in 1880.
The Volks Zeitung, which was summarily suppressed by Bismarck, and the editor imprisoned, was the favorite journal of the late Emperor, and had been in existence forty years. The action of the Government was purely arbitrary, no legal process being-resorted to. The paragraph which gave offence was this: « If Bismarck lives five years longer, a free press and free speech will be unknown in Germany. » The Chancellor lost no time in verifying, as far as possible, the editor's forecast.
The following characteristic story is told of the editor of Truth:—He once deceived his father in a very remarkable way. He was supposed to be at Cambridge, but having come privily up to town on some escapade, met his father face to face in the street. « Why, Henry! what are you doing here? » said the astonished parent. « Excuse me, sir, you have the advantage of me! » replied Henry, with an impassive stare, and went on his way, leaving the old man utterly astounded. But as it was important that his visit to London should not be capable of proof, off he went to Cambridge by the first train. The father, being determined to get to the bottom of the matter, followed by a later train to see if his son was absent from college, and there he found the young hopeful, apparently overjoyed to meet him. To his death Mr Labouchere senior believed that he had been misled by an extraordinary resemblance.
Our new exchanges this month are: Artist Printer, St. Louis, Nos 1 and 2; Pointers, a little monthly list with specimens, issued by Messrs Averill, Carpenter, & Co., St. Paul, Minn. The latter is printed in « self-spacing » type—the advantages of which the American printers quite appreciate.
Mr P. Hay, late of the Tapanui Courier, is now on the staff of the Melbourne Argus.
Mr W. Potts, the well-known lithographer in Mr A. D. Willis's establishment, is about to take a trip to the Old Country, and expects to return in time for Christmas.
Mr E. T. Gillon, editor of the Evening Post, Wellington, has been installed Deputy Provincial G. M. of the North Island. He has been 25 years a Freemason.
The Dunedin Star has now been twenty years in the hands of its present proprietor, Mr George Bell, and in celebration of the anniversary, his staff have presented him with a handsomely-framed portrait of himself.
Mr J. T. Edgar, of the Melbourne Herald, well known in this colony, was on the 2nd inst. presented by the literary staff of the paper with a handsome marble clock, suitably inscribed, on the occasion of his marriage.
The partnership hitherto existing between Messrs Bock & Cousins, printers and engravers, Wellington, was dissolved at the end of July. The business is now carried on by Mr William Rose Bock, under the style of Bock & Co.
The Wairarapa Observer says: We regret to learn that Mr J. Payton, of the Wairarapa Daily, had the misfortune to lose his eldest daughter, who succumbed to typhoid fever on Sunday night, 4th August. The deceased was a general favorite, having by her genial disposition made a great number of friends outside the home circle, so that many will lament her early death.
The finest library in New Zealand belongs to the General Assembly; but it does not seem to have benefited members much. Mr Fish, following the example of Mr Kerr, has been getting beyond his depth in his literary illustrations. The country party, he said, were like Mark Tapley, « waiting for something to turn up. » A roar of laughter led Mr Fish to believe something was wrong, and aided by a friendly prompter, Mr Fish made confusion worse confounded by explaining: « I mean the Mark Tapley who stated that Micawber was always « waiting for something to turn up. »
The following charade, by « H., Napier, » is from the « Half-way Houses department of the Wellington Press:
I Where am I found? In every place Where man has lived and left his trace: Where'er his busy hand has wrought, I have enshrined his loftiest thought. In every age, in all his ways, My presence cheered his weary days. Old dwellers in the lakes and caves, Wild hunters in the woods and waves, Nations—all-powerful in their day— Whose very name has passed away, With those of every later age Whose histories fill the written page, And all the tribes on earth who dwell— All—all, have felt my powerful spell. II Myself, yet not my own, nor thine— Who can describe me, or define? But dimly known or understood, Compound of evil and of good; And yet, howe'er imperfect deemed, Ofttimes beyond all else esteemed. Yet still—strange irony of fate! Whoever would depreciate, In any tongue, whate'er it be, For simile makes use of me. III Ill-omened verb! thy dismal sound By strange association found, Of accident beyond control Should yet in part describe my whole. Those who in Holy Writ will read About the sower and the seed, Or of a marvel strange to see Upon the shores of Galilee— And scan the narrative with care, Will find it plainly written there. IV To find my whole, indeed, 'twould be A weary search through kingdoms three. Know, therefore, that which I propound Is in the Second Kingdom found, Its varied uses I descry For food, for medicine, for dye, With others still, of lesser fame And therefore which I need not name.
In the following week's issue, a metrical reply appeared from a correspondent signing himself « Con, » who also contributed the following:
I Seating himself aloft, the ground he spurns, And as the cycles roll around, he burns T'outdo his fellows, and inscribe his name Above the rest, upon the scroll of fame; Or on the verdant turf, his gallant steed He urges to the goal, at headlong speed. Now change we the figure, and lo! he appears, Neuter—not neutral (arousing our fears), Attached as a clause to our own little Bill, [skill. Which was drawn up, wethought, with unparalleledII Deformed and ugly? nay! but pale and worn, That faded cheek has borne the world's cold scorn. III Our thanks, O friend, we pay as tribute due For many a pleasant hour we've spent with you, Laying aside a while the care and strife, The turmoil, and the drudgery of life, To smile at thy conceits—perchance to sigh, Because the world that smiles on thee has passed us by.
—Neither of these are very difficult, and the solution of each will appear in our next.
Melbourne has the reputation of being somewhat lax as regards the Sabbath. Yet we find that while London tolerates a seven-day newspaper, the Victorian Government have intimated to the projectors of a Sunday newspaper that legal proceedings will be instituted against them if the paper is published.
The Wellington Watchman has found it necessary to increase its price from one penny to twopence. This paper, which is printed by Messrs Brown, Thompson, & Co., is always noticeable for clean and sharp press-work. It has reduced its size, and doubled the number of pages. The margins are now rather small, and the old heading is retained. The paper would be greatly improved by adopting a neater title, and abandoning the ugly curved line.
Among the month's applications for patents recorded in the N. Z. Gazette, was that of Thomas Lewis, of Rangitata, railway officer, for the better aud more expeditious method of date stamping and printing letters, tickets, and other things, to be called « Lewis's Patent Printing Type. »
The stupid wording of a press telegram from Wellington early this month caused a very unpleasant mistake. Several cases of typhoid had occurred in the city, and a message was despatched that Mr Rous Marten, editor of the Times, was « the latest victim. » Several papers, very naturally, headed the item « Death of Mr Rous Marten, » and a Christchurch paper published an obituary notice. We are glad to say that Mr Marten's illness was not serious, and that he has recovered.
The London Spectator has just suffered a serious loss. Mr Richard Hutton, its gifted editor, who was until lately a Unitarian, has been led by his love of music to associate himself with a « high » church, and has from thence gone over to Rome and become a recluse. The loss is mutual, as Mr Hutton relinquishes the handsome salary of £2000 a year. His friends are sanguine that retire-ment and meditation will considerably modify his present views.
A recent instance of the liberality of Mr David Syme. proprietor of the Melbourne Age, is worthy of being placed on record. One of the members of the staff, Mr D. K. Bennett, died, leaving a young widow unprovided for. The staff wished to do all they could for the bereaved lady, and started a subscription list, every employé in the office putting down his name for a subscription equal to one month's salary. This would have raised a good round sum. When things had progressed thus far, the list was laid before Mr David Syme for his contribution. His reply was that he intended to settle upon Mrs Bennett a life annuity of £200 a year.
Mr F. B. Schell, whose splendid artistic work in the Picturesque Atlas has made him so well known throughout Australia, has received the appointment of art editor of Harper's Magazine. Mr W. E. Abbey chose Mr Schell for the post while he was passing through London. Mr Schell was therefore able to step into the appointment on his return from Australia, (Though we can't understand why he didn't step into « chokee » and Mr Abbey into a $1000 fine under the imported labor law!) The position is one much coveted in art circles, as it carries with it a high prestige as well as a large salary.
Mr Thomas George, a well-known lithographer, died suddenly in Dunedin, on the 15th ult.
La Typologie-Tucker announces the death of a valued contributor, M. John P. A. Madden, at Versailles, on the 2nd June, in his 82nd year. He was a member of the Society of Natural Sciences of Seine-et-Oise; and an industrious writer; best known to the trade by his series in La Typologie on Etudes sur I'Imprimerie and Lettres d'un Bibliographe.
Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Coupland Harding, at his registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—August, 1889.
XXXIII.
It is fitting that, before we proceed to the consideration of the more elaborate forms of border, we should consider how work may be adorned by using two or more simple running borders in combination with each other. This does not constitute a « combination border » as the term is used in these articles. We confine that term to a series in which one or more simple borders are interlaced, or enriched with specially-devised corner- or centre-pieces; or to those series in which the various units are so designed as when properly arranged to form an architectural or other realistic pattern. In these cases, though portions may be detached and separately used, every piece has (or should have) a defined relation to the whole, and cannot be omitted without injury to the scheme. There are, however, es-specially in the German books, numerous series which do not come under this category. The synopsis may contain an indefinite number of characters—perhaps thirty, perhaps a hundred. But on analysis they will be found to consist of simple running borders on various-sized bodies, each with its appropriate corner, any of which may be used apart without reference to the rest, and which, in fact, may be purchased separately. These we class under the category of Running Borders.
The great proportion of printing is done in black upon white. The engraver, however, in designing a border, by the due arrangement of lines and dots, can produce any intermediate shade between solid black and pure white. In the earlier borders, the same general tone prevailed throughout the whole design; but modern refinements of engraving, combined with an awakened æsthetic appreciation of color effects, has produced designs which, when printed in black upon white, give practically a three-color effect, as, for example: Solid black pattern, gray tint shade, white ground; or white pattern with solid black shade on gray ground. In our last issue, we referred to Herr Weisert of Stuttgart, as having specially developed this method of design. Something of the same effect may be produced with separate borders, when judiciously used; but the patterns should always be well considered before two separate borders are used in combination. And here is one rule, which adhered to, will save much trouble and annoyance.
Never (unless in the rare cases when the work is exactly square) use borders of different standards (as, for example, pica and emerald), in combination.—Even when the work is square, there is trouble in justification; but when the sides differ in length (as in an octavo page) the effect is always bad. It is often attempted, but never succeeds. It looks bad, for this reason, that the borders cannot be, (except where there is a fortuitous coincidence of the standards), kept a uniform distance apart. So that, besides the difficulty of justifying, the compositor may find his borders separated by a nonpareil em top and bottom, and by a sixth-of-pica at the sides.
The Cincinnati Foundry has a fine series of borders designed to work in combination with each other and with brass-rule. They are east to 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 18-, and 24-point, and new designs are frequently added. Each is complete in itself, but admirable effects are produced by using them in combination. They exhibit every depth of color, from a small chain-border in white on solid ground to the finest outline borders. As these borders are the most convenient for our purpose, we will make chief use of them for the purposes of illustration.
First, we would draw attention to the tint patterns,—the most useful of all in combination. These examples are on nonpareil and half-nonpareil respectively: Recently the foundry added a great many new tints to the series, some heavier and some lighter than these; but we are unable to show them, and those we have are sufficient for illustrative purposes. Let a compound border, two ems pica wide, be required for a card or circular, and the borders on that body are found to be too heavy or otherwise unsuitable. We find nonpareil and half-nonpareil borders as follow: There is room here for a great variety of compounds, but some would be entirely unsuitable, on account of a want of harmony in the component parts. Here, however, is a good combination: It will be seen how the central pattern of nail-heads is strengthened and set off by the narrow borders. And not by the borders alone, for the half-nonpareil white is quite as important as any other part of the arrangement. No fact in ornamental composition, and particularly in border-work, is so often overlooked as the necessity of allowing a due proportion of white space to give relief to the design. Take away the half-nonpareil white and note the difference. The open appearance of the first is more pleasing than the crowded effect of the second. Here is a variation on the first pattern, the tint being brought inwards. Each affords a good example of the use of the tint, in softening off the outlines of the more defined borders, and in allowing a change of pattern to be made without the effect of incongruity. Take away the tints and notice how the border is weakened: Here is another combination, in which the tint occupies the centre, the stronger border furnishing the outline: Here again the effect of the white space may be clearly seen by comparing the first example with the second. We prefer the effect of the tint borders used outside the pattern, in which case they should come close, producing the effect of a shade: The second of these is symmetrical rather than realistic, for in nature shadows are not observed to fall equally on opposite sides of an object. A tint used in realistic fashion as a shadow may be seen in the headpiece on page 109. As a general rule, in a shaded border, the shadow is thrown either inwards or outwards, all round, and a single corner does duty. A realistic shadow requires a separate design for each corner, and when these are thoughtfully provided, the comp frequently puts them all in wrong!
The anomalies of colonial legislation would be laughable if they had not a serious side. There are a number of statutes and orders in council regarding rabbits. By a recent order, cats were included in the category of « natural enemies » of the rabbit. The Oamaru Mail has looked up the law relating to the natural enemies of the rabbit, and finds it clearly laid down, (simply interpreting the term by the new regulation, which has all the force of a statute), that « anyone killing, selling, disposing of, or capturing a cat, or allowing one to be found in his possession by a rabbit inspector or a constable (unless he can prove that it was lawfully in his possession or on his premises without his knowledge or consent) is liable to a fine of not less than five nor more than twenty pounds. And if one wants to drown a batch of kittens, or smash a full-grown howler on the roof with a boot-jack, he must hunt up a rabbit inspector and get a written permit. He may not 'dispose' of a cat or a kitten, in any way. Must not capture one, even if he wants to get it out of his meat-safe, without the inspector's permit in writing! »
Trade kept up the briskness which has been with us since Parliamentary session opened, but as soon as our legislators sought their homes so many printers received the notice which means to them a seeking after fresh fields wherein to try their fortune with stick and rule. Last Saturday 15 hands were discharged from the piece-room of the Government Printing Office, and to-day 9 more received a week's notice, so that next week the staff of the room will be composed of 8 hands. The session has been a very good one for the piece hands. Several of those discharged have taken advantage of the cheap fares of the U.S.S. Co. and taken passage for Sydney. Australia seems to be the El Dorado of the N. Z. printer, probably on account of its proximity to our colony—although I think the power of the craft in N. S. W. and Victoria holds out some attractions. I would recommend any young men who wish to try a good field for the engagement of their services to try Cape Colony. Our direct boats call there, and the demand for printers is great, owing to the impetus given to trade generally owing to the active colonising which is in progress. Our jobbing offices are busy, and promise to keep so for a few weeks.
Since my last letter to you, a reduction in the price per 1000 ens has taken place in the N. Z. Times news room. The old price was 1/-less 5%,—the price now is 8%. The reduction was effected without any opposition.
Mr D. P. Fisher, well known throughout New Zealand among printers, has been elected President of the newly-formed Lumpers' and Maritime Laborers' Union.
In my last letter a notice of motion put upon the report of this Branch having for its object the abolition of the Executive Council, N.Z.T.A. was quoted. Two special meetings of the members of the Branch were held and the subject was thoroughly threshed out in debate. Mr Mills put in a series of amendments suggesting a reform in the Council's constitution, but this gentleman withdrew the amendments on the substitution of an amendment for the appointing of a Committee to take up the lines suggested in his amendments. When the matter eventually came to the vote Mr McGirr's motion for abolition of Council only received two supporters, and a Committee was appointed to consider the best means for re-constituting the N.Z.T.A. The Committee will report to the Branch at a general meeting next Wednesday. The Committee consists of the following members:—Messrs W. P. McGirr, D. P. Fisher, T. L. Mills, E. D. Johnson, H. Webb, and F. Millar.
Our printers are bringing the fruits of their inventive faculties into the light of day, as the following notices in the list of patents applied for in the N. Z. Gazette of last and this week testify:— « John Cole Edwards, of Wellington, printer, for a game played with printed cards, to be called 'Quintets and Quartets,' being an adaptation of a well-known game called 'Quartets' to the purposes of an advertising medium.—George Percy and William Daniell Haggett, of Wellington, printers, for a new game or method of amusement, and apparatus for the same. »
The Executive Council of the N. Z. T. A. is taking an individual vote on the following important questions:—1. That Rule 5, page 6, General Rules, be altered so as to include bookbinders as members of the N.Z.T.A. (This alteration is suggested by the Auckland Branch in deference to the wishes of the bookbinding craft located there.) 2. That Rule 33, page 12, General Rules, be altered by the addition of the following words after the ninth line:— « A full member having received four pounds as out-of-work allowance, shall not at any time be entitled to any further benefit until he has paid twenty-six shillings into the funds of the Association in the way of ordinary subscriptions. » (The Executive Council's dictum as to the proper interpretation of Rule 33 having been questioned by the Board of Management of the Wellington Branch, the alteration is suggested by the Executive Council with the view to a settlement of the matter.) 3. That the New Zealand Typographical Association secede from the Australasian Typographical Union. (This step is suggested by the Wellington Branch, its contention being that very little can be gained by being affiliated, pecuniarily or otherwise. It is pointed out that in submitting any important trade dispute, first to the Executive Council, and then to the Australasian Typographical Union, for settlement, a complete waste of time and endless correspondence must result, and thus the main object—namely, a settlement of the dispute, which should always demand immediate action—would possibly be defeated. The Wellington Branch thinks the machinery too cumbersome and expensive, and is of opinion that either the N.Z.T.A. must secede from the A.T.U., or the Executive Council must bo dispensed with; and submits that, if the two bodies are allowed to continue as at present, it will be necessary to raise the subscriptions. Supposing the N.Z.T.A. secedes from the A.T.U., the Wellington Branch suggests encouraging Trades and Labor Councils, and in that way, if possible, bringing about a combination of all trades throughout the colony.
Trade is quiet, and some of the compositors are still on half-time.
Early in August the Pioneer Bicycle Club published a journal called the New Zealand Wheelman's Gazette, with the object of advertising prominently among wheelmen the proposed intercolonial race meeting. The first number met with so much support that the P.B.C. have now entered into a contract for the publication of the Gazette monthly for six months.
The War Cry is shortly to be enlarged to eight pages demy folio. I hear that no extra men will be employed, as the work is to be done by boys.
Messrs Russell & Willis are going to issue a new weekly publication to be called the Bazaar. It will be twelve pages demy folio, and is to be published at 2d per copy. The Bazaar is to be a home and family newspaper, of a distinctly literary character. I wish the enterprising firm every success.
A deputation from the Master Printers' Association waited on the North Canterbury Board of Education at its ordinary meeting on September 12 to urge the advisableness of having all school books and stationery printed in the colony. It was argued by the deputation that if the request were complied with, more work would be given to printers and bookbinders in the colony, and that it would also tend to the establishment of a national literature. It was also stated that the offices were fully equipped for the work, which could be turned out equal to the books obtained from home. After considerable discussion the following resolution was passed by the Board:— « That so far as may be consistent with the proper education of the children in North Canterbury, this Board will afford the utmost possible assistance in support of the objects set forth by the deputation. » This matter has excited some public attention, and I think the general opinion is that the Master Printers' Association has taken a step in the right direction. They should not stop here, but should see that the Boards in other large towns are interviewed and the question gone into thoroughly.
Owing to Mr Loughnan's retirement from the editorial chair of the Lyttelton Times, there is to be a re-arrangement of the literary staff. I understand that Mr W. P. Reeves will edit the Times, Mr J. Plunket the Star, and Mr W. V. Hamilton the Canterbury Times.
Mr Geo. Tombs, of the firm of Messrs Whitcombe & Tombs, was tendered a complimentary dinner by the employés of the firm on Friday evening last, on the occasion of his retiring from the active management of the two departments hitherto superintended by him. The toast of « Our Guests » was proposed by Mr J. P. Cooper in an excellent speech, in the course of which he referred to the loss the firm and its employés were about to sustain through the retirement of Mr Tombs after an experience in printing and newspaper work in Canterbury which commenced so far back in the early days of the settlement as June 1, 1856. At the close of his speech Mr Cooper on behalf of the firm's employés presented Mr Tombs with a handsomely illuminated and framed address, expressing their high appreciation of his sterling character, and a hope for his welfare in the future. Mr Tombs, in returning thanks, gave a humorous account of how, in the early days of newspapers in the Province, the publications did not bear the trim appearance they do now, but were a medley of mixed brevier and nonpareil, « leaded » out with strips of bonnet-boxes, pieces of wood, or any material obtainable. Messrs Wilkin (manager of the Times) and Geo. Hart (Press) also spoke of the trials and troubles of printers and newspaper men in Canterbury's early days. Mr Hart, who now holds a high position on the literary staff of the Press, was a fellow apprentice of Mr Tombs. An enjoyable evening was spent, all the principal printing offices in town being represented. Mr E. Hicks is Mr Tombs' successor.
At a special meeting of the Canterbury Typographical Association, held during the month, a resolution expressing sympathy with the London dock laborers on strike, and admiration of the manner in which they were conducting the struggle, was unanimously adopted.
On the 26th August Mr W. Chapman read his paper on « Slang » before the Literary Society of the Y.M.C.A. There were between fifty and sixty members present, and the paper was favorably criticised.
It is our object, in this department, to critically note every new and original design in types, borders, combination ornaments, and initials. Without specimens, however, such an article is little more than a catalogue of names. New faces can only be described by comparison with previously-existing patterns—it being impossible to convey by description an idea of the essential characteristic of any given design, that being precisely the quality in which it differs from all others. Typefounders are invited to send us specimen letters or lines of original faces, which can be readily and cheaply done by parcel post. (Types from the continent of Europe should be to English height.) We insert such free, finding our recompense in the additional interest this column would possess to our readers. Many of the beautiful styles we describe from month to month would be irresistible to colonial buyers if once seen, and those we criticise unfavorably might commend themselves strongly to printers whose tastes differ from our own.
Anticipating their regular Circular, Messrs Caslon & Co. have sent us a four-page specimen, beautifully printed in colors, of their combination border No. 17 (175 characters). This is identical with the « Roman » border of Otto Weisert, described below, and is capable of fine effects. As the number of characters is very great, Messrs Caslon have divided it into four sections for the convenience of buyers. We have also from the same house a large roll of specimens. A double sheet contains 35 head-pieces and other book-vignettes, all from old models, varying greatly in style. Some of these are very pretty indeed. With most of the types, the Circular has made us familiar. In Series 11 of Line Ornaments, we note that Weisert's good example has been followed, and a corner (numbered 18a) has been added to match No. 18
From the old treasures of the foundry they have brought out some of the dear « old-fashioned borders » dating probably from the time of the first Caslon. These have a special charm to our eyes—as we knew them in the old specimen-book which is associated with our earliest recollections. Messrs Caslon also send us a beautiful card, in five workings, exhibiting the « Roman » border.
Messrs Baber and Rawlings send us specimens of some novelties by Charles Reed & Sons. « Genevan » is a hybrid style with lowercase, in three sizes. It is neither roman nor old english. « Mediæval Antique » is a useful heavy-faced old-style. We note a second series of the « Artistic » ornaments—21 characters. Five are juvenile subjects; the others are chiefly sea, river, and mountain scenery. They are really charming little vignettes. Two of the smallest—16 and 31—representing respectively a wild duck and a kingfisher, are very lifelike, and are worthy of special note. We prefer this set to any of the American vignettes. « Art Designs, » 29 characters, are pretty, but not so generally available. They include pierced blocks, corners and centres, with conventionalized vases and foliage, and the same designs are repeated with slight modifications.
« Athenian » is the name of a new and original style by Stephenson, Blake, & Co.—a very light latin, caps only, the serifs so small that the fount looks at first sight like a sanserif. It is in three sizes, each with small caps—making it practically six. It is sharply-cut and well-balanced, and the word-ornaments with which it is furnished are graceful, and properly subordinated.
Messrs Müller & Hölemann, Dresden, whose names have already appeared in this column, have sent us a beautifully-printed large octavo specimen-book of over 150 pages. Each page is enclosed in a red double-rule border, with ornamental corners. As regards type-founding excellence, the Saxon capital will compare with any of the German cities. There is a fine selection of body-founts in the four classes of German, Schwabacher, and Modern and Old-style Roman, and the usual great variety of heavy-faced titlings in all these styles. In fact the strong point of the book is in its plain faces. There are also beautiful scripts and rondes, and several sizes of the new fashionable « Kanzlei » initials—a revival of a very antiquated style. A large poster border of black devils clinging, monkey-fashion, to each others' tails, is decidedly original, but in very bad taste. In contrast to this, we have to note the beautiful « Draperie » combination, referred to by us only last month as a curtain design, adorning the British Printer. This beautiful series—which was originated by Messrs M. & H., and is in fact the only combination in the book before us—far exceeds in grace and delicacy any previous attempt of the kind, and we anticipate for it a world-wide popularity. It contains 49 characters, varying from half-nonpareil to a pair of large corners about eleven by four ems pica. It is capable of great variety, nineteen different borders being shown in the specimen-sheet, without counting the large designs made by combining three and four. No other curtain or drapery combination can like this be doubled or trebled to make a wide border. We would like to see the « large specimen-sheet in six colors » referred to. In an enclosed card, the border is beautifully displayed in five. The smallest complete fount weighs about sixteen pounds.
Herr Otto Weisert, Stuttgart, has sent us a pretty little octavo volume, showing a few choice selections from his great variety of types and borders; also a richly-printed card in four colors, displaying the « Roman » border, and a two-color fount. Among the original designs we note the « German Shield » border, 54 characters. We think we have met with some reference to this combination years ago, but it is new to us. In general design it bears some resemblance to Bruce's combination (No. 58); but is more comprehensive, much larger, bolder, and coarser in design and execution, yet withal exceedingly artistic and effective. There is not a weak line or curve in the whole design, which is in the best mediæval style. The « Roman » border, a silhouette combination, in five sections, containing altogether 202 characters, is one of the best of its class. The small border surrounding Hr. Weisert's little advertisement in recent issues of Typo, and the vase and flower at the side, belong to this series. A series of « Spitzen » or pointed borders, 37 characters, is also shown, harmonizing beautifully with the « Roman. » « Roman Ornaments » (124 characters), consist of classic figures, loops, festoons, fabulous beasts, &c., and are in a style peculiar to this house—neither silhouette, outline, nor shaded, but in a half-tone, produced by parallel horizontal white lines. This idea is extensively carried out by Hr. Weisert in his ornamental head-pieces, initials, and vignettes, in which the half-tone produces a three-color effect in one working, very tasteful and characteristic. The « Roman » ornaments should only be handled by an artist. The average comp's handiwork with material like this would be appropriate only to a « Representation of Chaos. » A new « Gothic » border, 89 characters, is characterized by the striking and beautiful effects in black, white, and half-tint, already noted, and there is also a handsome border (22 characters), for tri-color work. A series of 33 new tailpieces is very attractive. We expect to be able to show some of Hr. Weisert's novelties in a supplement at an early date.
« Building Blocks » is the name of a new style of wood combination, specially devised for posters, by Mr E. Huggins, block-cutter, Leeds. In the specimen before us, twelve characters are shown—bricks, &c., by which a whole house-front may be set up. Founts of letters to correspond are supplied. The design may be had in many sizes, and is capable of good effects.
The Central Foundry shows « Quaint Gothic, » a heavy distorted sans, with a marked distinction between the thick and thin lines. There is a novel effect in this style which many printers will like, but the M and N are inelegantly sprawled, and the cross-lines of the E and H are much too high up.
The sacredness of the mails has been developed almost into a superstition in the colonies, and we are glad to see signs that, as in America, it is now becoming recognized that the mail was made for the people. The postal authorities of Melbourne have seized between two and three thousand copies of an infamous Sydney publication which it is unnecessary to name, and the Customs authorities have been instructed to prohibit its introduction across the border.—In the New Zealand parliament, Mr Newman has moved to have the correspondence addressed to Australian « sweep » swindlers intercepted.
The Galignani Statue.—Do Likewise.
Incidentallya copy of the May number ofTypocame under my notice. Having a horror of ornamental type as extravagantly and tastelessly used in the colonies, I was pleased at the sight ofTypo, as I always (like Whittingham of London,) looked upon my own trade as an art. I had written the brief paragraphs which follow for another paper, but their greater appropriateness to your tastefully-printed publication has induced me to alter their destination. I may add that my first London employment after my apprenticeship in a small market-town in the West of England, was in Bouverie-street, in the then small office of Bradbury and Evans.The Australasian papers contain almost daily reports of the munificent bequests for all purposes—educational and otherwise—for the advancement of these great colonies. Would it be too much to crave space for an instance which lately occurred in Europe?
My old Parisian employer, Anthony Galignani, left a vast fortune for various objects, especially to the town (Corbeil on the Seine) where he resided for so many years. The municipality of that town have just erected a memorial to commemorate his good deeds. It consists of a statue by the celebrated sculptor Chaillu. Anthony Galignani is represented in a sitting posture, with his brother's head leaning on his shoulder.
Most people have heard of
Galignani's Messenger.In the year 1836 I left London and took an engagement in the office, and was at once installed as « Mettre-en-Page. » that is, to superintend and makeup the reprints of the English novels and other bookwork. Strange to say, the first work I had in hand was one I had in London at the office of Bradbury & Evans—Lytton Bulwer's favorite work, « The Pilgrims of the Rhine. » At the end of six months' engagement, I left, and made the tour of that pleasant part of France—Burgundy; then Switzerland, Savoy, down the Rhine 600 miles through Holland, then took boat to Hull; then through the North of England and North Wales to my home in the sunny west.I may mention that among other bequests, M. Galignani founded a beautiful home at Neuilly, near Paris, for English writers and printers; and I should be readily received as an occupant, having been one of his favorite workmen—so much so, that when I left I was offered any situation in the establishment should I return to Paris.
Since the above was written, I have received a copy of
The Times, from which I take the following paragraph, premising that I well remember M. Jeancourt Galignani therein referred to, as a smart and sociable youth:—« An asylum founded by the brothers Galignani, or rather by William Galignani in the name of his deceased brother, was opened July 22, at 55 Boulevard Bineau, Neuilly. It is for the benefit of men and women who, at the end of their careers as authors or journalists, or as persons engaged in scientific pursuits, or in the book-trade, have not secured their old age from want and misery. The ceremony was performed by M. Poubelle. Prefect of the Seine, who was accompanied by deputations from the French Academy, from the Institute, from the Assistance Publique, and from the Booksellers' Club. The building is spacious, cheerful, and comfortable. It is large enough to accommodate a hundred persons. Fifty of the inmates are to pay 500 francs a year for board and lodging; the other fifty may be admitted gratuitously. Each inmate has a bedroom and parlor; meals must be taken at a common table. Everything has been done to give the inmates a feeling of being quite independent. It is provided that Sisters of Charity shall act as the matrons and servants of the house. About fifty inmates were there at the opening, three of whom came forward to bless the memory of the brothers Galignani. M. Jeancourt Galignani, nephew of M. William Galignani, arranged the ceremony, and made a statement which showed not only the philanthropic and Christian spirit of the founders, but the thought and foresight with which they had regulated all the details. »
Motueka, Nelson. E. Tucker.
In answer to a correspondent a contemporary says « No tax on bachelors was ever in force in New Zealand. » It is rarely safe to venture on a sweeping negative assertion. Such a tax was in force for some time in Auckland, in the old provincial days—the proceeds to be applied to educational purposes. This being very unpopular, a poll-tax was substituted, which met with such violent resistance that it had to be abandoned.
The offender who wants his name « kept out of the paper » is known in all newspaper offices; but the usual order of things has been reversed at Ballarat. A stern-faced visitor entered the Courier office lately, with a copy of the morning's paper in his hand. « See here, mister, » he said, « this is no way to run a paper. Where were your reporters? » « What's the matter? » demanded the editor. « Look here, I was on a regular old-fashioned tear-up the day before yesterday, got drunk and was locked up. Yesterday morning the beaks fined me five bob, and—and— » (here he grew stern and reproachful)— « there's not a word about it in your paper. They won't believe me when I go back to the station that I had any kind of a time at all. » The editor confessed that it was disheartening, and promised it should not occur again.—The editor of the Riverton Star has had a parallel experience. He received an indignant letter from a « drunk » who was wild that instead of being named in the usual manner in the report, he had been described as « a first offender. »
'Tis, pleasant, sure, to see one's name in print— So, kind reporter, please to take the hint.
We have more than once referred to the abuses of the « tender » system. The Bush Advocate has something to say on the same subject. « To give an instance of the petty things that tenders are asked for, we may mention that the other day the Returning Officer of the Ormondville Road Board—himself an old printer, who ought to know better—asked us for a quotation for printing 100 voting papers. We offered to do the work for 7s 6d, and considering that good stout paper had to be used, and the corners gummed, we do not think anybody will say our charge was anything but moderate. However, another office tendered at six shillings and secured the job. We mention this matter just to illustrate how it is that printing offices, being compelled to scramble for an atom of work, go steadily to the bad and get into a tight place. » Until the trade unite, and come to some understanding on this and similar matters, the state of things above described will continue. With the single happy exception mentioned in a late issue, every printing office in the colony is losing money. When a concern fails, it is even worse for those that remain. They have either to buy a useless plant, or some amateur or unemployed comp secures it for a trifle, and works it at lower prices than ever.
A Rangitikei paper, writing of the means of conveyance possessed by the settlers, says: « Most of them have now traps, and have thus the means of transit within themselves. » These settlers must be constructed after a new and extraordinary pattern.—The Berlin Volks Zeitung figures in a country contemporary as the Vocks Leihang.—A Connecticut paper writes of « The Duchess of Marlborough, nèe Widow Hamersley. » —A reporter on the London Star, recording a concert, stated that one vocalist « rendered with rare effect that solemn sea-song, the « Starboard Martyr. » —A Southland country bank displayed the following in its window.— « This Bank will be closed on Monday the 18th day of March and Saturday the 23rd day of March respectfully. » —A North Island paper, reporting a sheep-sale, says: « About 23,700 were yarded, consisting of very forward and early shorn merino wethers in lamb, and a good sprinkling of fat sheep and lambs. » —This natural curiosity is matched by a telegram from Dunedin, in a North Island paper, recording the despatch to Sydney of « twenty-six Ayrshire cows, all young bulls. » —Sir John Hall was reported by a West Coast paper to have moved to confer the franchise « on 100 men. » It should have read « on women. » — « Down at Christ-church, » says the Wanganui Herald « Morris tubes hooting has quite 'caught on,' and the result is a great improvement in shooting all round. » How do tubes hoot?—In Auckland, « thier linen » is all the fashion for ladies' underwear; and ignorance of the technicalities of fashion led the comp who set the report of a church bazaar into a dismal error. The ladies who took part in the show were horrified to read in the morning paper, that « The greatest attraction, however, was at stall No. 24, where Mrs Blank, Mrs Rule, and the Misses Dash exhibited their underclothing » !—A Christchurch man
Rome has honored herself by erecting a statue to the martyred philosopher Bruno, and Paris—in the beautiful monument to Étienne Dolet, erected by the municipality of the city in the Place Maubert, the scene of his martyrdom in 1546—has given Europe another valuable object-lesson. Our excellent Lyons contemporary, l'lntermédiare, of 15th May, contains a very interesting account of this worthy printer and accomplished scholar, illustrated with five engravings, showing the statue of Dolet, his emblem, and three bas-reliefs from the pedestal of the statue. The execution of the monument, which is a fine work of art, was entrusted to M. Guilbert. The career of Dolet is one of special interest to the Craft, as he takes a high rank among the printers of the sixteenth century. He was born at Orleans, in 1509, and received his early education in Paris. From thence he went to Padua, where he became a favorite pupil of Simon de Villeneuve, after whose death he engaged as private secretary to the French ambassador to the republic of Venice. Here he diligently pursued his favorite study of the classics, and collected many valuable Mss. in the dead languages with a view to publication. At Toulouse he took up the study of jurisprudence and the belles lettres, and in his capacity as president of a literary society incurred the implacable hatred of the priests. His life was more than once attempted, and at Lyons, in defending himself, he killed his antagonist. His enemies now imagined that he was completely in their power, but he went to Paris and laid the matter before Francis I, who after examining into the circumstances, granted him a free pardon. He returned to Lyons, and entered into business as printer and bookseller, publishing many valuable classics. He was, however, narrowly watched, and the opportunity so long sought came at last-The charge against him is almost incredibly trivial, and shows the microscopic scrutiny exercised by the spies of the Inquisition. He had published an edition of Plato, in which, on the subject of the immortality of the soul, appeared these words: « après la mort, tu ne seras plus rien du tout. » A charge of atheism was at once laid against him, notwithstanding that he had never in any way broken with the church. But all printers were at that time obnoxious to the priesthood, who claimed the monopoly of public instruction. Seven years earlier the illustrious Robert Estienne had to flee to Geneva, his Bible having been condemned by the doctors of the Sorbonne. The Paris Faculty of Theology decided that the passage in Dolet's Plato was heretical, damnable, and conformable to the spirit of the Saddu-cees and Epicureans. To condemn the printer for what Plato had written was, however, too monstrous; so with diabolical ingenuity, they fixed upon him a charge of perverting the passage, alleging that the three words « rien du tout » (which, by the way, do not affect the sense except to make it more emphatic) were not warranted by any Greek or Latin text. As an athée relaps, he was therefore condemned to be hanged and burned. The king would fain have saved so dis_ tinguished a scholar, but the civil power, which could successfully intervene in a case of homicide, was powerless in a case of heresy to snatch the prey from the wolves of the Inquisition. M. Guilbert's statue represents the martyr with his hands bound, the attitude noble and dignified. Two beautiful bas-reliefs at the base represent his arrest, where he is torn from the arms of his family, and his torture, in which he is seen suspended by the neck over a fire of fagots, upon which his books have been thrown. Three hundred and forty years have secured the liberty of thought and speech for which men like Bruno and Dolet laid down their lives, and the « damnable heretics » who were tortured to death are now on the world's roll of honor. But the spirit of religious intolerance is unchanged, and would revel as of old in blood and fire but for the salutary restraints of the civil authority. And monumental works like those erected this year in Rome and Paris have an educational value that can scarcely be overestimated.
For humanity sweeps onward; where to-day the martyr stands, On the mo row crouches Judas with the silver in his hands; Far in front the cross stands ready and the crackling fagots burn, While the hooting mob of yesterday in silent awe return To glean up the scattered ashes into History's golden urn.
Is General Gordon dead? The direct evidence of the alleged fact seems to increase the doubt. Two Europeans only have professed to be eye-witnesses—one a Greek, and the other—whose statement has just appeared—a German. Both narratives are circumstantial, and are irreconcilable.
A good deal appears in our home contemporaries about the new American « linotype » or Mergenthaler type-casting machine, which is at some future date to supersede movable types altogether. The compositor need not fear. Practical printers, without exception, refuse to touch the speculation. The machine, we may explain, dispenses altogether with type in the ordinary sense of the word. The line is set in matrices, under the eye of the operator; they are automatically justified, and the matter is cast line by line. There are some exceedingly beautiful mechanical contrivances in the machine, and one of these is the simple method of obtaining uniform justification, which can never be attained by hand. As the words are set a double space consisting of two wedges sliding upon each other is placed between. When the line is complete these wedges are knocked up tight, thus exactly equalising the space between the words. But the work bears no comparison with ordinary printing. The letters are not so sharp, they line badly, and they are uneven in height to paper. The boasted speed of the machine is to a large extent mythical. Correcting is impossible—the omission or doubling of a letter involves the recomposition of the line, and an out or double the re-composition of the rest of the paragraph. There is no steady running on the machine—it is always being stopped for one cause or another; and the wear and tear of the matrices is such that their renewal will be a continual source of expense.
Two gifted hymn-writers of the Catholic Church have just passed away. The Rev. Horatius Bonar, d.d., « one of the pillars of the Church of Scotland, » whose ministerial jubilee was celebrated in November, 1887, has closed his earthly career. His writings on prophetic themes are dead, but he has left the world a goodly heritage of many beautiful hymns, some of which are found in every modern collection. A hymnal published some twenty years ago by Nisbet (Psalms and Hymns for Divine Worship), and which is probably the finest and most representative collection in the English language, out of 521 hymns, contains the large number of fifty by Dr. Bonar. His poetical writings have been collected in a work entitled Lyra Consolationis, and in three little volumes under the title of « Hymns of Faith and Hope. » The following are lines from one of his less-known hymns, entitled « Far Better: »
O safe in port, where the rough billow breaks not, Where the wild sea-moan saddens thee no more; Where the remorseless stroke of tempest shakes not— When, when shall I too gain that tranquil shore! O freed from fetters of this lonely prison, How shall I greet thee in that day of days When he who died—yea, rather, who is risen— Shall these frail forms from dust and darkness raise?
—The other writer, Sir E. Denny, Bart., of Tralee Castle, was less known, and was a less prolific writer, but he has given to the world some of the most beautiful hymns of the present century. We may name « Bright with all his crowns of glory, » « Hope of our hearts, 0 Lord appear, » « Light of the lonely pilgrim's heart, » and « Oh what a lonely path were ours. » Like Bonar, he wrote largely and unprofitably on prophetic and millennial subjects. He lived to the great age of 92. According to the newspapers, though his income was £13,000 a year, he passed the greater part of his life in a dingy cottage in Islington, in the most penurious style, the whole of his money except such as was devoted to poor relations being spent among the Plymouth brethren, one sect of which body acknowledged him as teacher.—Another name associated with English hymnology also appears in the obituaries—that of C. H. Bateman, who recently died at Carlisle, in his 77th year. We do not know that Mr Bateman was the author of any hymns, but in conjunction with Mr Inglis the publisher he compiled a Sabbath School hymnal which had a sale of some millions, and held its ground until Ira D. Sankey, the musical Yankee, corrupted the popular taste with his songs, and put all the good old hymn-books out of fashion.
Writing on students' blunders, a correspondent of the Spectator gives a genuine and very ingenious instance of mistranslation. « Sallust says in his Catiline, that while some men can be corrupted only by great bribes, others succumb to small temptation: Multi in parva pecunia perspiciunter quam sint leves. The translation, 'Many men, when short of money, perceive of how little consequence they are,' is eminently true to fact, and not very far from a possible rendering of the Latin. I conceive that I was right in giving this young moralist a mark for the maxim which he so cleverly fathered on the historian."
We somewhat prematurely wrote of the new Libel Bill as having « passed both Houses. » It had passed the House of Representatives (except the third reading), and had passed the ordeal of the Legislative Council. But the House, towards the close of the session, was so engrossed in resisting the audacious attempt of the Supreme Court to attach an impecunious member's « honorariums » for a just debt which he was either unable or unwilling to pay, that the Libel Bill and several other measures of public importance were allowed to lapse, through mere neglect of matters of form. Had the Libel Bill become law, it would have effectually stopped more than one frivolous and vexatious suit now pending.
A New Zealand printer who has tried his luck in Sydney and has made up his mind to return, gives a gloomy account of the state of the printing trade in the New South Wales capital. Writing under date 7th September, he says « it is in a most stagnant condition—ten times worse than in New Zealand. There is a large number of compositors out of work in Sydney, and when the Parliamentary session concludes it is said that at least sixty more will be thrown out of employment. I came over a week ago in search of work, but there is not the slightest prospect of getting it. A big printing company, on the co-operative principle, with a capital of £25,000, is about to start business in the suburbs, and expects to be at work in about a fortnight."
An old-fashioned practice to which all newspapers adhere is that of publishing a useless and troublesome consecutive number. We are quite safe in saying that there is not a colonial paper where that number reaches four figures that has it correct. We have known a daily make three mistakes in one week in the figures—one was only a thousand ahead, after which the count went on as usual. Some papers begin again with « No 1 » every year, reducing the chance of error—but what is the use of knowing that a given number is, say, the 21st of a given volume? The consecutive number is only appropriate to a monthly magazine, or quarterly review. We have been led to this line of thought by a country contemporary, now in its thirteenth year. For some years it appeared weekly, it is now a semi-weekly, and it has reached « No. 11,750 » !
A theological crank, lecturing on « the beast, » extracts the mystic number 666 from Vicarivs Filii Dei. Whereupon a society paper up north displays its stupendous ignorance thus: « If he placed the numerals in a row, as anyone but a Chinaman would do, he would make the number amount to the respectable figure of 5,110,015,150,115,001. Mr —— also makes U do duty for V. » Can this ingenious critic read a clock-dial? According to his notation, VIII represents 5111, and XII is equal to 1011, while the familiar
Printers will naturally like to know how their fellow-craftsmen fared in the great Pennsylvania floods. The Printer's Circular says: « In Johnstown, the three principal newspaper establishments—the Tribune, Democrat, and Freie Presse—escaped with little loss; but the proprietor of the latter, C. T. Schubert, was one of the unfortunates who were swept away and drowned. His widow, however, has resumed the publication of the paper, and has the best wishes of all for success in her brave undertaking. The Herald Publishing Company lost its entire office—newspaper and job—the building and contents having been washed away. The Democrat office, located in the second story of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad depot, escaped injury, except that a floating car struck and carried away a corner of the building, and with it a Gordon job press that happened to be placed in that angle of the room. One of the Barclay Brothers, of the Altoona Sun, made a narrow escape. He was visiting in Johnstown, and was carried away with the building he was in, but reached the roof as it floated off, and made his way to the shore by clambering over the other houses that had lodged in the eddy.
The Customs authorities, finding that they had gone too far in the circular referred to in our last number, have issued one dated 3rd September, which in effect cancels it altogether. The new manifesto sets forth that « Post-entries may be accepted as usual in all cases of merely clerical errors or obvious mistakes discoverable on the face of an entry …. Importers and agents …. have nothing to fear so long as ordinary care is taken in correctly making out entries, and whenever in doubt about an article, the marking of the words 'for examination' against it on the entry will be sufficient protection. »
All readers of fiction will regret to hear of the death of Mr Wilkie Collins, one of the most original and popular novelists of the Victorian era. Mr Collins, who was born in January, 1824, had been in failing health for some time past, but the later telegrams had recorded an improvement. He was not only a novelist, but a sucessful dramatist, and his stories, of which the most popular is The Woman in White, are marked more by skilful plot and dramatic situations than by portrayal of character. One of his stories, Armadale, has, we believe been oftener reprinted in New Zealand weeklies than any other serial. Collins was a friend of Dickens; and was often associated with him in literary work; but there is a well-marked difference in the work of the two writers. A story by Wilkie Collins is now current in the Illustrated London News, and the author's admirers will be glad to know that the MS. is complete.
One by one the noted writers who flourished in the early Victorian era are passing away, and few now remain. The latest to join the majority has been the kindly poet Eliza Cook, a prolific and at one time exceedingly popular author. Her verses appeared in many periodicals, and her contributions for a long time formed a regular and highly-prized feature of the radical weekly Dispatch. Her first volume of verses appeared in 1840, and had a large sale. From 1849 to 1854 she published Eliza Cook's Journal, a literary weekly, which failing health obliged her to discontinue. Her poetry, while not distinguished by brilliant genius, was simple and unaffected, and her themes were of common and domestic interest, and appealing to that spirit of English patriotism, the outcome of storm and struggle, which of late years has become somewhat rare. Some of her lyrics—such as « There's a land that bears a world-known name, » « I'm afloat, » set to music and sung by the gifted Henry Russell, are universally known, and have secured a permanent place in English song. The four Uncle Tom's Cabin songs were once immensely popular, but do not possess the same quality of permanence. Many of her verses are as homely as anything in « John Ploughman's Talk, » and she had, like Spurgeon, the faculty of clothing her thoughts in language that all might comprehend. As for instance, in her song « The Happy Mind: »
Out upon the calf, I say, Who turns his grumbling head away And quarrels with his feed of hay Because it is not clover! Give to me the happy mind That will ever seek and find Something fair and something kind, All the wide world over!
In her lines to the memory of W. Jerdan, she reveals the secret of her power:
If my poor harp has ever poured A tone that truth alone can give, Thou wert the one who helped that tone To win the echo that shall live. For thou did'st bid me shun the theme Of morbid grief or feigned delight; Thou bad'st me thinkandfeel; not dream,And « look into my heart and write. »
A beautifully-finished and simple poem of three stanzas entitled « The Village Church, » is to our mind, one of her finest pieces of work. In her memorial lines to Cobden and Thomas Hood, and her stirring verses of welcome to Garibaldi, she touched the heart of the English nation, and embodied its feelings in worthy form. English to the core, she tried her skill in both Scottish and Irish songs, and with considerable success. Among the latter is the popular « Norah McShane, » which win bear comparison with anything of the kind written by a native. She attempted one long poem and one only, and appears to have realized that it was not a success. Her strength lay in her shorter pieces. As might be supposed, she wrote well for children, and « King Bruce and the Spider » is in every school reading book. Her collected works till a large-sized volume, now little read, as the fashion in poetry, in patriotism, and even in the old English home-feeling, has changed somewhat in the past twenty-five or thirty years. For a long time past she had abandoned active work, suffering greatly from neuralgia, and living in close retirement at Wimbledon. She had passed the limit of three-score years and ten, and though she is practically unknown to the younger generation, the name of the author of « The Old Arm-Chair » will ever stand upon the splendid roll of English poets.
If a ready gift of rhyming, with the impulse to turn every passing thought into verse, constituted a poet, Mr W. E. Wills, of Otahuhu, who has issued the first quarterly part of « A Budget of Songs and Ballads, » would have an undoubted claim to the title. He is well known to readers of colonial literature; he has published two or three volumes of verse, his pieces are found in many odd corners of newspapers, and some of his best work has appeared in the collections of Australasian rhymes given to the world by the industrious Mr Sladen. But Mr Wills is too wholesale to attain a high standard. A man who is capable of turning out « four hundred lyrics » in two years is an object of terror rather than of reverence; and the natural result of this kind of over-production is that it is not easy to find a piece in his collection of which it can be said « This is a true poem. » Mr Bracken, with genuine Hibernian imagery, finds many gems in Mr Wills's bouquet, and gems there are—single stanzas of real grace and beauty, but Mr Wills fails—though not so conspicuously as Mr Bracken—in sustained effort. His ear is true, and we find few halting lines; and the thoughts are as a rule pure and genuine, though often superficial and commonplace. In describing the beauties of nature he is at home; when he attempts to express lofty sentiments he generally drops into bombast. He is specially weak in his Maori legends. The measure of « Hiawatha » is a dangerous one to follow—that poem stands alone. To imitate it is to parodize. No one in this respect has approached Pennell in the Song of In-the-Water, where he describes the young lady floating down stream, upborne by crinoline:
From the forest shade primeval Piggey-Wiggey looked out at her; He, the very Youthful Porker— He, the everlasting Grunter— Gazed upon her there and wondered! With his nose out, Rokey-pokey— With his tail up, Curley-wurley— Wondered what on earth the joke was!
This is much better than « Hinemoa. » « The Crew of the Good Ship Press » is a song of the Craft, somewhat empty, and marked by a confusion of metaphors:
There's a gallant crew of the good ship Press,And the guns thunder forth her fame; Her cruise is of peace, for she sails but to bless, Or to fight in Freedom's name.
There is no poetry here. « Advice to Poets, » is anything but good advice, and is another sample of the loud-mouthed style:
I'd have the poet, when singing a song, Shout a thundering curse at the reign of wrong!
Mr Wills must be deficient in the sense of humor, or he could never have allowed so grotesque a couplet to pass. He says:
—a poet's song should be wild and sweet, And measured by worth, and not by feet. Will they measure and bolt with rule and bars, When the poet's flight is above the stars? Must it be « eight by six » or « nine by seven » When he measures the love and the depths of heaven?
This is unmitigated nonsense, but worse is to follow:—
Let mountains fall and the oceans dash, And storm-clouds open and burst with rain, Volcanoes boil with rage—and splash Their liquid hell o'er the world again,
&c. Happily, Mr Wills is not often seized with a poetic spasm as acute as this. But he gives us much—too much—of mild Namby-Pamby of the Della-Cruscan type. One of his most gracefully-expressed and best-finished pieces is « The Crown of Thorns; » but it is false in sentiment and somewhat irreverent:
Yet the singers of God shall be crowned with thorns, And amid the frosted leaves, They shall groan and cry for freedom's sake, Like Christ between the thieves!
—which is Mr Wills's way of saying that poets (like other people) must sometimes put up with a little salutary criticism. « Apollo and Marsyas » is another fling at the critics; but when a poet deems himself an Apollo, whose flight is above the stars, and who is capable of measuring the love and the depths of heaven, necessity is laid upon the critic to remind him that after all he is only walking on the earth, with his head in a very prosaic fog. The truest and most beautiful poem in this collection is the ballad « At Christmas Eve, » which contains stanzas worthy of Jean Ingelow.
It is so rare an experience to find a graceful piece of original verse in a New Zealand journal, that it is with pleasure that we copy from an Auckland paper the following pretty sonnet, entitled « The Poet's Mission, » and signed « A. W. Hurry »:—
The poet's mission is to sing of love And beauty in its choicest aspects here: It may be that no sweeter themes above Woo the angelic lyres to linger near. In rosy youth what is there so inspires The bard to sing, albeit in simplest lays? Love is the motive principle that fires The soul to song, in life's Elysian days. The grace and splendor of this southern sky; The ocean's breeze-kissed wavelets in their glee; The charms of rural scenery, that vie In beauty each with each, so dear to me— These are the poet's themes, and these combined In woman's loveliness are here enshrined.
Our poetic friend « Macandro, » in the Buller Miner, chooses commonplace subjects for his rhymes. His latest meditation is on a Brick, « the type of lasting strength, the emblem of stability. » He muses thus:
Prosaic Brick! What art thou more Than silicate aluminic (With iron oxide), nine by four, And three inch thick? Yet, when we gaze on thee, the past Rolls up its curtain, and the brain Sees the Euphrates, and the vast Chaldean plain. O'er all the earth, in every scene Where man an upward life has spent, The indurated clay has been His ally and his monument. Babel and Nineveh have gone Like morning dreams; the bricks they made Cumber the desert—these alone Have failed to fade, But still in uncouth signs relate To us of other times and shores, Tales of primeval kings and great Forgotten wars. Granite and marble waste away, The red imperishable block Lasts with the planet—the fired clay Outlives the rock!
The third number of Zealandia is enlarged in size, and the leading serial keeps up its interest. The diary form is the most difficult in which to construct a story—incidents are foreshadowed as they could not be in any record written from day to day. Some of the sentences are somewhat cumbrous and overloaded; but notwithstanding minor defects, « The Mark of Cain » is still the best thing in the magazine. It should, properly, take the first place; but on the principle of putting the small potatoes at the top of the sack, the editor leads off with « Arrow-heads. » The best essay by far that has yet appeared is a well-written and thoughtful paper on « Our Hospitals » by the Rev. A. North. A graphic sketch of Lake Wanaka completes the series of papers on « Lakeland. » « Old China » is a vague rhapsody, set up in one and two-line paragraphs to make it look readable. « The Answer of the Dead, » by a pseudonymous writer, is the worst thing we have ever seen in a New Zealand periodical. How such a disgusting piece of indecency ever found a place in print passes our comprehension. There is one good piece of poetry— « The Wanderer's Dream, » by F. J. Coleman. Bishop Suter's verses are not up to his usual standard, and « Down by the Sea » is the work of a writer who might produce good verse if he chose, but who does not choose. There is some slipshod writing in the review department, where we read of « men not merely guiltless of superficial courtesy. » Hitherto, there has been neither vignette nor fancy initial in the magazine; but when he reached page 154 it suddenly occurred to the compositor to put in a big tail-piece, altogether out of keeping with the rest of the work.
Messrs Griffith, Farran, & Co. (successors of the old house of Newbery) have sent us, through our London agent, No. 1 of the Newbery House Magazine, a monthly review for clergy and laity—truly a wonderful shillings-worth. On its literary staff are the ablest writers of the « High Church » party, and we have read with interest the whole of its hundred-and-twenty-eight large octavo pages. On the engraved title is a medallion representing « Goldsmith introduced to Newbery by Dr Johnson, » and the introductory article on Newbery House and its founder, gives an account of the kindly old bookseller which should be specially interesting to members of the Craft. The Rev. T. Moore makes out a strong case for the repeal of the Act of Submission, by which, as he shows, the Church of England is hampered and placed at a disadvantage as compared with any other religious body. He is strongly averse to disestablishment, which to outsiders—and to many within the church—appears to be the most effective remedy for the evil of which he complains. « How to find Texts » is the first of a series of « lay and clerical conferences, » and is thoroughly sound and practical. The Rev. J. M. Rodwell begins a series of learned critical notes on the Book of Psalms, the first instalment including Ps. i-vi; the editor supplies « Sermon Outlines » for the month; and C. Thayne furnishes « Instructions on the Creed. » Three very able articles— « The Lincoln Trial, » by Canon Benham; « Catholic Reform in France, » by Bishop Jenner; and « The Ornaments Rubric, » by the Rev. T. Belcher, are all by men who seek the Christian ideal in the church of the Middle Ages. The same spirit characterizes Mrs. Hernaman's glowing sketch of the Rev. James Skinner of Newland, a singularly wrongheaded and pugnacious ritualist, who in the early days of the movement defied with the utmost impartiality, bishops, church courts, and the privy council itself. The biography is instructive, if only to show how a noble and beautiful Christian character may be associated with a narrow and ascetic creed, and with strange aberrations both in doctrine and practice. Science is represented by a brief popular article on « The Recent Eclipse of the Sun, » by Sir Robert S. Ball, Astronomer-Royal for Ireland, and some thoughts on Darwin, by the Rev. W. C. Green. There is an original hymn with music, and a series of sonnets on the lepe a, facsimile title-page of that celebrated edition, is, strange to say, a fiction by D. Christie Murray and H. Herman. The three opening chapters are very interesting, but give no clue as to the title « Vin Vincent, » a writer whose acquaintance we make for the first time, contributes a beautiful little complete story— « Captain Smith, late of the Royal Navy. » The subject is hackneyed enough—a life-boat and a wreck—but the little story is alone worth the price of the magazine. The first instalment of « Boy, » a tale by Miss Milman, is given, and is illustrated with beautiful engravings. The hero is a religiously-precocious child of the type of Shorthouse's « Little Schoolmaster Mark. » In the most serious publication there is always something comically incongruous, and this element is found in the correspondence. « A Sufferer, » writing on congregational singing, displays strange ideas as to fitting behaviour in a place of worship. Annoyed at a lady sitting next him in a London church « indulging in excruciating discords, » he adds: « I offered her the music, and she scorned it. I scowled, and stood with my fingers in my ears, but to no effect » ! The magazine is finely printed, and in point of literary merit will bear comparison with any of the leading English periodicals.
Mr J. Crerar, bookseller, Napier, has sent us a copy of No. 12 of the Scottish Art Review (Glasgow, Kerr & Richardson; London, Elliot Stock.) This is a high-class art magazine, large quarto, and finely-illustrated, some of the process engravings being separately worked in monotint. The type is old-face, of a decidedly French character. The cover is a coarse reddish-brown paper, with a bold engraved device in mediæval style by Walter Crane. The literary standard is high, the article of greatest general interest being the quaintly-illustrated « Bohemianism in Anticoli-Corrado, » by Percy Sturdee.—Mr Crerar sends us also No 8 of The Torch, Mr E. A. Petherick's admirable and comprehensive colonial book circular, former numbers of which we have already noted.
Very few people, we imagine, know anything of Mr Andrew Young, the author of the « Happy Land » —the most popular children's hymn in the world, and the following particulars from the Methodist Recorder will be of interest. After stating that he addressed a recent Sabbath gathering of children in the Albert Hall, Edinburgh, it goes on to say: « He is now eighty years of age, still mentally and physically vigorous, and retaining in all its early freshness his sympathy with children. The hymn was composed in 1838. The tune to which it is married is an old Indian air which has blended with the music of the woods in the primæval forest long before Sunday schools were thought of. The hymn was composed for the melody. Its bright and strongly marked phrases struck Mr Young's musical ear the first time he heard it casually played in the drawing room. He asked for it again and again. It haunted him. Being accustomed to express his thoughts and feelings in rhyme, words naturally followed, and so the hymn was created. It had been used for some years in Edinburgh before it became generally known. Mr Young happened to have his hymn performel in the presence of his intimate friend, Mr Gall, a member of the publishing firm of Gall & Inglis. It got into print. It has been translated into nineteen different languages. No Sunday school hymn-book is without it. The author has never received, and, indeed, has never been offered, a penny in remuneration. It is only recently that Professor David Masson, referring to the unique influence of this lyric, stated a most touching incident in the life of Thackeray. Walking one day in a slum district in London he suddenly came upon a band of gutter children sitting on the pavement. They were singing. Drawing nearer he heard the words, 'There is a happy land, far, far away!' As he looked at the ragged choristers and their squalid surroundings, and saw that their pale faces were lit up with a thought which brought both forgeti'ulness and hope, the tender-hearted cynic burst into tears. »
Australian Progress in Australian Art is the title of a monograph which Mr Chevalier is busy preparing. This is a subject on which he should be an authority.
Mr G. Meredith is engaged on a new novel, the subject of which is said to be the romance of journalism. Mr Meredith is now 64 years of age.
As the word is rarely used outside of the United States, it may he necessary to explain that « faucet » is equivalent to « stop-cock. »The New York Journalist, a sixteen-page quarto, is filled with able articles and reviews, and brightly-written paragraphs. The leading article is on « Criticism. » « The young author, » says the editor, « writhes if his first efforts are received with anything but taffy of the most saccharine variety. He exhibits proudly the favorable notices and it has to be an exceedingly bad book that don't get some favorable notices—of the Bungtown Bazoo, the Crosby County Clarion, and similar leading exponents of public opinion, and he is exceedingly wroth that the practised critics of other papers do not bow down and worship his budding genius. No adverse criticism can, in his mature opinion, possibly be honest….Then if he is foolish, and has no friends whose advice he is willing to take, he rushes into type. This is almost always fatal. Mr Edgar Fawcett tried this in his younger days with Richard Henry Stoddart. The veteran's historic retort 'Mr Fawcett should really turn himself off,'
The Ink-Fiend (Parker & Weisroek, Chicago), is finely printed on the white surface-glossed paper which shows up delicate work so perfectly. It is interesting, practical, and well supported.
The American Bookmaker copies Mr Blades's article on the « New Zealand Caxton. »
In the Inland Printer Mr Thomas W. Elliott stands up for wood-engraving as still superior to any process work, and makes out a good case for his favorite art.
The American Art Printer starts its third volume with an entirely new and very effective cover. The specimen of colored work inside, designed by A. Bornstein and worked by W. H. Ryan, in the quiet harmony of its three tints, relieved by white spaces and black outlines, marks a decided advance on the style of garish colors which characterized so many specimens in the old Model Printer.
From Sydney we have received Nos. 1 and 2 of the Storekeeper, a fortnightly folio of 16 pages, the scope of which is sufficiently explained by its title. It is well-written in the American style, and illustrated with portraits of prominent business men. The following extracts will give an idea of its style:
Isyour stock insured? What, no? And yet you call yourself a business man!To our readers we would say: Criticise us, please. Our critics are our educators. Said a great banker to his branch managers: « Treat your customers liberally, bearing in mind the fact that a bank prospers as its customers prosper. » This is a wise maxim that might occasionally be remembered by some of the up-country managers.
In No. 2 there is a page of « model » advertisements by an expert. The poet of the Akaroa Mail could give the expert a good many points and come out ahead.
The Printers' Register is arranging for a « travelling portfolio » of specimens after the style introduced by the New York Lithographer and Printer. Profiting by the sad experience of its contemporary, it will require a guinea deposit from each recipient of the specimens.
F. Warne & Co., 15 Bedford-st., Strand, London W. C.—List of new novels.
A. Morfitt, Hockley Mill, Nottingham.—A beautifully printed sheet in colors, setting forth and exhibiting the capabilities of the « Empress » printing machine.
Babcock Printing Press Manufacturing Company, New London, Conn.—Two illustrated price catalogue of printing machines.
Advance Wanganui! The Herald has secured the year's printing for the Railway Department.
One printing firm in Edinburgh uses over four thousand tons of printing ink per annum! So says the Stationery Trades Journal.
An old New Zealand resident, 83 years of age, named Francis Woorell Stevens, now of Buxton, England, claims that he invented the penny postage system and that it was filched from him by Rowland Hill.
Mr Frith, R.A., is much hurt. One of his pictures, entitled « So Clean, » has been purchased by a soap-manufacturing firm, and is used by them as an advertisement. He has no real grievance. Other R.A.'s have not hesitated to paint pictures specially for advertisers.
An extraordinary advertisement appeared in a late Melbourne Argus. It was a copy of a requisition to the hon. G. Coppin asking his consent to be nominated for a seat in the House, signed by about 6000 electors, and was published with signatures complete. The names were set in half-column measure, and occupied 10¼ columns of the paper, or 246 inches, or counting in the half-column measure, 492 inches of composition. At 4s per inch, the advertisement would cost £49 4s.
« The Anti-English Englishman » is the subject of a recent lyric. Specimens are occasionally found in the colonies, and one at Wakefield, a pleasant old-fashioned hamlet in Nelson province, has been indulging his antipathies in the London Daily News. He has had (he says) ten years' colonial experience, and therefore, compared with our leading journalists, is but a « new ehum, » yet he does not hesitate to assert that colonial newspapers in no way represent public opinion! Why does he not supply the long-felt want? He would have English people believe that colonists regard the Homeland and all its concerns with half-contemptuous pity. Papers have been started to represent this feeling, but have met with no support, and have perished miserably. Yet, if the Wakefield writer is correct, the dead and forgotten Auckland Echo, Wellington Truth, and the moribund sheet that limps out weekly weaklier from a rat-hole in the Empire city, reflect « colonial opinion » ! In support of his statements, he gives a distorted account of a late Nelson election which resulted—as such contests should—in the return of the best man, a gentleman of New Zealand birth.
The English proprietors of Baring Gould's novel, The Pennycomequicks, have (according to News and Notions) made a mistake that is likely to prove a costly one. They sold the copyright to Lovell & Son, Montreal, and to William Bryce, Toronto. The former firm claim priority of purchase, and have applied for an order of the Supreme Court to prevent their rival from publishing the work.
The Wellington Post has received a writ from Charles Bowles, of Carterton, claiming £1000 damages for an alleged libel contained in one of the affidavits forwarded by a solicitor to the Government in the Chemis case. The Post is not greatly troubled, inasmuch as the affidavit appears in a parliamentary paper which had been laid upon the table of the House before the publication of the alleged libel.
A writ has been issued by John Mynott of Taranaki against the proprietor of the Herald, claiming £500 damages. The cause of the action is the publication of an apology lately read in the House, and signed by one John Hooper, reflecting upon the way in which Mr Mynott obtained signatures to a petition to the House. The Herald filed a statement of defence, admitting the publication of certain proceedings in the House, but setting forth that such statement was a fair and accurate report, published for public benefit, and without malice. Being instructed subsequently, however, that they had been technically guilty of libel, they paid £2 into court as full satisfaction of the claim.
Mr James Wilkie, editor of the Reefton Guardian, has been making things lively in the mining districts, and his paper is the most popular on the coast. No little danger appears to attach to the free expression of opinion in Reefton, and we have noticed that an old-established paper there has never published a leading article nor made an editorial comment of any kind during the past two or three years. Mr Wilkie has taken a different line. He is one of the smartest writers in New Zealand, and has shaken up some vested interests considerably. The sharebrokers had formed a ring, and refused to publish quotations. The share-list now appears daily in the Guardian. A resident named Hankin lately laid in wait for the editor and knocked him into the gutter, as we have already recorded. He also instituted criminal proceedings for libel, and tried to stop the paper by issuing subpoenas to the whole staff. The editor was committed for trial, bonds being fixed at £600. Hankin afterwards offered to compromise matters for a cash payment, but the editor refused to entertain the proposal, and in due course attended the Supreme Court at Hokitika, only to find that, no indictment having been presented, he had no charge to answer! In the meantime a publican named Quigley made a cowardly and brutal attack on the editor. The newspaper had called the attention of the inspector of nuisances to the filthy state of Quigley's premises, and in revenge he struck him over the eye with some sharp and heavy instrument, inflicting a serious wound, and blinding him with blood. The same publican, it appears, some months ago assaulted a man with an iron bar. For some days Mr Wilkie's life was in danger. It is evidently quite time that roguery and ruffianism in Reefton received a check, and the new editor—if he does not get killed in the process—seems to be the man to bring about a reform.
New exchanges reach us nearly every month. We acknowledge with thanks the Ink-Fiend, Chicago, from No 7 vol. ii, July 1889; and the Journalist, New York, from No. 21 vol. ix, 16 August.
It was generally hoped that under new management, the low « society » paper that disgraces the northern capital would show some improvement. On the contrary, it is, if anything, worse.
The Opotiki Brass Band Gazette is a fly-sheet published in connexion with a late bazaar, and containing reminiscences of old Opotiki. The sheet is interesting, and it is a pity it is not better printed.
No sign yet of the promised « Pigott's Diary. » The author is no doubt unequal to the task. Mr Anstey—or Mr Burnand (happy thought!)—should be asked to take it in hand. The result would be a readable book.
The Oddfellows use Wesleyan hymns and Wesleyan prayers in their lodges. So says Cardinal Moran, of Sydney. The statement strikingly exhibits the boldness of imagination and originality of ideas, as well as the sublime disregard of facts characteristic of his Eminence.
The rigors of the Victorian Sunday law, according to the T. and L. Journal, « are reserved for Chinamen, foreigners, or poor people, and wealthy individuals and companies can do as they please » This is a very old complaint, and applies to a good many things besides Sabbath observance.
The Auckland Star, notifying the fact that a steamer is now crossing the Pacific with a large amount of treasure on board, remarks that there is a good opportunity for an enterprising pirate. The idea is not one that would have occurred to every journalist, but in the present case it is natural enough. The Star has been « an enterprising pirate » from its infancy.
The prospectus of the Daily Mail Newspaper Publishing Company, Melbourne, has appeared. The capital is to be £250,000, in 10s shares. The first issue will be of 20,000 shares. The object of the company is to bring out a daily morning newspaper. The projected journal is to advocate « good government of the people, by the people, for the people. » —Judging by the fate of eight or ten similar schemes in the same city, the Argus and Age have little to fear.
Writing of the recent misuse of the word « victim » in a Wellington press telegram, the Auckland Herald writes: « Those who are curious in etymological and philological questions may be interested to know that 'victim' is comparatively a new word in our own tongue. Its etymology in Latin is not very clear, but it was applied to the animal adorned with the green fillet, led up to be sacrificed. The translators of our Bible never used it, though they had abundant occasion in many passages. It was not then a recognized English word. I don't think that Shakspeare, who put all the words of the language under tribute, ever uses it, and it is not until we come to Pope that we find it known. Tennyson makes use of the word often enough, and indeed has a poem so entitled. »
At a recent meeting of the Presbyterian Synod it was decided to concur in the appointment of Professor Gilroy to the chair of English Language and Literature at Otago University.
« The best technical publication issued in Australasia. » That is the verdict regarding Typo of the Australian Trades and Labor Journal.—Mr S. T. Stevens, the editor, is a practical printer, and the Journal is a fine example of typography.
The following is « Con's » answer to the charade by « H., Napier, » in the Wellington Press, published in our last issue:
I Each poet, painter, sculptor, wrought Embodying man's highest thought, Wielding the potent spell of art,Which speaks to every human heart. II I, « ego, » certes not my own! My goodness nil, to evil prone, Yet I must own, to my disgrace, Self holds too oft the highest place. An egotist can never feel For other's woes and other's weal. III Ill-omened verb is chokeindeed,( « Whole's » undeveloped flower and seed.) Thorns choked the word, and Satan's hate Compassed the herd's untimely fate. IV The Artichoke, I should have thought,Would soon he found, if duly sought, Without a weary tramp around Three Kingdoms, to their utmost bound. But I must ignorance confess As to its uses, Food? Oh, yes! But « med'cine, » « dye, » I never knew, 'Twas used for these; pray, friend, did you?
And the following is « H.'s » solution of the problem set by « Con »:
I Upon the quadrupedal steed Or double-wheeled velocipede The ridersits, and proves his skill,—A rider, too, may mar our Bill.II That haggardcheek, that look forlorn,Are tokens of neglect and scorn. III Weird guide art thou! We take thy hand And follow to a magic land: Dark Continent! whose wilds unknown Imagination makes her own. With thee in fancy may we go Where Sheba rears her breasts of snow, To mines whose gems adorned the ring That sparkled on a Hebrew king; With trembling footsteps we explore The dreadful caves of mystic Kôr; Or on the shores of ancient Nile Behold the haughty princess smile. —Come sober Truth, thystory tell,And dissipate the Wizard's spell!
A list for the assistance of the London strikers was got up by the Wellington Trades Council, and £80 was sent home. About £20 of this amount was subscribed by the printers.
Two months ago we mentioned that the New Zealand press had interposed in the case of the man Chemis, sentenced to death for wilful murder. As we predicted, Chemis has been reprieved. The murder was most foul, but the conviction daily gains strength that the Italian had nothing to do with it. Two strange incidents followed—first, a libel action between the two leading counsel, which the press noted with grim satisfaction. It was not fought out, however—the expenses mounted up too quickly for the legal litigants. A prosecution for perjury against the detectives followed, Chemis and his wife being among the witnesses, and very unpleasant revelations were made as to police methods of working up a conviction. The magistrate dismissed the case, but it has yet to come before the Supreme Court.
The Rev. Horatius Bonar, d.d., best known as a hymn-writer, died at his residence, Edinburgh, on the 31st July, in his 81st year.
An English telegram of 26th September records the death of Eliza Cook, the well-known poet, at the age of 71.
An English telegram of 23rd Sept. records the death of Wilkie Collins, the well-known novelist and dramatist, in his 66th year.
Mr R. K. Burt, senior partner in the printing firm of R. K. Burt & Co., Fetter Lane, London, died on 10th July, aged 62.
Eneas Dawson, until lately senior partner in the firm of Dawson & Sons, stationers, Cannon-st., London, died on 24th July, aged 70.
Mr Charles Hardwick, the historian of Preston, (in his youth apprenticed in the Preston Chronicle office), died on 9th July, at the age of 71.
Mr John Watson, an old pressman, died in Wellington on the 28th August, aged 79. He arrived in the colony in 1842, and was connected successively with the old Spectator, the Independent, and the Evening Post.
American papers record the death by suicide in Kansas of Howard B. Hetrick, a reporter who has done some of the best newspaper work in the county. He had given way to drink, and all efforts to reclaim him were fruitless.
M. Alkan, sen., a bibliographer, died near Paris on the 18th June, aged 84. It is not many months since he published his last work, Les qvatre Doyens de la Typographie Parisienne. He was a frequent contributor to the trade journals, and as far back as 1838 started a periodical, Les Annates de la Typographic, which did not long survive.
The Printers' Register records the death of the oldest member of the craft in the United Kingdom—Mr William Scott, who died on the 29th June, at the age of 95. At the age of eleven he entered into the service of Messrs Eyre & Strahan, afterwards Eyre & Spottis-woode, of which firm he had been a pensioner for thirty years—thus furnishing an instance, probably unique, of a printer eighty-four years in the pay of a single firm.
A cable message dated 23rd September, notes the death of Mr Henry Farnie, one of the most facile and industrious librettists of the century. He possessed a marvellous facility for rhyming, and could set words to anything in the way of music. His opera librettos are innumerable, and among other feats he adapted words to all of Dan Godfrey's waltzes. His name came prominently before the public in a divorce suit a few years ago, and since that time not much has been heard of him.
Mr Henry Samuel Ward, one of the oldest members of the Craft in Melbourne, died on the 14th July. He was born in 1824 at Clapham, and learned the business in his father's office. He afterwards obtained a situation on The Times, and in 1857 came to Australia in the King of Algeria as one of « the Forty » who came out under engagement to the Argus. He worked subsequently on the Herald and the Age, and held a frame on the latter paper to within three months of his death. He leaves a widow and two sons, one of whom is on the staff of the Age.
Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Coupland Harding, at his registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—September, 1889.
XXXIV.
Keeping still to the subject of combinations of borders, we rind the chief source of disappointment and failure, especially in the more elaborate efforts, to be absence of unity in the design. There must be one leading idea, to which all else is subordinated, if any piece of work is to look well. The workman who takes up a job without any idea what he will make of it, and the other who goes with half-a-score, and tries to develop them all within the narrow compass of a single sheet of paper, produce substantially the same result in the end—a crude medley of half-wrought-out ideas—a piece of art-work in which there is no art—a jumble of incongruous forms, beautiful, it may be, considered apart, but mutually destructive in juxtaposition.
In the article of this series published just a year ago, we referred to the use of the rule as an adjunct to the ordinary border. The great advantage of the rule is, that it is in harmony with almost any border that can be devised, and is in most cases an improvement, and is also (like the tint borders referred to last month) capable of harmonising designs otherwise incongruous. Of this it is easy to give an illustration. Here is an absurd mixture, from the circular of a supply house —a flagrant example of the most incongruous combination. On a row of the lightest floral ornaments a heavy pediment has been placed by the vagrant fancy of the compositor, « without visible means of support. » Ill-assorted as the borders are, they can be brought into due relationship by the use of rule:—
The flowers now appear as a decoration on the frieze, and the pediment is properly supported. In a case like this, the architectural idea must be consistently maintained throughout the design, or the effect will be absurd. The uses of the rule in border-work are to harmonize, to define, and to strengthen. The first of these uses we have illustrated above.
In the case of light and flowing borders surrounding rectangular work, the rule gives definition and strength. This was well recognized by the unrivalled typographic artist (who is he?) who designed the « Ribbon and Flower » —the finest of realistic combinations.
Knowing that only in rare cases the compositor would supplement the border with brass rule, and that the contrast of a right line would be required to set off its graceful curves to the best advantage, he devised a series of pieces for this purpose. How greatly these enhance the effect, may be judged from the specimen in the preceding column. The central staff in the two characters shown below, from the same combination, fulfils the similar double object of adding strength and supplying a contrast; but by a strange oversight. no corresponding corners nor stop-pieces are supplied. Here is another example of the value of the rule as adding strength and definition to a type combination. In some cases, the rule is preferably placed outside; in others, both inner and outer rules may be added; and in most cases a rule or a simple « straight-ahead » border may be used with equally good effect.
Our German friends exhibit remarkable taste and judgment in the combination of plain borders, and often exercise marvellous patience in combining them with brass-rule boundaries, interior and exterior. Some of their effects, from the simplest and quietest materials, elaborately wrought out in gold, colors, and tinted grounds, are magnificent. A favorite device of theirs is to surround the plain or more solid border with a « Spitzen » or pointed design, which answers the same purpose as the tint, in softening off the outlines:
These examples, and the architectural ornament in the preceding column, are from combinations by Schelter & Giesecke. One of the latest German combinations we have had an opportunity of studying—the beautiful « Draperie » of Messrs Müller & Hölemann—is admirably adapted for compound borders.
It is not necessary, though in the case of an unpractised workman, always advisable, to keep to one combination. In the following example, taken from a small label, the harmony is unexceptionable, though four different borders are used, without reckoning the brass-rule. The border is Caslon's nonpareil No. 45, the corners are his double-pica No. 16, and the inner corner is from his combination No. 1. The double-pica border would have been much too heavy; the nonpareil too light. The double rule strengthens while contrasting with the border; the corner harmonises and combines the two, and the small corner is of use in preventing the appearance of stiffness in the inner angle.
Mr Charles Potter, the New South Wales Government Printer, has sent Typo a parcel of circulars and opinions of the press relating to Mr Barton's History of New South Wales. This important work is not to exceed thirteen volumes, to be published at fifteen shillings each, and the first is now ready. We cannot review any part of the of the book except the title-page, a fac-simile of which accompanies the circular, and upon this we remark that we do not like the two main lines in an American heavy old English. In that character they should have been printed in red. The letter itself, too, is a hybrid extended style—the cap. S in particular being a nondescript letter.
During the month past since writing you, nothing startling has taken place in matters typographical—unless I take into account Bland Holt's posters illustrative of his sensational plays, which posters are really excellent specimens of show-bills. Our jobbing offices keep up the even tenor of their way. Edwards & Co. have lost the « Law Reports, » which have been printed by them for seven years, but are now being printed in the Government Printing Office. Since he has moved into the new office the Government Printer has secured a lot of work which he was unable to do in the smaller premises, and of course so much more work he secures, the less is there for private offices to do, as Messrs Whitcombe, Tombs & Co., of Christchurch, and other offices find with regard to railway work, Messrs Lyon & Blair, and Edwards & Co. with regard to « Transactions » and « Law. » It is my opinion that in some of the offices affected there were more journeymen employed when they had these different jobs than the Government Printer has employed since he has taken them up. Let me enlarge. In my last letter I informed you that twenty-four hands had been discharged from the piece-room. Since then the remaining men in the room have received notice that they will not be needed after the 26th inst. (to-morrow). This closes the piece-room up altogether, an occurrence which has not taken place for many years past. On Tuesday last seven of the time-hands received a fortnight's notice. Among the men thus thrown out of work are some who have worked in the office for six and eight years—and this is a Government office, while work is crowding in. It is natural that these men should grumble, but I had also poured into my ear a tale of complaint from the fortunate (?) time-hands. When these mortals heard that the piece-room was to be closed they (that is to say, the casuals) shook hands with themselves, in anticipation that this event would make their places the more secure, as there seemed to be every token of a busy recess. Now it might be interesting to many New Zealanders to know the system—oh, I must withdraw this word, as there is no system—which prevails in the office to which many of our Colony's apprentices turn their thoughts as the end of their term draws near. I am treading now upon tabooed ground, for of all the departments of our civil service the Government Printing Office is least criticised—and it needs criticism as much as any part of our public service, and deserves castigation also. As an instance, Typo was the only journal in which I saw an attempt made at a description of the new buildings—and anyone who is on speaking terms with men who work day after day in the building knows that those men grumble a great deal about the light and other essentials of a printing-office. When a compositor is taken on at the Government Printing Office, which may be at any time within a month of the opening of Parliament, he is put into the piece-room. Now it follows that if men are put into this room for the session, they are casuals who do not expect to remain longer than Parliament lasts. It often happens that the staff in the time-room has to be increased. If there are many men (and there always are a few), who are making good « docs, » then they are placed in the time-room, which means less wages. In the Sydney Government Printing Office, when a man is thus taken out of the piece- and then put into the time-room, he is placed on something like a permanent footing—a man thus moved would get £3 5s per week for the first year, and next year he would get £3 10s per week, and every year after that, if he proves his competence, he receives a rise, until he even gets as high as £5 per week, which is the remuneration of the confidential staff. The time-hand in the N.S.W. Government Printing Office considers his place a permanency. Compare the Government Printing Office in this city. The man who has been selected out of the piece-room and placed in the time-room is on no better footing than he was before being removed—in fact, I have known time-hands discharged before the others, and with less notice than has been given to those on piece. There are not more than twelve permanent hands on the composing staff of our Government Printing Office, and these men, some of whom have been in the service for at least fifteen years, have no more consideration shown them than the man who has only been a year in the service. Beyond their permanency, they are no better treated than those of two years' standing, for they are both alike entitled to the privilege of a week's holiday on full pay—and the permanent hand is not classed in the civil service, although the office is under the control of the service, being in the Colonial Secretary's Department. The permanent staff ten years ago was larger than it is to-day, although work has increased so greatly. Only seven of the permanent comps work at case. This number of permanents is altogether inadequate for such an office. What is wanted in the Government Printing Office of N.Z. is a system, so that men who have served in the office for several years should look upon themselves as being settled, instead of, as is at present the case, being in constant dread of having to break up their homes. Men who have been in the service of the Government Printer for as long as ten years are classed as casuals, and should influence be brought to bear, as has been the case, a man of a year's standing may be appointed permanently above their heads. Position in our Government Printing Office does not go by merit, but influence is the lever, and the sooner such a system as that applied in the N.S.W. service is adopted in our own service the better will be the standing there, and it will put a stop to the strong feeling which exists, which, if not soon abated will find some outside force to cause the necessary reform. It has been thought that a word in Typo to the wise may be be sufficient, so I have put these words together on behalf of the grumblers.
Although it is getting near to the holiday season, trade is pretty dull at present, and business seems to be at a standstill. It was hoped that there would have been work done here for the exhibition, but the hopes have not been realized as yet.
A special general meeting of the Auckland Branch of the Typographical Society was held on September 28th for the purpose of considering three proposals forwarded from the Executive Council of Wellington, viz.:—(1) To amend the present rules so as to admit book-binders and paper-rulers to the same privilegs as the compositor. (2) An addition to general rules giving a clearer definition re out-of-work allowance; and (3) whether this Society should sever its connexion with the Australian Typographical Union. The rules were unanimously amended so as to admit book-binders and lithographers, the meeting believing that « unity is strength. » The addition to the general rules was also passed. Concerning the third question, there was much discussion, a divided opinion being held by the meeting, one half desiring that the Executive Council should be done away with, and the rest that the Australian Typographical Union should be cut adrift. At length it was decided to remain affiliated to the A.T.U. Mr W. J. Macdermott (the President) intimated that he was forced to resign his position on account of the press of his many duties. The Vice-President (Mr J. Turner) was elected to fill his position pro tern.
Messrs A. Tibbutt (Herald jobbing room) and J. Pearce (Thames) have taken clearance cards for Australia.
There seems to be a considerable amount of uneasiness felt over Typographical Society matters just now, consequent upon the unsettled state of the headquarters of the Council. Some two months ago the Auckland branch received intimation that the Executive Council would be located in Auckland for the next term, and accordingly elected some of their best men to the various offices connected with the Council. After all arrangements were completed, the old Executive Council refused to allow it to come up to Auckland, and now I find by a letter that has been received this week from Wellington that the old Executive Council has rescinded the resolution, and finally resolved that the Council shall now be located in Wellington for the next term, thus ignoring Auckland altogether. There have also been voting papers received here from the Empire city asking us to vote for the Council to be permanently located in that city, and asking for a vote on some alteration in the rules of the Executive Council, making the Council to consist of seven members only, and giving branches the right to elect some one in Wellington as their representative on the Council. It is to be hoped that affairs will be settled amicably with all the branches, so that they may be united to defend the principles of the trade.
The Auckland Star sometimes favors its readers with « spirited » illustrations of current events, and has published several notable examples, such as the scene of opening the Calliope dock and the reception of the new Governor, both of which were not equal to the rudest designs used for tea-papers. The latest specimen of the art is the portrait of John Burns ( « the champion of the people » in the dock strike) which I enclose. Surely the « art preservative of arts » is degenerating. [The engraving enclosed seems to have appropriated all the dirt of the machine rollers during a long « run. » The eyes and beard are represented by large black patches, and the block as a whole is scarcely to be recognized as representing a human face.]
The Art Printer gives « an ingenious method of cooling a journal that cannot be stopped. » There is a journal of that description at Reefton. The sharejobbers, being unable to stop it, are not trying to cool it—quite the contrary.
Otto Weisert, Stuttgart, sends one of the largest parcels of beautiful specimens yet to band. An original idea is to display the choicest novelties on stout glazed cards, large octavo. « Rhenania » is a handsome original ornamented, with lower-case, the caps very graceful, and decorated with light ornaments. It is shown in three sizes. « Magere Rhenania » is the same character, without the ornaments and outline shade. « Rhenania-Cursiv, » four sizes, is a lighter style, sloped. All these faces are in perfect taste, and are from steel punches. The beautiful « Kaiser-Gotisch » we have already described. Initials and book-ornaments are a specialty of this house, and we are glad to receive sheets of a new large octavo specimen-book showing examples, in regular order, in one and two colors, of each series of initials, from 1 to 60. There are some here to suit every taste. Some of the earlier productions are not excelled by the newest. Of the classic series (16) we have shown our appreciation in practical fashion by adding it to our stock three years ago, and it figures prominently in our first two volumes. Series 33 and 40 are fine examples of circular initials on an ornamental ground; Nos. 41-43 (three sizes) a grand gothic, with appropriate ornaments, is in great favor (though printers who ought to know better will make the J do duty for T), and the series 50 53 is a beautiful French roman with half-tint decorations. On other sheets we have a profusion of new book-ornaments. One of these contains twenty-two musical emblems, four of them containing portraits of masters of the divine art. We can imagine no neater or more appropriate decoration for a programme where the leading feature is a selection from one of the great oratorios, than one of these pretty portrait vignettes—the right one of course—it would not do to substitute Haydn for Händel. Some of the Gothic tailpieces are exquisite: No. 3087, for instance, with half-tone trefoil on black circles surrounded by a white ring, and 3089, a conventionalised study of the fuchsia. Nos. 2847-8, and six others of the same class, if supplied on regular bodies, would be admirably adapted for filling up the breaks in illuminated work. 2944 to 2956 are comical subjects representing « amorets » in quaint attire, at various sports. A page of head- and tail-pieces, in Moorish style, designed by Theodore Hoffman, architect, Stuttgart, will commend themselves to every tasteful printer. No more artistic series has yet been produced. Among the sundries are advertising and carnival vignettes, and a quadruple page showing 85 of the gloomy subjects with which German printers adorn funeral notices. Some of these are most artistic in execution; but the sketches of angels with black crape veils reaching to the tips of their noses are, to the irreverent foreigner, more ludicrous than solemn. A quarto-page contains some life-like sketches of animals. Coming to the borders, we have some grand specimens. The « Roman » combination, described last month, is far more extensive than we knew. The smaller patterns are repeated up to 120- and 144-point. Altogether there are ten sections, with a total of 512 characters. Three quadruple sheets, in many colors, and composed with marvellous skill and patience, exhibit some of the capabilities of this splendid silhouette combination. A sheet of equal size shows the beautiful « Romans » ornaments (124 characters) in combination with this series, and yet another grand broadsheet of color-printing exhibits the new « Gothic » border, designed by the artist Rudolf Koch, of Holstein—a magnificent and easily managed series of 89 characters, from 3- to 24-point. Exceedingly rich effects are obtained by this border, especially in color-work. It is a design that never can go out of fashion. Last, is a series of three stiff black designs like lace-work in iron (12 characters)— « Moderne Inseraten und Trauereinfassungen. » We have already had occasion to remark that the German comp. loves to put newspaper advertisements in mourning—and the title of this series bears out our criticism.
Messrs Caslon & Co. show a few more sizes of « Atlas Expanded, » a new job style with lower-case, which they correctly describe as different in width and effect from anything hitherto published.
Messrs Marder, Luse & Co. have brought out under the name of « Twinklers, » a series of long-rayed stars from six to 36-point bodies. One of the larger pieces has three irregularly arranged on the one body. There are only six characters to the fount, and they can be spotted over the work in a way to delight the eye of the most eccentric compositor.
Messrs James Conner's Sons have brought out series of forked-lightning sorts, 24 characters, under the title of « Electric Ornaments, » and (following the example of Barnhart Bros. & Spindler), a series of « Rule Ornaments, » 20 characters, in imitation of rule-twisting.
« Hercules » is the name of a strong and heavy, but not beautiful type with lower-case, by Parmer, Little & Co. It is more legible and less eccentric than the generality of recent American efforts.
A very pretty modern old English is « Black Condensed No. 4 » by the Cincinnati Foundry, in seven sizes—a heavy letter, narrower than the favorite « Saxon Black, » and with a slight suspicion of the Teutonic element in the forms of some of the letters.
The Johnson Foundry send us a neat little book showing their novelties in practical use. The only one not hitherto noted in our pages will, we think, have a great run—the series of « Index Corners » in three sizes—25 characters in all. They are strangely familiar to us—for we have had a similar series sketched in MS. in our desk for ten years past—with another set equally striking, which has as yet not appeared, though we quite expect to see it some day. The only piece which is not in our set is the hand bursting through the centre of the sheet—and this, if we mistake not, is adapted from a « Pears » advertisement. We have more than one design wrought out in times past, but our experience with a combination of which we sent drawings to a great American foundry, and which is now in world-wide use, did not encourage us to repeat the experiment.
Messrs J. John Sönne, Hamburg, send us a sheet of « Enge Grotesque, » a neat light condensed sans with lower-case, in eight sizes; also a new « Inserat » border, series 6-10, containing 18 characters. It is in a somewhat heavy style, and is sharply-cut and striking.
Messrs J. M. Huck & Co., Frankfort, send us specimens of « Altdeutsche Canzlei, » a pretty and legible German text, with flourished caps, in five sizes; a sheet of fancy faces chiefly of American design, and a pretty « Miniature » combination, of 59 characters, that we remember noting before.
Marder, Luse & Co. show another face of « Contour » or outline letters: No. 7—the well-known condensed latin characters originated by Stephenson & Blake. We presume that this style works in register with a solid face, but it is not stated. The thin outline of this character appreciably diminishes the width of the white letter within, and gives it an extra condensed appearance. Shown in four sizes.
The Dickinson Foundry has excelled itself in eccentricity in a new fancy roman called « Typothetæ. » It is indescribable, and the forms of the extra A, the W, and the Y, are decidedly original. Among extra sorts are a monogram H E, and a double O, interlocked. Nine sizes are shown, 8- to 60-point, and the series is being run upon by American printers.
Mr Frederic Wesselhoeft, London, has sent us specimen sheets of two beautiful series of « Pictorial Ornaments, » which may be had either singly or in full sets. Series A, 12 vignettes, consists entirely of corner ornaments, delightful landscape pieces, exquisitely engraved. Series C contains 12 vignettes also, but these are mostly rectangular, suitable for head-, tail-, or side-pieces. Artistic printers will secure them.
Trade is rather brisker than when I wrote last month, although there is not enough increase to warrant compositors of other towns seeking the city of the plains as an El Dorado.
There is very little news to chronicle this month. The Bazaar issued its first number on the 4th inst., and presents a creditable appearance. There has been a great run on the last two issues, two and three editions having been printed.
The prospectus of the Timaru Mail Newspaper Company, Limited, has been issued. The company is placed in the market with the intention of purchasing from Mr W. H. Foden the newspaper property known as the Timaru Evening Mail, together with Mr Foden's job-printing business. I might mention that the Mail was established by Mr Joseph Ivess about two-and-a-half years ago, and, although the paper has changed hands twice, the successive proprietors could not see their way to join the N.Z. Press Association, the entrance fee for which is £300. Despite telegraphic disadvantages, though, the Mail has as a local paper, gained a footing, giving full publicity to local matters. The capital of the proposed company is £3000, in 1500 shares of £2 each.
I learn that the Canterbury Typographical Association contemplate sending a delegate to the country newspaper offices with the object of inducing compositors in the country to join the Association. A sale of stamps—the first in the colony—was held at Christchurch this month, when the first issue of N.S.W. penny stamps realized 37s 6d and 33s. An 1859 Mauritius fetched 22s 6d. The first issue of a New Zealand twopenny stamp, red, fetched 10s, and blue, 7s.
There is little fresh to record in the printing trade of this city-Unemployed are not very numerous, but those who are out find considerable difficulty in obtaining employment, and the number of admittances to the Society during the past month has not been very large. Travelling comps will do well at present not to seek Melbourne as field for labor, for there are still sufficient and to spare for the work going. And at present the indications of another such period as occurred about this time last year are very small. In October last year in the morning paper offices copy would be taken up at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and very often lasted till a similar hour the next morning. It was then that the « staying » powers of a good many were tested; and, also when they were called in at about 4.30 on Sunday evenings. All thoughts of pleasure were then banished, for when « early copy » is announced there is little time for enjoyment. It was at this period that the proprietors of the leading morning paper granted the concession of a shilling an hour for all work done before 6 o'clock, and the extra pay was well earned. But this is past and gone, and I question if such a harvest for the comps. will again have to be recorded for many years to come. The jobbing offices continue to keep on the usual number of hands, and as is customary, the jobbing trade is ever fluctuating.
The Trades and Labor Journal has now been reduced to the popular penny, and still maintains its neat appearance, and will, no doubt, make a future for itself. The late Secretary of the Typographical Society (Mr Stevens) has taken over the management, and it is also the company's intention to establish a jobbing office with a good connexion.
A few old New Zealand hands express their intention of availing themselves of the excursions during the time of the Dunedin exhibition to revisit your shores on holiday purposes bent.
The printing world was not behind with assistance towards the late labor strike in London, something over £300 having been collected in the various offices.
The Sunday Times, which has for some time past been anticipated, has not yet made an appearance. Legal impediments are hard against it, and until a bill allowing it an existence comes into force, it is likely to remain a « talked-of event. »
A new morning paper, the Daily Mail, under the promotion of Mr David Gaunson, a defeated candidate in the last general election, has been announced; but the project has not yet gone beyond the publishing of the propectus.
Our Evening Herald was rather neatly trapped a few weeks ago by the Age people who for some time had suspected it of « cribbing » their cable messages. The trap was this—a few special copies of the Age were printed, containing two bogus items from London, one to the effect that another « Whitechapel murder » had been perpetrated at Plymouth, and the other that Sullivan, the pugilist, had sustained a severe accident by a fall from a cab. It was so arranged that the copies containing these messages reached the hands of the Herald only, and on the following day the items appeared in that journal, with more elaboration of detail. The trap was most successfully planned, and as unsuspectingly fallen into. The Age now accuses its discomfited rival of having made free with special items at the rate of some thousands a year—and the Herald has submitted to the attack in significant silence.
We have referred repeatedly to the hardship suffered by country papers at the hands of public officials, who, in defiance of the plainest statutory provisions, send public notices to favorite newspapers in distant cities, to the entire exclusion of the local organ. The Cromwell Argus, which is a sufferer from this invidious practice, wrote to headquarters on the subject, and received the following reply: « Mines Department, Wellington, 29th August, 1889. Sir,—In reply to your memo, of 21st inst., I have the honor, by direction of the Honorable Minister of Mines, to inform you that section 32 of The Mining Companies Act, 1886, provides that half-yearly statements must be published in a newspaper circulating in the locality where the company carries on its operations, which means the place where actual operations are carried on, and not at the head office of the company, which might be outside the Colony. H. J. H. Elliott, Under-Secretary. » —This is good law and good sense, but he would be a very sanguine man who would expect it to be acted upon. « Jack-in-office » is simply incorrigible.
A travelling correspondent of the Union Printer (New York), writing from Napier, New Zealand, is somewhat inaccurate. While Napier work, and bookwork in particular, will bear comparison with that produced anywhere in Australasia, it is saying too much to describe this city as « the most important from a printer's standpoint. » As regards quantity turned out, it comes a long way behind the four large cities, though it stands well at the head of the smaller ones. The reference to Typo is correct, but it is a mistake to say that « the Times and Herald are the foremost daily papers, and there are others published which furnish employment to about 200 printers. » The Times was discontinued fourteen years ago, and the number of hands employed in Napier is greatly exaggerated. The Government Printing Office in Wellington is disposed of in three lines. « The Leader and Herald are the principal papers published in Auckland » is a good joke. The Herald is the leading daily; the Leader is a struggling temperance weekly, about the size of Typo. « Dunedin is the Boston of the Colony. » This is not a bad hit. Dunedin always has been the most active publishing centre in New Zealand.
Describing a Masonic installation at Dunedin, the Wellington Times says « there was a large attendance of Maoris. » ( « Masons » was intended!)— « A Spring Cart-horse, in good condition, » is advertised for sale in Wanganui.—A North Island paper says: « A misprint occured in our paragraph about the milk suppliers and the cheese factory in last issue. The words « provided half the money was returned » should have been « provided half the whey was returned. » — « But as Byron says,
There is a tide in the affairs of men Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. »
So quotes an able contemporary in the far-away South. Mr Ignatius Donnelly may retire, as gracefully as he may, after this new guess at the authorship of Julius Cæsar.— « The Empress of Austria, who is visiting Italy, has been kissed in several places by the populace. » So runs a telegram in a Napier paper. « Hissed » was the word, but the comp's gallantry led him to correct the supposed error.— « And like-wise, men as they are, they could not see it, » is a feat of punctuation lately achieved by a South Island compositor.—A Reefton paper advertises a curious programme of an entertainment. It contains the following items: « Comic operetta, in two acts, entitled After an Interval of Ten Minutes. To be followed by the very amusing and laughable drama entitled Doors open at 7.30. To commence at 8 p. m. Fruit Trees. » —At a country concert in Nelson, according to the Colonist, « a local gentleman on a visit to the district » gave his assistance. In correcting the blunder the editor said it was « evidently » a printers error! The patient newspaper-comp needs a broad back, for his burden is heavy.—The Wairarapa Star has gained quite a local reputation for blunders, typographical and otherwise. « All efforts proved fertile » is not a bad attempt for a juvenile comp; but the original comparison, « as cold-blooded as a whale, » applied to a certain politician, indicates that the editor is not well-informed as to the physiology of the larger mammalia.
Do printers generally preserve the costly type specimen sheets received from the founders? We doubt it. Do the founders intend or expect that these sheets should be so preserved? We are not sure that they do. If they did, they would so arrange that to keep them in an orderly manner would present no difficulty. By the present want of system, much unnecessary expense is incurred by the founders, and much unnecessary trouble to printers. We have a suggestion to offer that if carried out would be of benefit to both parties; and as all the typefounders read Typo, we hope they will give it their consideration.
We have a collection of type specimens extending over a period of more than twenty years. As the original loose sheets are superseded by bound volumes, we put them away; but many of the older specimens are not so superseded. For the past three years, these sheets have been accumulating very rapidly; and we find that their preservation, in an orderly fashion, is no easy matter. We refer frequently to them for purposes of comparison, and often require to put our hand at once on a given sheet to show to some visiting printer who takes an interest in such matters; and no system of arrangement that we have attempted is satisfactory. One difficulty arises from the fact that two systems are advisable while one only is possible; but the chief obstacle is the varying sizes of the sheets, which is fatal to any systematic arrangement.
The first system of arrangement is according to the manufacturers. By this plan, the bound volumes would be supplemented by portfolios, each representing a foundry or group of foundries, but altogether miscellaneous in their contents, containing every variety of type from borders to poster founts. The other kind of classification is by subjects. Body-founts would constitute one group, ornamental letters a second, borders a third, initials and vignettes a fourth, and so on. And where there is a large quantity of specimens, this plan is the best.
But neither arrangement can be carried out while such irregularities exist in the size of the sheets. A parcel of specimens from a single house—especially from Germany—may contain all sizes from great folded broadsheets down to slips not bigger than a large card, defying all attempts at binding, filing, or placing in portfolios.
The printer who does not receive German specimens has no idea of the formidable size of some of the the sheets. They are on the finest plate-paper, magnificently printed—sometimes in half-a-dozen colors—and exhibit an amount of patient labor and artistic skill that s amazing. We have measured some of these sheets. Schelter & Giesecke's specimen, 23 x 15 inches, issued by us as a supplement last year, is small in comparison with others. Klinkhardt's specimen of his beautiful ribbon (which we have had often had to unfold for reference), is 25 x 19; we have a border specimen by Gronau 26½ X 22; border and script specimens by Ludwig & Meyer, 30 x 21½; and we are not sure that even these are the largest.
Beautiful and admirable as these are, we think the labor upon them is to a great extent thrown away. In actual practical work, no printer would select one of the delicate borders thus exhibited for a five- or six-color job on a sheet three feet by two. And how is he expected to keep the specimen? Paste it on his wall in the ordinary composing-room fashion? If so it will look very well until the devil covers it up with a circus-bill or cuttings from illustrated papers. If it is folded and re-folded, it soon breaks apart in the creases, for plate-paper has no fibre. And it should be remembered that the more intricate combinations are practically useless without the founder's specimen as a guide to the compositor.
Most of the founders' sheets are produced with a view to ultimately taking their place in the bound specimen-books; but for this purpose the great folding sheets are unsuited. A few years ago, quarto specimen-books were the fashion; most founders now send out various sizes of octavo; but the original specimens of new designs exhibit as much variety as ever.
We would suggest a uniform size of demy-quarto = ll¼ x 9 inches (or 28½ x 22 cm, continental measurement). There are many reasons in favor of this size. Anything smaller will not fairly display the more elaborate combinations or the larger sizes of job-letter. It is large enough, for any eomp with ordinary « gumption » could develop a demy-quarto border into a demy-folio, when required. If the design required a great deal of illustration, one sheet might be devoted to synopsis of characters, and any number to developments in black or colors. Great expense and labor in composition would be saved, and a handy size secured for reference.
The quarto size has many advantages possessed by no other. Most of the trade journals are quarto, and there is an increasing practice of sending electrotyped specimen pages to these papers as advertisements. When separately issued as supplements they bind in without folding. All the « specimen exchanges » adopt this size, which is the most in use for artistically ornamented circulars. But the great advantage would be the systematic uniformity secured—an advantage both to founder and printer.
If the founder adopted this suggestion, the careful printer would have little need of bound specimen-books. He could bind up the sheets at stated intervals in any order he chose. With duplicate specimens, he could form an ideal collection—one under the names of the founders; the other classified into body-founts, plain job-founts, scripts, ornaments, &c, from as many houses as supplied the sheets. For purposes of comparison, the latter would be invaluable.
Some of our home contemporaries complain that the English founders do not (like the Americans) page their specimen-books. We do not think the paging is worth the extra trouble involved. In a bound volume, the types must be arranged not chronologically in order of production, but in classes; and the American system of publishing small specimen-books of irregular sizes, at short intervals, is not, to our mind, a good one. A quarto page can be readily electrotyped and kept permanently on hand for future editions. If paging is required, the book could, however, be arranged in sections, something in this style: Body-founts, A 1, 2, &c; two-line letters and titlings, B 1, 2; plain job founts, C; ornamental, D; scripts, E; accents, Greeks, music, &c, F; Borders, G; Initials, H; Vignettes, I; trade-cuts, K; brass-rules, L. Separate sections could then be bound in paper covers, so that the printer requiring say body-fount specimens or book-work ornaments would send for section A or I, and need not have the entire volume.
In the case of the synopsis of a combination border, Bruce's excellent plan deserves to be generally adopted. At the foot of the page, he sets forth, for example: « The smallest fount, 7½lb, contains: 50 each of Nos. 3 and 20; 17 each of 8 and 18; 8 of 1, 2, 4 to 7, 9 to 17, 19, and 21; 4 of 22 to 39, and also quads. » This enables the printer in ordering to adapt the fount exactly to his requirements. For instance, the most striking part of the combination in use, as shown in the book, may be a border composed of characters No. 18. He finds that about 140 of these pieces are used, and looking at the memorandum, he sees that 17 only are supplied. To obtain this number in proportion to the rest, eight complete founts would be required; but he does not want 601b of the combination. Looking through the synopsis, he sees that No. 2 will also by itself make a very neat border; but the memorandum shows him that only 8 pieces of No. 2 are supplied. So he makes out his order thus: « 7½lb fount of border No. —, with the following extra sorts: 1lb No. 2, 21b No. 18 » —and by obtaining 10½lb instead of 7½lb, he increases the usefulness of the combination tenfold. The memorandum is also useful
One other good thing founders sometimes do, but not always—enclose a specimen sheet printed on thin paper with the fount itself, for use in the composing-room. This should never be omitted. The costly original specimens may travel far and wide and bring in little return, but the thin sheet costs a mere fraction, and goes only to those who actually buy the type, and intend to use it.
Publishers will read with satisfaction Mr Justice Williams's able and lucid decision on the copyright law, which we quote at length from the Otago Daily Times report. It is satisfactory to know, that notwithstanding the grave oversight of our legislature in neglecting to provide for registration, the Supreme Court will give protection.
The letter of our Wellington correspondent discloses a state of affairs in the Government Printing Office that calls for a remedy. It should be remarked that the responsibility does not rest with the Government Printer—he is unable to effect a reform. It is a public scandal that political (and even sectarian) influences should control promotions in public departments. Our correspondent has stated the case of the ordinary workmen—it may be added that the same feeling of insecurity exists throughout the entire staff. We hope that the new Colonial Secretary—the official head of the department—will signalise his term of office by a radical reform.
« Infidel » is a handy term of objurgation—it is so conveniently elastic. The eccentric Vincent Pyke, in the New Zealand Parliament, is responsible for one of the most recent definitions. Having been called to order by the Speaker for describing the education system of the Colony as « atheistic, communistic, and altogether infidel, » he justified his epithets thus: « One of the promoters of the present Education Act had a division in the House to prevent Christmas Day and Good Friday from being days upon which no school business should be transacted. I remember that perfectly well, and if that is not sufficient evidence of infidelity I do not know what is » !
Mr James C. Wilson sends us a copy of a letter addressed to the various Education Boards in the Colony suggesting alterations in the syllabus. The first of these is, that the primary subjects should be four instead of three, drawing being the fourth. To our mind drawing is fully as important in the practical work of life as arithmetic. Not the fancy drawing of inhuman figures and unnatural landscapes, followed at so many private schools as an « accomplishment, » but plain freehand draftmanship. If there is any artistic skill in the pupil, it will be best developed in this way, and if not, the technical training will be of great value. To teach fancy drawing in the place of freehand, is like instructing a pupil to construct « magic squares,)! and neglecting the multiplication table.
Mr T. A. Reed, one of the best short-hand writers in the United Kingdom, and who, during a long professional career, is believed to have reported more popular preachers than any other man, has contributed « Some Reporting Recollections » to the Christian World, and as might be expected, he has some good stories to tell. Here is one: « Many years ago, a Presbyterian minister requested me to report for him a course of evening sermons that he was delivering.. The first of the series appeared to terminate in three-quarters of an hour, and I was about shutting my note-book, when the preacher quietly said, 'Having made these few introductory observations, I now proceed,' &c. And he did proceed, and continued remorselessly for two hours and twenty minutes. »
The Napier News comes down upon a Poverty Bay journal that always when copying from the News attributes the item to a « Hawke's Bay paper, » while in other cases it gives due credit, The News has just cause of complaint. If a paper chooses to affect to ignore the existence of a contemporary, well and good; but if at the same time it helps itself to the contents of that same journal, it is guilty of a breach of newspaper etiquette, and of an act of unpardonable meanness. This shabby conduct is not confined to Poverty Bay. We know of big city papers that lay all their country contemporaries under tribute, and habitually suppress the source of their information. We know a city daily that went further than this, and published for months the best stories from the Danbury News, making them appear original by the simple process of altering the name of streets, &c, to suit its own locality! We admire the honorable manner in which the great American city papers credit the humblest of their country contemporaries with the items they quote.
Some of our contemporaries publish what is called « The Law Relating to Newspapers. » It is as well that they should know that it has no authority whatever. It is a collection of (alleged) decisions of American courts, all very much in the publisher's favor.
« Typo, » says the Mataura Ensign, « is a paper popularly supposed to be of interest almost solely to printers and newspaper men, but in reality containing far more reading matter of general interest, cleverly compiled, carefully put together, and neatly printed than—well, than twelve out of thirteen average exchanges. »
The Pall Mall Gazette has drafted a new « interpretation clause » for Acts of Parliament. It says: « In all Acts of Parliament words implying men include women whenever there is a disability imposed or a punishment inflicted; but whenever they confer a privilege they are rigidly limited to the male. 'He' means 'she' when it is a question of going to jail. 'He' never means 'she' when it is a question of going to the ballot-box. »
The telephone, according to recent medical observations, is responsible for the increase of a rare complaint—hyperæsthesia of the auditory nerve. The only remedy is to abandon the use of the instrument. The acutest ease of this malady that has fallen under Typo's notice is that of a writer who falls foul of Lewis Morris for rhyming « word » with « stirred » in his ode to Tennyson. The supersensitive critic must surely be « central » in a telephone exchange.
We have repeatedly had occasion to deplore the want of fellow-feeling among journalists in the matter of libel actions. Had the press been united, we should have had an equitable libel law years ago. Occasionally newspapers stupidly go to law with each other on trifling provocation, and invariably in such cases claim most stupendous damages. In the late case of the unlucky Waipawa Mail, the only comment we have seen is a hostile one from a rival.
A priest named Patterson, at Palmerston North, at a land league meeting, is reported by the Dunedin Tablet to have urged upon his Irish hearers « their duty to help their poor benighted countrymen » at home! Does he think his fellow-countrymen are pagans? Another gentleman named Rush, at the same meeting, after dilating upon the wrongs of Ireland, somewhat spoiled the effect by adding that « New Zealand was in the same, if not in a worse condition. » The well-to-do audience must have wondered not a little why a collection was being taken up for so highly-favored a land.
A contemporary says « it is an absurd fad to suppose » that England is a wonderfully wealthy country—in proof of which it takes the statistics of coin « as a little over £2 per head of the population, » and goes on to say that in New Zealand the proportion is twice as great. Would it surprise our contemporary to know that coin is not wealth, nor the measure of wealth; but as a medium of exchange is only the representative of wealth? The little child who may suppose the coin in his father's cash-box to be the measure of his wealth may be excused—but what of the journalist who makes a similar blunder?
Some weeks ago we were shown a copy of a curious circular, sent out with a colonial periodical. It contained a passage something to this effect: « This valuable paper has now been sent to you without charge for [four] weeks. Unless we receive instructions from you to the contrary by return of post, your name will be added to our list of subscribers, and you will be debited with the amount of subscription (£— per annum) until countermanded in writing. » This somewhat cool announcement was embedded in a quantity of « puff » of the organ in question such as no busy man would read, and the circular would probably find its way nine times out of ten direct to the waste-basket. The receipt of a « stiff » account for subscriptions a year or two later, would probably astonish the passive « subscriber, » especially as the paper is only an indifferent specimen of that class of trade circulars, which come in gratuitously in shoals to every merchant and importer. We do not give legal opinions, but we unhesitatingly say that no claim for subscription could be recognized on such a circular, and that it would be the duty of anyone against whom a claim should be made on such a ground to resist it. The relation between publisher and subscriber comes under the ordinary law of contracts, and no man can be entrapped passively into a pecuniary liability. No one has any right to suggest his own terms of agreement, and assume acceptance because no notice is taken of them. The only plea that could be advanced in support of the claim would be « he took the papers from the post-office; » but this alone. would not prove a contract. At the same time, business men who are annoyed by receiving by mail worthless periodicals which they never ordered would be acting wisely in refusing to take them.
Last month we quoted and criticised some of Mr W. R. Wills's verse. A little piece, entitled « Thou Knowest, » published since our paragraph appeared, is the best we have yet seen from his pen. It consists of four stanzas, of which we quote the third and fourth:
I see vice growing in the lands; I know sin lurks in court and den; I see chains wrought by jewelled hands, To bind the thoughts and souls of men; I know our leaders, to be just, Must be divine—that cannot be; But, for our manhood, let us trust That they may lead and rule for Thee. Perchance their best is done, to high and lowest, And we may judge them wrong—Thou knowest! I hear the jest, I see the sneer, When one would dare to shame the wrong; But be it far, or be it near, For all time Right shall be my song. Perchance my harp is but a toy, And out of tune—some broken string Makes discord, where it should be joy, As with Earth's beauties it might ring; But be I great, or of Thy sons the lowest, And if I sing aright—Thou knowest!
A poet who can write verses like this should keep his weaker productions out of sight.
Two more numbers of the Dominion Illustrated, June and July, have come to hand, and the process illustrations are charming as ever. The literary matter, too, is quite in keeping, and the criticisms on new books are keen and sound. An article on « the Sonnet, » with illustrative examples, is by a lover of that difficult form of verse. Most students of literature will agree with him that Wordsworth's sonnet, « The world is too much with us, » is one of the finest ever written. As a specimen of Canadian work in this field we find the following example on « Hope, » from John Reade of Montreal, « whose muse is true, and whose poems have a classical finish all their own »:—
She touched me in my sorrow: I awoke; Her kind hands broke the fetters of my grief; The light of smiles shone round me as she spoke: « I come, my friend, to bring thee sweet relief. Of those that minister, I am the chief To man's sick heart; I made the tears of Eve Bright with the hues of heaven, when loth to leave The joys her disobedience made so brief. I sailed with Noah o'er the buried earth, I sat with Hagar by the new-found well, I solaced Joseph in his lonely cell, I filled sad David's soul with songs of mirth. » Much more she whisper'd, till my heart grew bright, And sorrow vanished, as at dawn, the night.
Messrs John Haddon & Co. are the London agents for this excellent paper.
The fourth number of Zealandia is the best yet issued, though still cumbered by much that is ephemeral and trivial. The fault lies in the original plan, which overlooked the distinction that should exist between a newspaper and a literary magazine. Editorial advertisements no longer appear in the text, and the answers to correspondents might also with advantage be relegated to the fly-leaves; for it is surely no concern of the general reader if Q's verses are unsuitable, or X's story is declined with thanks. « The Mark of Cain » increases in interest; and in no way violates probability. There is originality in the plot, and careful development as the narrative proceeds. The synopsis of previous chapters has been dropped. Mr R. E. Ellis, the editor of the poetry department, has « a chat about verse-making. » All his illustrations are derived from such old-world authors as Milton, Tennyson, Browning, and Macaulay. He will surely have some indignant correspondent down upon him for ignoring local talent. Two little poetic trifles— « The Songs of Queen Silence » by S. C. Johnston, and « The Emigrant's Lament, » by T. Denniston, possess the true ring. The latter is a simple ballad, some of the stanzas having a quaint echo of the style of a hundred years ago. Mr Johnson's is a more highly-finished piece, in eleven-syllabled triplets; it is fancifully paradoxical, and the only jarring line is one where the incongruous word « quidnuncs » is introduced. The following specimen will illustrate Mr Johnson's style:
The far-away breath of an unwhispered sigh— The wings of a cloud as it soareth on high— The flit of a leaf as it falleth to die— The intertwined boughs with their gentle caress, Like lingering souls in Love's great wilderness, Where never intruder their secret can guess— These, these are the strings of Queen Silence's lute. The dulcet refrain from her musical flute, The tones of the soul when her sweet lips are mute.
Among the padding is a three-line conundrum headed « Self. » The writer may have meant something when he wrote « our selfest part is God. » « The Bay of Plenty, » by Mr E. A. Haggen, now of Woodville, is a well-written contribution, historical and descriptive. « The Man with Two Wives » is a short story, and is worth reading, which is more than can be said of the stories in former numbers. More than three closely-printed pages are devoted to a laborious review of a worse than worthless « shocker » by the author of the « Hansom Cab. » Miss E. M. Bourke writes forcibly and well in support of female suffrage, though she has no new arguments to adduce. « At present, » she says, « it is an absurd anomaly that the most ignorant youth or the most idle tramp that walks our land should have a direct interest in the government of the country, while the woman of culture, intelligence, and experience must be content with the part of an onlooker while questions of vital importance to her are settled without reference to her opinions. » The three pages of « Corner Cobweb » are principally occupied with the most agonizing strainings after comicality. The « jokes » would be ruthlessly thrown into the waste-basket of any colonial newspaper. Here is a fair specimen—mercifully short: « 'Bel-low the fire, blacksmith,' as the bull said to the farrier. » When such as this finds insertion, one wonders what the rejected contributions can be! A correspondent writing on « Federation and the State » has dumped down a load of polysyllables that Micawber might envy. He is of opinion that Sir Robert Stout's recent essay on the State « displays the beauty of using wide reading and erudite thinking as a lens to focus tangential thought to a point, » and proceeds to supplement the essay by « a deduction from reasonings substantiated by collateral testimony. » We wade through a page of Baboo-English to find that a « national spirit » would treat England as « an alien; » yet the Old Country is « our revered parent. » « Provincialism » is the « prime factor for the production of a hygeian whole. » ( « Hygeian » is good.) As a matter of fact the remains of old provincialism are now the greatest obstacles to national unity. He asks « Why is colonial literature, the formative power of true colonialism, called an abortion? » Let him read his own article, and then ask his own conscience!
Life-Lore for August is an interesting number, and beautifully illustrated. The editor, however, was ill-advised in reproducing, in a professedly scientific paper, the London Lord Mayor's stupid and ill-natured attack on the Anti-Vaccination Society. It is somewhat ridiculous to find a civic functionary speaking ex cathedrâ, and with the Infallibility attaching to such utterances, ridiculing the science of men like Garth Wilkinson and the editors of the Encyclopædia Britannica.
One of the most charming and graceful of recent poems is Mr Edwin Arnold's ode « To a Pair of Slippers, » published last year in the Universal Review, and fitly and profusely illustrated by J. Bernard Partridge. There is, however, a bit of somewhat doubtful local coloring:
Look! It was flood-time in valley of Nile, Or a very wet day in the Delta, dear! When your gilded shoes tripped their latest mile— The mud on the soles renders that fact clear.
And the artist represents the lady walking on a muddy plain, an attendant holding a large umbrella over her head, the landscape veiled in a driving shower. How is this for « rainless Egypt » ?
Lord Tennyson completed his eightieth year on the 6th August. The following congratulatory sonnet, by the Rev. H. D. Rawnsley, appears in Macmillan, and though the imagery becomes somewhat confused in the eighth line, it is a fine piece of work:
The fourscore years that blanch the heads of men Touch not immortals, and we bring to-day No flower to twine with laurel and with bay; Seeing the spring is with thee now, as when Above the wold and marsh and mellowing fen Thy song bade England listen. Powers decay, Hands fail, eyes dim, tongues scarce their will can say, But still Heaven's fire burns bright within thy pen. O singer of the knightly days of old! O ringer of the knell to lust and hate! O bringer of new hope from memory's shrine! When God doth set in Heaven thy harp of gold, The souls that made this generation great Shall own the voice that help'd their hearts was thine.
Punch has also published a good sonnet on the same theme; but as everyone reads Punch, it would be superfluous to quote it. Lewis Morris has written a congratulatory ode, in which occurs the following stanza:
Master and seer, stay yet, for there is none Worthy to take thy place to-day, or wear The laurel when thy singing-days are done. As yet the halls of song are mute and bare, Nor voice melodious wakes the tuneless air, Save some weak faltering accents faintly heard. Stay with us; 'neath thy spell the world grows fair, Our hearts revive, our inmost souls are stirred, And ail our English race awaits thy latest word!
One more sonnet. Mr Swinburne is a master of invective; but we doubt if ever he discharged a fiercer flash of forked lightning than the following, suggested by a certain historic Whitsuntide celebration this year in the Eternal City:
Cover thine eyes and weep, O child of hell, Grey spouse of Satan, Church of name abhorred. Weep, withered harlot, with thy weeping lord, Now none will buy the heaven thou hast to sell At price of prostituted souls, and swell Thy loveless list of lovers. Fire and sword No more are thine: the steel, the wheel, the cord, The flames that rose round living limbs, and fell In lifeless ash and ember, now no more Approve thee godlike. Rome, redeemed at last From all the red pollution of thy past, Acclaims the grave bright face that smiled of yore Even on the fire that caught it round and clomb To cast its ashes on the face of Rome.
« The Irish Question: Union or Dismemberment, » is the title of a shilling pamphlet published in Auckland by Mr H. B. Sealy, formerly Resident Magistrate at Napier. Mr Sealy examins five different systems of « home rule » advocated by the Irish party, and comes to the conclusion that they have but one point in common—the aim at complete
The many friends of the late Mr R. A. Proctor in the colonies will be interested to know that it is in contemplation to publish, in the interests of his widow and family, a cheap colonial edition of his smaller works. It should have a very large sale.
One of the commonest of old Bibles is the Genevan or « Breeches » Bible. About one edition a year appeared during the reign of Elizabeth. Some possessors entertain a very exaggerated idea of the value of these books. A fine perfect copy may be worth two guineas—an imperfect one, five shillings.
A copy of the rare first edition of Paradise Lost was lately sold at auction in London for £1669 13s 10d!
The Inland Printer highly commends a foundry in Baltimore for introducing the « sensible plan » of extra-nicking the small-cap o, s, v, &c., to distinguish them from the lower-case. Has this plan only now been introduced into the States? It has been the custom of English founders, to our knowledge, for thirty years, and how much farther back we cannot say.
Readers of current fiction will be familiar with the name of « Annie Thomas » (Mrs Pender Cudlip). This lady has written the following singular letter to a New Zealand emigration agent: « Sir,—Having heard your extremely interesting lecture on, and seen your views of New Zealand, I have conceived an intense desire to visit that colony and write a three-volume novel dealing with society there, and charged necessarily with local warmth and color. In addition to this I would write two volumes of 'Impressions of New Zealand made on the spot,' dealing exclusively with facts, and with any question that the colony may have at heart and wishes to see ventilated in a proper manner. Can you put me into communication with a responsible society which would be likely to entertain my proposition on something like the following terms—namely, my travelling and hotel expenses and those of a lady companion guaranteed from date of my leaving England till the expiration of nine months, and the sum of £1000, for the entire copyright of novel and impressions. Should these terms meet the views of any such society, I think I may venture to promise that, though an expensive, I should be a remunerative visitor. I would hold myself ready to start not later than October, or early in the spring of 1890. » —We do not suppose that any one will entertain the lady's proposal. Mr Froude and Mr Trollope travelled at their own charge, and could take an independent view of what they saw. The « impressions » of a lady with a handsome retaining fee would be regarded with suspicion.
An American contemporary has been publishing a list of ages of English and American literary ladies. These are some of them: Amelie Rives, 26; Frances Hodgson Burnett, 39; Constance Fenimore Woolson, 41; Blanche Willis Howard, 44; Susan Coolidge, 44; Mary Mapes Dodge, 51; M. E. Braddon, 52; Celia Thaxter, 53; Harriet Prescott Spofford, 54; Jennie June Croly, 57; Marion Harland, 59; Gail Hamilton, about 60; Lucy Larcom, 63; Julia Ward Howe, 70.
The Tribune, of Ohinemuri, has a grievance in common with many other country papers. The Warden, for reasons best known to himself, chooses to « publish » his official notices in a paper which circulates outside the district. The proprietor of the Tribune telegraphed to the Goldfields Committee of the House on the subject, but they decided not to interfere with the Warden. This is not the only case where a local official has his foot on the neck of a local organ; but it is the public who chiefly suffer. The object of the laws relating to official notices is that they should be made public—not concealed from those chiefly interested.
An important copyright case was heard in the Supreme Court in banco in Dunedin, on the 2nd October, before Mr Justice Williams, when Messrs Stone & Sons, publishers, applied for an order to restrain Chas. W. White from printing, publishing, selling, distributing, or otherwise disposing of any copy or copies of The Strangers' Vade Mecum, containing parts copied or taken from Stone's Otago and Southland A B C Monthly Guide and Diary. Plaintiffs were represented by Sir Robert Stout; defendants by Mr W. D. Stewart. The defence was in effect that the Strangers' Vade Mecum was not printed for sale, but for gratuitous distribution to Exhibition visitors; that part of the information was not supplied to the printer by defendant, but by the Secretary of the Exhibition; and that other works in the Colony contained very similar information. The matter was argued by counsel, Sir R. Stout contending that the three points did not touch the question of infringement, but practically admitted plaintiff's charges.
His Honor, in giving judgment, said: This case raises the interesting question as to whether the International Copyright Act, 1886, of the Imperial Parliament, repeals by implication our copyright ordinance of 1842. The question has to be determined mainly upon the eight section of the Imperial act. The first sub-section of that section provides that the copyright acts shall, subject to the provisions of this act, apply to literary or artistic work first produced in the British dominions, in like manner as they apply to work first produced in the United Kingdom; and then follows a provision that if there is an enactment in any particular colony as to registration of copyright, it shall not be necessary to register the work sought to be protected at Stationers' Company in London, nor is it to be necessary to give a copy of the work to the British Museum and sundry other institutions in Great Britain. We have therefore this, that after the act of 1886 the various British copyright acts have become law in New Zealand, amongst them is the 5 and 6 Victoria, chapter 15. Any person, therefore, who publishes a work in New Zealand is now entitled to copyright under the act of 5 and 6 Victoria, chapter 45, and the copyright endures for the natural life of the author, and for a further term of seven years, but if the term of seven years shall expire before the end of the 42nd year from the first publication of such book, the copyright shall in that case endure for such period of 42 years; so that now in New Zealand any author publishing a work has by virtue of the Imperial Statute a copyright practically for the term of 42 years. He cannot, however, under the statute, bring any action in respect of the copyright, unless he registers it either in the colony (if there is provision for registration there) or at Stationers' Hall in London, if there is no such provision in the colony. In New Zealand there is no such provision, and therefore to obtain the benefit of the act it is necessary for him to register his work in London. Our local ordinance of 1842 gives the author of any book which shall thereafter be printed and published the sole liberty of reprinting the book for the term of 28 years from the first day of publishing the same, and also, in the event of his living after that period, for the residue of his natural life. The effect, therefore, of the Imperial act is to give in New Zealand a much longer term of protection than authors previously had, and also to give what the New Zealand ordinance did not and could not give—protection throughout the British dominions for the same period. The New Zealand ordinance did not require before a person could sue in respect of the infringement of copyright any registration whatever. The question therefore is whether the greater right granted by the Imperial act necessarily supersedes the lesser right given by the local ordinance. Whether it does so or not must be determined upon the construction of §8 of the Imperial act of 1886. It is plain, that if possible, the two rights should co-exist, and that being so, we have to look at the section to see if there is any indication of the intention of the Imperial Legislature that they should exist together, or that they should not. I was at first inclined to think that §8 of the Imperial act of 1886 superseded our local ordinance, but on consideration I am tolerably satisfied that that is not so. The first sub-section of §8 of the act of 1886 implies that there may be at the time of the passing of the act a copyright law in force in any colony providing for the registration of copyright, and paragraph A of sub-section 1 shows that at any rate it is not intended to repeal such law. I think, however, that it is to sub-section 3 of §8 that we must principally look to see what the real intention of the Legislature was. That sub-section says, « that where before the passing of this act, an act or ordinance has been passed in any British possession respecting copyright in any literary or artistic work, her Majesty-in-Council may make an order modifying the Copyright Act and this act, so far as they apply to such British possession, and to literary and artistic works first produced therein, in such manner as to her Majesty-in-Council seems expedient. » The meaning of that section is this—that if at the time of the passing of the act of 1886 there were in any colony local provisions as to copyright, and the act of 1886 had incidentally the effect of giving the larger protection, the Queen might modify the Imperial act to bring it into consonance with the local acts. Thus in our own case the local Legislature has declared it sufficient protection for an author to have copyright for a term of 28 years only, or for life if he should live more than 28 years after the book is first published. The Imperial Copyright Act gives a larger measure of protection, and it would be open under this section for the Queen if she thought fit, so far as works published in New Zealand are concerned, to extend the protection given by the Imperial law within the limits prescribed by the colonial Legislature. The sub-section plainly assumes that if there is a conflict as to the provisions of the local act and the general act, so far as works published in the locality are concerned, it is competent for the Crown to assimilate the general law to the local law. That implies, of course, that the local law stands unrepealed. Fourth sub-section of §8 assists this contention, because it declares that the local Legislature, notwithstanding the Imperial act, shall have power, so far as local publication is concerned, to pass in future any ordinance they please. I think therefore that the plaintiff has a right to come and sue under the New Zealand ordinance, though he has not registered his work as he would be bound to do if he relied on any right which the Imperial act could give him. With respect to the merits of the case, I am quite satisfied of this: that the plaintiff has expended labor and pains in compiling from original sources the information which he has published. That, I think, looking at the principle of the case, is sufficient to give him the right to have his labor protected. I am equally satisfied of this: that the defendant, or some person identified with the defendant, has taken as the basis of his railway guide time table the compilation of the plaintiff; that he has copied it in substance, has cut out portions of it and has added some trifling additions of his own; but that there has been a substantial copying, mistakes included, I think there can be no question. The only point upon which I have any serious doubt is whether, looking at the terms of the second section of the New Zealand ordinance, the defendant has brought himself within it; whether, in short, the defendant has wrongfully published a book which plaintiff has previously published. The protection given by the New Zealand ordinance is of a very limited description, and is by no means the protection which is given by the Imperial act. On the whole, however, looking at the decision of Mr Justice Richmond, who granted the injunction in Wise and Caffin v. Wright, where parts only were taken, and looking also at the fact that the really substantial and original part of the plaintiff's publication is the « A B C Guide, » I am inclined to to think that the substantial part is a book within the meaning of the ordinance. It has been suggested that an injunction ought not to go because this is an ephemeral
The Australian T. and L. Journal, agitating for a duty on imported « literary supplements, » sadly complains that « forty-four country newspapers, all strong protectionist organs, import these supplements from England. » The consistent protectionist has yet to be found. It will be noted that free-trade papers do not import their supplements. If there is a man to be found who makes it a matter of principle to support local industry, the chances are ten to one that he is a red-hot free-trader.
Yesterday, says the Reefton Guardian, was a black Monday in the history of the Guardian. Our collector conveyed to the office the alarming news that two sharebrokers and a policeman had withdrawn their patronage. On receipt of the intelligence the press was at once hung with black, the office-towel doing duty, as usual, for crape, the devil fainted, with his head in the ink-keg, and was resuscitated under the pump; the bull-dog howled, and was promptly kicked by the editor; but after an interval it was found that the earth still continued to revolve, and the recollection that during the month thirty-seven new subscribers had been obtained, revived the drooping spirits of the staff, and things went on as usual. The three subscribers who retired will, for the future, do the same as some of our distinguished capitalists do: borrow the paper and save a shilling a week. We always admire thrift, especially when applied to ourselves.
Reeves & Sons, London.—A neat little pattern-book of drawing and cartridge paper.
G. Waterston & Sons, St. Bride-st., Ludgate Circus, London, E.C.—Catalogues of stationers sundries. Among these are Stone's patent boxes, files, and stock cabinets. Order is heaven's first law, and order's first law is « a place for everything. » With an outfit of Stone's appliances, any man may fulfil the first condition, and it is his own fault afterwards if the second law is broken.
Continental Export & Agency Company, Limited, 18-19 Gertraudten-st., Berlin, C.— Specimen-book of printing papers, colored and borderd poster papers and wrappings, writing and tissue papers, &c., with price-list; also, price-lists of bookbinders cloth and leathers, printing inks, and cards.
Adams Bros., 59 Moor Lane, Fore-st., London, E.C.—Parcel of supplementary samples of writing-papers, envelopes, tissues, blottings, copyings, &c.
Trischler & Co., publishers, 18 New Bridge-st., Blackfriars.—List of new novels. This firm was formerly known as the Hansom Cab Publishing Company. The change of title appears to indicate that this book is no longer read; and we note that the publishers appear to be dealing in a better class of literature, as the names of B. L. Farjeon and John Strange Winter appear in their list of authors.
Farrand & Votey Organ Co., Detroit.—A finely printed illustrated catalogue of their instruments.
We acknowledge with thanks a new exchange—El Poligrafo, Buenos Aires, from No. 7 vol. vi, July, 1889.
An eight-page paper, entitled the Oxford and Cust Observer, has just been started at East Oxford, North Canterbury.
It has been resolved to form a company at Havelock, Marlborough, under the title of « The Pelorus District and Goldfields Newspaper Company, Limited. »
A Gisborne lawyer named Brassey has served Mr A. R. Muir, proprietor of the Poverty Bay Herald, with a writ for the modest figure of five thousand pounds on account of an alleged libel.
The Tuapeka Times reports that Mr R. Wilson, at one time part proprietor of the Bruce Standard, which was discontinued about seven years ago, is about to start a paper at Nenthorne.
The Taranaki Herald comes out in a new dress, in honor of its thirty-seventh birthday. Many happy returns! The Herald is the third paper in New Zealand in order of seniority, the two elder brothers being the Lyttelton Times and Otago Witness. The Herald has been under the editorial management of Mr Seffern for twenty-two years.
A paper has just been published in the Manaia district, entitled the Witness, in opposition to the old-established daily Star. It is not a local enterprise; but an offshoot of the Wanganui Chronicle, in the office of which, fifty-two miles away, it is printed. Ventures of this kind have become far too common lately, and are in the highest degree mischievous to the trade.
The Kaipara Times discontinued publication on 30th September.
Mr J. T. M. Hornsby has resigned the editorship of the Waipawa Mail.
On Saturday, 5th October, the staff of the Hawera Star presented Mr J. B. Innes, the retiring partner, with a handsome illuminated address.
Quigley, the Reefton publican, and Wilkie, the editor whom he assaulted,
A special jury, acting upon the time-honored traditions of juries, awarded the litigious medical man of Waipawa £251 damages against the Mail for libel. The alleged libel was just a year old, and where the « damages » came in is a mystery. The Mail has appealed, and we wish it success.
The Wairarapa Daily lately commented on the sale of the South Wairarapa Advocate (an offshoot of the Star) for a nominal sum. It was not quite accurate in its alleged facts, and an action for libel is threatened, the damages being stated at a figure big enough to buy all the newspaper offices in the Valley.
Here is a little study in rhyme and onæmatopoesis. Yankee, of course:—
One of the worst of nuisances is The chap who's up at early dawn Making the lawn-mower ziziziz, Rasping the whiskers off the lawn.
The Christchurch Press of 1st October got badly mixed in its leading colums. Four-and-twenty lines of an article on the French demand for the British evacuation of Egypt got lifted into the middle of an leader on the subject of Captain Russell joining Major Atkinson's ministry, with disastrous effects to both articles.
A publican has recovered £5 damages against the Australian Star, a Sydney paper, for a « libel » caused by the omission of the letter s in a telegram, converting « Mrs » into « Mr. » His wife had attempted suicide. He was unable to prove any damages, but the Judge thought he « might » have suffered injury.
An awkward accident occurred lately in the Napier News office. As the first edition for the country was being worked off, it was noticed that a type was under the third page, and when the machine was stopped, the machinist raised the form to remove it. As he held the heavy page balanced on its edge, he touched the starting lever with his knee, and the Wharfedale went off at full speed, leaving the form on the ways. Before it could be secured, the return of the carriage shot it bodily out into the room, converting it into a mass of pie, and the edge of the chase catching the assistant machinist on the head, gave him a black eye and a painful scalp wound. The remainder of the edition appeared with a note of apology in place of the missing page.
Mrs Linnæus Banks has been grudgingly granted a pension of £100 from the literary fund. Objection was raised that « writers of fiction were not suitable recipients » ! Admirers of Mrs Banks's stories will be sorry to know that this popular lady writer, at the age of 70, was in a destitute condition.
According to Mr Dillon, a Times special reporter follows the Irish delegates all through their Australian tour. Mr D. does not appreciate the attention, and would like to see the reporter boycotted. « No honest man, » he said, « would have anything to say to him. » In several instances of Mr Dillon's career he has had reason to regret that the art of shorthand was ever invented.
An Oamaru man was so taken up with election questions, that he forwarded to the editor of the North Otago Times, with a request to give it early insertion—an unreceipted washing account! Whether or not the washerwoman received the political missive does not appear. The editor respectfully declined the communication, « as much in the interests of our correspondent as of our readers. »
A curiosity of journalism is described by a correspondent of the Warehouseman and Drapers' Trade Journal. After referring to the illustrated pocket-handkerchief pounced upon by the Berlin police as a « periodical, » he says: « This reminds me of an important relic of publishing enterprise shown me at Greenock many years ago. This relic was the only copy of a small weekly journal printed on unbleached cotton cloth, used to evade the paper stamp duty, which thirty and forty years ago was a serious item in publishing expenditure. The journal was called The Greenock Clout. »
The Federated Trades Union Council held their annual dinner on the 19th October, in the Commercial Hotel, Wellington. The « spread » was provided by Mr J. Shout (the fitness of whose name will strike any one versed in colonial slang), treasurer of the Cook's and Steward's Union, the waiting being done by members of the same union. The chair (in the absence of Mr D. Fisher) was taken by Mr T. L. Mills. who, from the report, appears to have made the speech of the evening in responding to the toast of « The Chair. » The Evening Post was singled out for recognition as « the only paper in Wellington conducted on society principles. » The meeting broke up at 11 p.m.
Some of the Southland canvassers for the Picturesque Atlas of Australasia resorted to very crooked ways to gain subscribers. They made special arrangements which they took care not to commit to writing, and which the company refuse to reecognize. The subscribers have formed a league to resist the demands on these grounds: « (1) That nine-tenths of the subscribers only wanted the New Zealand portion of the atlas (at a cost of 70s), but find themselves saddled with the whole work (£10 10s); and (2) that numbers who were induced to sign the order book of canvassers under the belief that the delivery of books would be spread over three years, are now forced to take and pay for six, ten, and fourteen numbers at a time. »
Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Coupland Harding, at his registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—October, 1889.
XXXV.
Long years ago we bought a German toy with a polyglot advertisement attached. It was a « Linear Beichnungs Spiel, » a « Jeu du Dessin Linéare, » &c., and was ingenious in its way. It consisted of a series of flat rulers, with edges of various patterns, all corresponding in length as regards the unit of design. There was a line of equal curves, of the same arranged serpentine fashion, of curves alternated with straight lines, &c. In the lithographed pamphlet attached, were
scores of borders and ornamental combinations, formed from the elements supplied by the rulers. Not only were there borders, but elaborate ground-works, in the style produced by the ruling machine. The striking feature of the toy was the vast variety of designs to be obtained from so few simple elements, and the key to the whole lay in the fact that the units of each corresponded in length.
When in 1882, Messrs Stephenson, Blake & Co., introduced their new combination rules, we recognized in typography the same principle as the German inventor had adapted to hand-draftsmanship; and printers generally were prompt to avail themselves of a new and valuable adjunct to ornamental printing. For many months the manufacturers found a difficulty in keeping pace with the demands, and the popularity of the brass borders still continues unabated. In the arrangement and combination of these designs, exactly the same principles apply as in the case of type combinations; but in practical use they have advantages of their own. Thus, they are specially designed to supplement each other; they are more durable than metal types; being in longer and more convenient lengths they are less liable to work off their feet; they are as neat and simple in appearance as they are effective; and they are very readily put together.
The following are some of the earliest of these combinations:
Set A, 6 Rules:
Set E, 3 Rules.
Set G, 2 Rules.
To illustrate the combinations, let us take Set E. The nonpareil border-rule may be used singly either side out, or may be doubled either way:
By shifting one of the rules one-half or one-quarter of the unit, an entire change in the pattern is obtained; but another set of rules must be specially cut.
The secondary rules come in where a wider border is required:—
Of course in a series like A, with half-a-dozen rules, the variations are much more numerous.
It is strange that in devising these rules, and constructing the costly machinery required for their manufacture, the inventors should have overlooked one essential—the adaptation of the unit to a standard measure. The length of the pattern was allowed to take care of itself—it is in most cases provokingly near to pica, but is never exactly so; and each different series of rule had its own measure, so as entirely to prevent the printer from developing such new designs as would result from combining one series with another. The first defect—incompatibility with the pica standard—excludes these beautiful rules from being used as cross-bands in numerous cases where they would come in with fine effect. We had experience of the second defect when having set E, we obtained set A, thinking we could get good effects by combining the tint rule with the solid. But they refused to combine, the units being different.
Other makers, who imitated Messrs Stephenson, Blake & Co's. patterns, remedied this defect; and we understand—though we have not the rules themselves—that the second series brought out by the original inventors is graduated to pica. This second series is very original and beautiful. It consists of six rules only, all interchangeable. More than sixty combinations are shown in the specimen sheets, each constituting a separate and distinct border, and the number might be indefinitely increased. The economy of this class of border is no less remarkable than the scope it affords for the exercise of individual taste, as the borders may be made of any body, from a single 6-to-pica ornamented rule, up to 3 ems or more of pica.
As these borders are combined in all possible forms, sometimes close together, sometimes with a lead between, it is impossible to provide special corners for each arrangement, and the device of a square cut-off or a turn-down corner is usually adopted. To mitre rules of this class for ordinary work would be wasteful and extravagant; but for a special job, which would warrant the expense, the printer can easily procure the rule in 16-inch lengths, set up the pattern he desires, and mitre the whole—or better still, send pattern and dimensions of border to the maker, who will make a better job of the cutting than the printer himself. A border of this kind, however, can not be altered, either in length or arrangement of rules, as each rule is cut to a length corresponding exactly to its relative position in the design.
Combination rules do not seem to have come much into vogue in the United States, which is strange, as there are good rule-makers in America. The designs produced so far, are mere imitations, and do not compare favorably with the English. In Germany, on the other hand, the idea has been taken up and well developed. Berthold, of Berlin, who has the finest brass-rule factory in the world, has brought out all the English styles and added new and original developments of his own—some of which, if the component elements (very simple, by the way) were not shown, one could scarcely believe were formed from rule at all, such microscopic accuracy is required in the cutting. As adjuncts to type borders, these rules are invaluable, and every job office should possess a few sets both of English and German make, to correspond with the combination borders of the two countries.
Trade here is fairly brisk, and most of the jobbing offices are kept pretty busy, although no extra hands have been taken on. Several comps arrived here from Wellington after the session, and one or two have left for Victoria or New South Wales.
As I mentioned in my last letter, the Canterbury Typographical Association appointed a delegate to visit the country printing offices in Canterbury with a view to inducing the hands in other offices to join the Association. Mr F. C. Gerard, the Secretary of the C.T.A., was the delegate appointed, and he had a very successful trip. I think the action of the Association in this matter is worthy of imitation by other Societies throughout the colony, and now that the question of labor is becoming more prominent every day, it would perhaps be as well if trades societies were to see that their country members were educated in matters which most concern themselves.
The Canterbury Typographical Association have taken another important step in the cause of labor. Their Board of Management, a few weeks ago, deputed two of its members to call a meeting of delegates of the various trades unions in and around Christchurch, for the purpose of forming a Trades and Labor Council in Canterbury. Eight societies, with an aggregate membership of over 9000, were represented at the meeting. Resolutions were passed affirming the desirability of bringing the council into existence, and forming the delegates present into a Committee, with power to add to their number, to draft rules for submission to their respective unions. The delegates have at subsequent meetings drawn up a set of rules, which will, I believe, be submitted to a mass meeting of trades to be called for the purpose shortly. The matter has been taken up with great spirit by the different trades here, and I have reason to believe that the Trades and Labor Council in Canterbury will be a decided success.
The employés of the Kaiapoi Woollen Factory having been called out on strike during the month by the Tailors' and Tailoresses' Union on the question of the employment of non-union hands, it was resolved at a special general meeting of the Canterbury Typographical Association to contribute £40, extending over three weeks (£20 the first and £10 the second and third), to the strike fund of the Tailors' and Tailoresses' Union. The members present also pledged themselves, by resolution, to boycot Kaiapoi factory goods during the strike. I am glad to say the strike has now terminated by the factory giving way to the union.
On the 25th October, Miss O. C. Donnelly, sister to Mr M. Donnelly editor of the Telegraph, was married to Mr John Macnamara, mine host of the City Hotel. Miss Donnelly is pretty well known in literary circles, and to her the colums of the Telegraph have been indebted for many brilliant special articles, among which, as deserving of particular mention, were the graphic portraitures, given a couple of years ago, of the leading members of the House of Representatives under the title of « Gallery Sketches. »
On the 14th inst., Mr M. Donnelly, editor of the Telegraph, was the recipient of a handsome presentation by a number of gentlemen for the action he took respecting Arthur Clampett, or « G. T. Sullivan » as he was called. The presentation took the form of a marble clock, the funds for which had been collected by means of sixpenny subscriptions. The clock bore the following inscription:— « Presented to M. Donnelly, Esq., Editor of the Telegraph, by a number of citizens, as a mark of appreciation for his able conduct of the Sullivan inquiry. Christchurch, November, 1889. »
Miss M. Colborne-Veel, a colonial author, who has been a large contributor to the colums of the Weekly Press, has gained admission to the foremost English and American magazines. A few months ago she contributed to Longman's, and now she has a poem in the Atlantic Monthly for October.
The Colonial Bank of New Zealand has brought out a new issue of notes, containing one or two novel features. They are printed in different colors, according to value, but all « rainbow » fashion, in three different tints shading into each other—a notion open to criticism from an artistic point of view, and hitherto chiefly in favor for playbills. The different values are on different sized papers, the larger the value the larger the note—to avoid, one of our contemporaries sagely remarks, « the risk of alteration or forgery. » Of course, it is for no such purpose—a bank-note cannot be tampered with in the same manner as a cheque or promissory note. The object is to prevent the annoying mistakes in counting, by which £5 or £10 notes are sometimes paid away in mistake for £1.
We do not know how the law of libel would answer in the class of cases for which it is presumably intended. They are not uncommon, but rarely come before the courts. The late case of the Taranaki Herald, however is one more instance of the hardship it is capable of inflicting on respectable and well-conducted newspapers.
The New Zealand railway commissioners have deprived newspapers of the privilege of having their parcels conveyed free in charge of the guards. They must now pay parcel rates, and rightly so. Newspaper proprietors as a rule are not paupers, and do not require to receive charitable aid from the railway department.
Readers of The Times must have noticed for some months past the peculiar appearance of the thinner letters—the i and the 1 appearing as if separated from the rest by a hair-space. The fact is, that an aliquot system of widths has been adopted—on the same general principle as that of Benton, Waldo & Co., already fully described and criticised in our pages. The change is a step in advance—we are only sorry that it has been so clumsily carried out.
Miss Amy Levy, who committed suicide lately at the early age of 27, was a writer whose career in many respects resembled that of another gifted Jewish lady—Grace Aguilar. In early life she developed intellectual powers out of proportion to her physical strength. She was educated at Cambridge, and at the age of sixteen, before leaving college, had contributed to the Dublin University Magazine a poem entitled « Xanthippe. » She published several successful novels and poems, and was a contributor to Temple Bar, London Society, Atalanta, the British Weekly, the Jewish Chronicle, the Sunday Times, and some Cambridge University papers. In « Reuben Sachs, » a novel of Jewish life (like other Jewish authors who might be named) she did not give a flattering picture of the Hebrew people, and its publication appears to have been resented by her friends. Overwork and mental strain on a constitution not very robust seems to have led to the morbid state of mind which caused her to destroy her life. She left written directions that her body was to be cremated
The Rev. Julian Edwin Tenison-Woods, who died at Sydney on the 7th ult., was a man of mark in the scientific world—an accomplished linguist, musician, and artist, and one whose perfect courtesy and kindness of heart made him universally esteemed. He was the son of the late Mr J. D. Woods, of the Middle Temple, who for forty years held a leading position on the literary staff of The Times. Early influenced by the « Tractarian » movement, young Tenison-Woods at the age of 18 cast in his lot with the Church of Rome, and joined himself to one of its austerest sects; but the discipline told so severely on his constitution that he had to leave the order. He came out to the Australian colonies, where he engaged in journalism, and soon became known as a scientific man. His bent, however, was to the church, and in 1857 he was ordained a priest, and engaged extensively in missionary work. He was an enthusaistic geologist and naturalist, took part in several scientific expeditions, was honored by various learned societies, and became the greatest authority on the coal deposits of the southern hemisphere. His scientific studies embraced a wide range, and the number of his published works is nearly two hundred, some of them of great importance, the illustrations in all cases being from drawings by his own hand.
Some of the « natural history » paragraphs that go the rounds—especially of the more sensational kind—are of a very suspicious character. From time to time we read of the Arbor Diaboli, a carnivorous tree, found in central Africa, Mexico, and other out-of-the-way places, which devours men, and is adored by devil-worshippers. In a professedly scientific book issued in America, and run by book-agents, dealing with the World's Wonders, there is a brilliantly-colored lithograph, showing a party of idolators immolating a human victim by throwing him into one of these trees. The strange thing is, that botanists know nothing of the plant in question. « Worse than the Stake » is the title of a column article now going the rounds, vividly describing the frightful death of a gigantic soldier who is killed « inside of two hours » by the bite of a Mexican spider or « tarantula. » We would not care to say that the story is a lie; but we confess that we do not believe that a spider as venomous as a rattlesnake exists either in Texas or out of it. All spiders bite, and some are poisonous. Of those known to science, the little katipo of New Zealand is perhaps as bad as any; but no authentic case of death from its bite is known. It is commonly believed that the venom of the Italian tarantula produces a nervous complaint resembling « St. Vitus's dance, » but the fact is not established. If there is so exceptionally deadly a spider in Texas, how is it that the best scientific works dealing with such subjects make no reference to it?
We have received this month from Mr H. Wesselhoeft, the English agent for a number of German foundries, a parcel of large and beautiful specimen-sheets, representing novelties by Schelter & Giesecke, Flinsch, Berger, and Numrich. Those from the first-named firm have all been described in previous issues of Typo. From Flinsch, Frankfort on the Main (some of whose specimens have already appeared in our pages) we have a neat series of combination corners, containing 30 characters, shown with two plain borders, including 8 more; also a large sheet displaying the artistic « Rococo » border in gold and colors, but no synopsis of characters.
From Emil Berger we have two large sheets, one showing the synopsis of characters of his fine « Renaissance » border (described on p. 73 of this volume), and the other—a magnificent piece of work—showing it tastefully displayed in gold and colors. Also, a set of 31 artistic decorated scroll ornaments, of large size, which are intended for use with brass-rule to form a border, and in connexion with these are shown six large and very pretty corner vignettes.
The large sheet from Numrich & Co., Leipzig, is the first we have seen from this house. It exhibits a border in three sections, and containing 68 characters, called the « Victoria. » At first sight it does not look very different from a hundred other German combinations; but closer examination reveals the ingenuity with which it is devised, and its great beauty of detail. The first section, of 23 characters, is a simple silhouette border; the second is exactly complementary—the same designs in white on solid ground. Either can be used independently, and both together in colors, with fine effect. It is in the boundary border, or third section, that the ingenuity of the designer is shown. By a clever arrangement of dissected curves and angles he has made effects possible in straight-ahead composition which exactly resemble those hitherto produced only by curving and mitering the sorts. The whole border is in perfect taste, and is beautifully displayed by the compositor.
Messrs Caslon & Co. send us a beautiful card in gold and tints, exhibiting the new « Roman » combination, of which, as we have already noted, they are the English proprietors.
Mr A. Sauvé has brought out a very pretty series of « Sunflower » initials, square, with appropriate bracket- and corner-ornaments to correspond. They are in two sizes, four-line and eight-line, and as they are both artistic in design and moderate in price, will be sure to come into favor.
We have little in the way of novelty from the United States Messrs Barnhart Bros. & Spindler show in four sizes a heavy-faced eccentric (modified sanserif) with lower-case in three sizes, under the name of « La Salle. »
The Central Typefoundry shows a very beautiful series of plain roman faces, somewhat broad in set. The pica (No. 6) in particular strikes us as the cleanest and prettiest-faced pica we have seen—a delightful letter for book-work. The four smaller sizes (down to pearl) correspond in all respects. « University » is a broad light-faced roman—another beautiful face—in four sizes. « Webster » is as regards the caps, a lighter form of the popular « Washington » design, while the lower-case is a variation on the « Kismet. » The « Cushing Old-style » is an old-face light ionic, suitable for side-heads and emphasised words in old-style work.
A series of irregular patterns of borders, in imitation of « Alligator » and other eccentric tint-grounds is shown in some of our exchanges. They are the most successful and the neatest of. this class that have yet appeared; but the supply-houses advertising them give no hint as to the founder, nor any particulars as to number of characters.
Case for Spaces.—Caslon's Circular, No. 51, shows a new « justifying case, » containing spaces from nonpareil to two-line great primer. It has, to our mind, a fault common to every such case that we have yet seen—almost the same space is devoted to each sized fount. There is a little difference in the three smallest sizes, which together occupy the space of two larger. Such a case should be always on the stand, as is the custom in America. In fact, the new Yankee job cases make no provision for spaces and quads, and the common system of having say pica justifiers distributed in perhaps fifty or sixty cases in various parts of the office involves much loss of time and material.
Improvement in Finishing Photographs.—Messrs Wrigglesworth and Binns, Wellington, have devised and patented a process by which ordinary photographs can be given all the effect to be obtained on opal. The glazed finish of ordinary photographs is offensive to many, and by the new process, which has been named « Matt-opaltype, » it is entirely obviated. The Evening Press, describing the effect, says: « Details are brought out with equal fidelity, and over all there is a beautiful soft bloom instead of the glaze of the enamel. Some of subjects look very much like choice specimens we have seen of the platinotype process; others resemble carbon transfers on small opal plates; but to our mind the prettiest effect is given by those that look as if printed on very fine egg-shells, or plates of thin porcelain, or biscuit china. »
The New Stone Types.—The invention of Franz Jurschran, a sculptor at Vienna, of producing large types, especially poster type, from a composition resembling stone, and which is, when finished, hard and durable like granite, promises to be introduced into many printing offices, as it puts every printer in a situation to produce, of at least to multiply, his own types without great outlay or difficulty. The whole apparatus for the manufacture may be had at about four to five pounds sterling. The matrices are made of gutta percha, and wooden or any other kind of type, even cuts, may serve as models. They are put into iron receptacles, where the type material, consisting of stone powder (not cement) and some chemicals, is poured in and pressed afterwards. The process is said to be a very short and simple one, the only drawback consisting in the length of time, nearly two days, required for drying the types or clichés. When dry they are ready for the press; they are always cast type high; and the material is very cheap. The types take any sort of ink readily, and are said to be as useful as wooden or metal ones.
One of our English contemporaries criticises an American printer for speaking of « that ingenious Dutchman, Gutenberg. » In America, and throughout the continent, a Dutchman means a German. The application of the term to a Hollander is one of the eccentricities of the English language.
Last year a Dunedin gentleman, having perpetrated a shilling shocker, caused some amusement by petitioning Parliament to impose a duty on imported literature sufficient to compel an unappreciative public to buy his local effort. This gentleman, who was an ornament to the Bar as well as a literary aspirant, has disappeared, leaving behind him heavy liabilities, including trust funds—in one instance the life-savings of a clergyman.
English judges do not submit to the « interviewer » with the same complaisance as their transatlantic brethren. The English papers are making merry over the experience of a Yankee news-hunter in connexion with the Maybrick trial. The story is thus told:—It occurred to him that it would be a good stroke of business to interview Sir James Fitzjames Stephen on the matter, thinking no doubt that by going to the fountain-head he would obtain special information. So Mr Reporter put on his best visiting suit of clothes, hired a swell trap with servant in livery, and drove up to the residence of the Judge in great style. The servants of the house thought it must be some one of consequence, and as the visitor's card bore a well-known English name without a smell of the press about it, the visitor had no difficulty in getting into the presence of the august judge, when the following dialogue took place:—Judge Stephen: « Well, sir, what do you want? » Reporter: « Well, I want to ask your Lordship a few questions with reference to the Maybrick affair, which you alone can answer. I am, Sir, a reporter from the Chicago Tribune. » Judge Stephen, iu his awful judicial voice: « Sir, there is the door, » and turning to the servant close at hand: « See that he leaves by it. » The reporter did not stay to ask any questions. His great ambtion was to escape from the terrible judge as quickly as possible, and he has now the greatest respect for British judges.
Improvements in Galleys and Locking Arrangements.—The Liberty Machine Works advertise and illustrate a new solid brass rivetted galley which would be « hard to beat, » and a most ingenious galley-lock, dispensing with quoins, sidestick, and shooter. The old quoin and shooter should by this time be obsolete.
Paper-making.—Some novel processes in the manufacture. of paper (says a contemporary) have been suggested, and it is ascertained by experiments in this direction, that the strength of paper is materially increased by the employment of seaweeds, which form with water—certain kinds of them in particular—glutinous liquors; resin soap and aluminous cake or compound may also be advantageously added under certain circumstances. Experiments also show that a very bright surface may be given to paper by the following simple method: A very concentrated cold solution of salt is mixed with dextrine and a thin coating of the fluid laid on the surface of the paper by means of a soft broad brush, and it is then allowed to dry. The most desirable salts for this purpose are sulphite of tin, sulphite of magnesia, and acetate of soda, and sized paper is also essential.
New Process of Reproduction.—The following process permits of easily reproducing on stone or zinc either old or recent impressions. Its chief recommendation is simplicity, for it may be put into practice in any litho establishment. The operation is as follows:—Prepare a clear solution of gelatine, pour a thin layer on a litho stone or on zinc, and allow to dry. Prepare a solution of alum; place therein the verso of the printed sheet to be reproduced, allowing the alum to penetrate the substance of the paper without traversing the printing-ink forming the drawing or the letters of the recto. Place the recto on the stone or on the zinc, and pass to press. By the pressure the alum with which the paper is saturated renders the gelatine insoluble in warm water wherever it touches the unprinted parts of the paper, whilst every part of the gelatine which has only been touched by the ink of the drawing or letters is unaffected by the alum. These parts are therefore soluble in warm water. Remove the paper, which should remain intact, and pour some warm water on the coating of gelatine. This water only dissolves those parts of the gelatine covered by the ink of the paper—that is to say, which were not rendered insoluble by the alum; at other parts, which correspond to the blank of the paper, the insoluble gelatine remains intact. Allow the surface to dry. When it is dry, ink it, and the black will adhere only to those parts uncovered with gelatine, and which now reproduce the letters or drawings in negative. The stone or zinc may now be prepared for working in the ordinary way. The same operation applies to both the recto and the verso of the paper. This method avoids spoiling the original if it does not form part of a book; it permits of reproducing all the delicate parts of the drawing; it is very economical, as, except the ordinary litho material, it demands only a little alum and gelatine.—Inland Printer.
New Sensitive Ink.—A communication has recently been made to the Academy of Sciences by M. Péchard, which those on the outlook for a novelty may turn to account at once. It relates to the peculiar physical properties of oxalomolybdic acid, which is an acid obtained by adding molybdic almost to saturation to a hot solution of oxalic acid. The liquid becomes syrupy, and on evaporation yields crystals of oxalomolybdic acid, C2H2O4MoO3H2O. The acid is almost totally insoluble in strong nitric acid, but dissolves in cold water, more rapidly on warming, yielding a colorless and strongly acid liquid. It forms well-defined salts. The strange thing about the acid is that when the crystals are dry they may be preserved unchanged either in sunshine or in the dark; but if moist they quickly become colored blue when exposed to the sun's rays. If characters be written on the paper with the solution they remain visible in a weak light, but when exposed to sunshine they rapidly become visible, turning to a deep indigo color. This only happens when the solution is spread over paper or other surfaces, for the solution itself may be kept unaltered in the bottle for any length of time, except for a trace of blue at the edge of the meniscus, where, by surface action, a little is spread against the interior glass walls. If a sheet of paper be immersed in a saturated solution of the acid, dried in the dark and then exposed behind an ordinary photographic negative, a very sharp print in blue may be obtained by exposure to sunlight for about ten minutes. The color instantly disappears in contact with water, so that if a piece of this sensitised paper be wholly exposed to sunlight, one may write in white upon the blue ground by using a pen dipped in water. If, however, the paper with its blue markings be exposed to a gentle heat for a few minutes, the blue changes to black, and the characters are then no longer destroyed by water.—Comptes Rendus.
Fountain Division.—To make a good, cheap, and serviceable fountain division for working two colors at once: Take a piece of « Ivory » soap and cut as near the shape and size of the fountain and roller as possible. Push down to the fountain roller, and friction will soon fashion the soap to hug the roller so nicely that all danger of the mixing of colors will be overcome.—Inland Printer.
To Loosen New Type.—A printer writes to the American Bookmaker that he has experienced great annoyance in this line. After trying every plan suggested, with but little relief, as an experiment the foreman lifted a column of matter to a galley, and, after slightly locking it, took the benzine can and ejected benzine upon the face of the matter, then with fingers and thumbs worked the type back and forth slightly but thoroughly. After standing a little while the matter was thoroughly saturated and the caking of the type was found to be cured. If this experience is worth anything to the sore-fingered and discouraged distributor of new type the object of this paragraph is accomplished.
« Typo, » says the London Printing Times, « takes high rank among trade journals for the variety and value of its information. »
There is room for improvement in stamp albums. At present, the stamps alone are preserved, all traces of their journeyings being obliterated—yet the post-marks and other official memoranda on a letter or packet that has journeyed around the world have often an interest much greater than that of the disfigured postage-stamps. Forty-five years ago, letters for Nelson, posted at Dunedin—both South Island towns in New Zealand, were sent via London and China as the quickest and surest route! A postage stamp of the period might now be worth seven or eight shillings; but how much more valuable as a curiosity would be a complete stamped envelope, bearing upon it all the dates and marks of travel!
Mr Ballance, the leader of the opposition, has delivered an address in Napier, and has distinguished himself by making the weakest speech ever delivered by a public man in the colony. The following reference to the press is a fair sample: « Only the 'liberal' papers ever mentioned what was for the good of the people. The ministeral papers never published facts such as he had related, but the 'liberal' papers did. He asked them not to believe what they saw in the journals devoted to the interests of the party preying upon the people, but only to believe the 'liberal' journals. Then their party would become strong, and they would be able to boast that they could return a 'liberal' to the House. » As a specimen of poverty of ideas and bad taste, this is remarkable, even from a colonial politician; but it will scarcely be credited that these words were uttered by a journalist of many year's experience.
« The patriots who sleep in their honored graves and watch for the dawn of Ireland's independence, » is a recent and brilliant effort of a home rule orator.—An up-country library catalogue contains some comical entries, as for example: « Verdant Green—Sir S. Baker; Other Sons than Ours—Proctor; Seekers after Gold—F. W. Farrar. » — « Through a typographical error in our last issue, » says a Wairarapa paper « the purse of sovereigns presented to Mr C. on his departure was stated to contain four pounds instead of forty pounds. » — « The great paper when wanted turned against us, and drew a red herring across the scent by posturing on the pedestal of patriotism. » This delightful « derangement of epitaphs » is from a leader in a country, paper in the far north.—A cable message reports that the German Emperor « has just sent a portrait of himself to the Czar in oil » On which a contemporary (who deserves to be heavily fined) suggests that a Czar in oil is probably « a czardine. » —A new regulation of the N.Z. railway commissioners, relating to family tickets, concludes with the following provision: « Two children over three, and not over twelve years old, may go as one passenger; but not less than one portion will be punched if only one goes. » —An Auckland home-ruler tried to break up a loyalist meeting by scattering some vile-smelling chemical substance in the room. A Napier paper says: « The general impression seems to be that as a fætida was the substance made use of. » —The visit of the Irish members has been signalized by an outbreak of Hibernicisms in the press. From a leader in the Wellington Times, containing a number of excruciating « bulls, » we select the following sample: « It is deeply to be regretted that the nitric acid of this hydra-headed grievance should have been scattered on New Zealand soil to irritate and sear socially. » —The neatest slip of the month is made by a Napier paper in the following paragraph: « Tokio, Japan, has a society of sculptors which compromises 630 members. »
A « burning question » in the Trade everywhere is that of the employment of boy labor. The hostile attitude assumed by the trade unions to the employment of boys is no surprise when the state of many of the printing offices in the colony is considered. Skilled workmen are in the minority, and are not wanted; the staff chiefly consists of untrained and half-trained lads with little or no ambition or incentive to study their trade; they are engaged on the poorest material; the work is « slopped up » and « rushed out; » the most egregious blunders are perpetrated; and when a customer orders a good piece of work—something original and striking—all the ornaments and borders in the office are laid under contribution, and a job is produced worthy only of a place in a Gallery of Horrors.
It is easy to account off-hand for so undesirable a state of things. « Greedy masters, » says the trade-unionist. « Incompetent foreman, » says the lad's friends, when after five or six years the boy has developed into a useless journeyman. « Stupid » or « lazy boys » says the unhappy overseer, whose raven locks are whitening under the mental strain of trying to teach a shopful of apprentices. One of these views is set forth in the following paragraph in a letter from our Christchurch correspondent, shut out, owing to lack of space some months ago. Writing of the proposed Trades and Labor Council, he said:
While on this subject I might suggest that the Council, if established, should take into consideration, when the opportune time arrives, the important question of compelling masters, by Act of Parliament if necessary, to teach apprentices thoroughly every branch of whatever trade they are apprenticed to, with liability to damages in case of careless teaching. How often do we hear of a master discharging a man for incompetence in some branch of the printing trade! Yet in numbers of cases it cannot be said to be the man's fault that he is not a good tradesman; for in all probability he has never been thoroughly taught his trade, and has never had an opportunity of « picking it up. » It often happens, too, that the employer who discharges a man on this account has his office filled with boys whom he is simply teaching to snatch type to suit his own convenience, quite indifferent as to whether he is turning his boys out good tradesmen. Then when he gets an incompetent workman he lays the blame on the man, quite overlooking the fact that it is himself and such as he who are most at fault.
Neither of the three theories above will account for the evil; nor will all three combined, though there is no doubt a germ of truth in all of them. Our correspondent inclines to the first solution; and with all respect to his suggestion, we believe it would be absolutely inoperative. When an evil is found to exist, the cry in the colonies is not « Reform, » but « Legislate. » And there is a fatal fascination about legislation. To administer the laws is dry and tedious and thankless—to devise new ones is a delightful recreation; hence we are encumbered with a thousand statutes, containing tens of thousands of provisions, which no one can remember or attempt to obey. As regards the law relating to master and apprentice, if there were already no special legislation on the subject, the ordinary law of contracts should be quite sufficient in case of a breach of the indenture on either side.
That the greed of the master printer is any way in excess of that of the average man we doubt—if it is, the unhappy tradesman has mistaken his vocation, and must suffer the pains of Tantalus. That incompetence is a general characteristic of foremen and overseers may also be fairly questioned. That boys are often stupid and obstinate, and with rare exceptions indolent, few will deny; and it is also a melancholy fact that many waste the best years of their lives in learning (after a fashion) trades for which they are wholly unfitted. The primary cause of the evil lies outside the Trade altogether. It is in the all-pervading tendency to « cheapen » everything required. The customer who will call at every office in the city, and waste the valuable time of every printer, to save eighteenpence on a thousand billheads—who will haggle over the lowest figure offered, and then—the mean knave—demand a « discount » when he pays, if it please him to pay at all—HE is the prime cause of all the evils that afflict the trade. It is HE who fills the office with flimsy paper and evil-smelling printing ink at 3d a pound; it is HE who keeps the wretched comps sweating by gaslight in stuffy offices on sultry summer nights, and who has ramshackle presses running on worn-out types Sabbath days as well as week-days; who drives good workmen into the streets « inspecting the public buildings » while turnovers and runaway apprentices scramble through the work; and it is HE who ultimately drives the broken-spirited and worn-out printer to the bankruptcy court. And HE is master of the situation; HE fixes the price of work. Typo knows him well, and will have none of him. « What!! » he shrieks with well-affected surprise when an estimate is given. « Preposterous! Extortionate! X will do the work at fifty per cent. less, but I thought I'd give you a turn. » « Then go to X. We keep good paper, good ink, and good type. We pay good workmen a fair wage, and we have to meet our trade bills and pay our taxes. We charge accordingly. » When the master-printers of the north unite—as they have wisely done down south, HE will dictate to them no longer. If he wants his work done, he must pay for it.
In the anti-boy crusade, we fear that the unions overlook some very obvious truths, as for example: that boys have rights; that every man was once a boy; that the boys of to-day will in the ordinary course of things become men, with men's responsibilities; and that the present generation must in its turn give place to them. Unless these facts are kept steadily in view, no just judgment can be formed on this difficult question. That the average boy is trouble-some, destructive, indolent, and at times exasperating, is only too true; nevertheless he has certain rights, and it is not the least troublesome boy who will always make the best workman. His rights are that he shall be allowed every opportunity to qualify himself to take his share of the world's work, and that any trade, occupation, or profession for which he manifests an aptitude shall be open to him. These rights are often denied in the most arbitrary manner by trade unions. So much is the case that we read of certain lads in one of the United States committing petty larceny in order that they might be committed to the penitentiary—the only place where they would be permitted to learn a trade! The result of such a state of things in a few years could only be such a glut of the unskilled labor market as would lead to a universal decline in wages and threaten the foundations of society. Another right that the boy has is to be instructed fully in his chosen trade. We do not agree with our correspondent that masters as a rule are negligent in this respect. The old days when every « notch » and « wrinkle » had to be paid for in beer have passed away—trade journals have put a stop to that state of things—and if a lad shows any aptitude or desire to excel, master and foreman are only too glad to afford him every facility.
How, then, are we to account for the fact that so few good work men, and such a shoal of bad ones, are turned out every year?
First, the reason we have already given. The sordid greed of customers and the cut-throat competition of masters, are pushing good work out of the field. The apprentice sees nothing but scamped work, turned out anyhow, and has little opportunity of developing such natural taste or skill as he may possess. The other cause is the besetting sin of the colonial youth—impatience of restraint. He will not bear the easy yoke in his youth, and he consequently groans under the heavy pne all the rest of his days, He simply refuses to how he does it), he thinks he is entitled to a man's wages, and asks for them. He is refused, turns ugly, and gets the « sack. » He turns up in some country office, where with two or three like him, working at about half standard rates, a scarcely-legible sheet is turned out, full of ghastly blunders, and job-printing of every kind is undertaken and ruthlessly massacred. Nineteen times out of twenty the bad workman has no one but himself to blame for his inefficiency. Limiting the number of apprentices will never cure the evil. More wholesome discipline in the home—a sense on the part of the youths and men alike that every right has its correlative duty; and such an amount of self-respect on the part of the Trade as will enable masters to fix a fair price and insist upon getting it—would in a very brief period effectually solve the Boy Problem.
Here is an item of interest to stamp-collectors. The Government Insurance Department, dissatisfied with the present arrangement, under which it pays the Postal Department a fixed annual sum for postage, has decided to pay for its postages in « the usual way. » Not quite in the usual way, however, for it is to have its own special stamp, bearing the device of a lighthouse, with the words « Government Security » printed upon it. We hope that the other Government departments will not follow suit. No doubt it would be very pretty, though a little bewildering, to have the Survey-office stamp, with its cabbage tree; the Marine Department, with a steamer; the Education Department, with a bust of Pallas, &c., but it would come rather expensive.
We have already referred to the proposal by a Victorian firm to secure the backs of colonial postage stamps for advertising purposes. There was at first a disposition to accept the offer; but we are glad to report that it has now been definitely rejected. The New Zealand Postal Department, after consulting with the Australian Governments, has come to the conclusion that the objections to the scheme are too many and too great to be counterbalanced by a monetary benefit. The dollar is not quite almighty.
But how would it do to allow advertisers, who choose to pay for it, the same privilege as has been granted to the Insurance Department—a private postage stamp? The American Government does something of the kind with the inland revenue stamp for patent medicines. By extending the idea to postage, the postage-stamp advertising idea could be carried out in an orderly manner, and an interesting variety would be introduced into the stamp currency. Certain regulations would of course have to be framed. Let them be, say, as follows:
Since writing the above we have noticed that the two foremost English advertisers have proposed to pay the English Government the sum of £25,000 per annum, besides providing the necessary date-stamps, for a new system of obliterating. The ordinary circular stamp would be surrounded by a larger circle, and in the ring thus formed would appear the advertisement of the firm. The « private stamp » would be much better, and we are certain that either Pears or Beecham would turn out a more artistic set than the dismal « Jubilee » series.
Typo this month is very much behind time. The heavy work in connexion with the issue of our Almanac and Directory has pushed it aside, and the next issue will probably be delayed somewhat, as we intend to include with it our title and index for the year.
The wretched hacks who translate French novels for Vizetelly are paid fourpence a page—a lower wage than the dock laborers received before the strike. It is no wonder that the English of these novels is as bad as their morals.
Our readers will be sorry to know that owing to removal, two of our esteemed correspondents—from Wellington and Auckland—will no longer write from those cities. As regards the former, we do not regard him as lost—he is bound to write on craft matters, wherever he may be. He has tried his fortune farther south, and we wish him success.
The Christchurch Telegraph, referring with pardonable self-satisfaction to its successful exposure of Clampett, the religious imposter, says that « a plucky newspaper can sometimes, at all events, give back to the public something in return for the immunities conferred upon the press. » We would be glad to see a complete list of these « immunities, » We were not aware that the press possessed any. It is often its duty to expose abuses and breaches of trust, and it does so entirely at its own risk, the least mistake rendering it liable to serious consequences.
We have received, through our English agents, further copies of the excellent Canadian paper, the Dominion. Illustrated, two copies of the Bookbinder, the only special organ of the trade, admirably edited and beautifully printed; No. 526 of the Gas and Water Review and Journal of Electric Lighting, one of those excellent and well supported technical periodicals which constitute so important a branch of English journalism; and two copies of the Polytechnic Magazine, the weekly organ of the Young Men's Christian Institute, 309 Regent-st., London, S.W.
The Open Court is the name of a Chicago weekly, « devoted to the Work of Conciliating Religion with Science, » of which No. 107 has reached us. So far as we can judge from the number before us, it differs in no essential respect from any other ably-written scientific paper conducted on the theory that the evolutionary hypothesis is the key to the mystery of nature. As for the task of « conciliation, » it is endless. There is nothing irreligious in science, and nothing unscientific in religion. But if the Open Court survives until it has reconciled religious creeds with scientific theories, it will have a long career.
Mr Martin Simonsen, the head of an opera company lately making a tour through the colony, and which has not had much success, made a strange exhibition of himself at Dunedin. The company's performance of Maritana had been severely criticised in both the morning and evening papers; and on the evening after the appearance of the critique, the Times reporter, on attempting to enter as usual, was shown the door by Mr Harcourt Lee, the conductor, who used unparliamentary language. The piece was Carmen, and there was a very poor house. At the close of the first act, Mr Simonsen came before the curtain, and announced that the company would give no more performances. Referring to the Times reporter, Mr Hutchinson, by name, he said he had a motive in condemning the performance; that his report was a tissue of lies, and that the writer was a liar, a fool, an ass, and no gentleman. The audience laughed and applauded, some no doubt remembering that on a former visit Mr Simonsen spoke in like uncomplimentary terms of the Dunedin public, asserting that they had no taste for opera, and that on his next visit he would bring a troupe of dogs and monkeys! It is probable that Mr Simonsen's ill-judged attack will lead to the adoption by the leading papers of the London system of paying for the reporter's ticket. The « complimentary ticket » is generally understood by the profession to be the equivalent for a complimentary notice. The newspaper that pays is more free to criticise, and its representative is not liable to personal insult.
From Mr A. D. Willis, Wanganui, we have a copy of a handsome oblong folio volume, entitled New Zealand Illustrated, with sixteen lithographic views, chiefly representing the cities and ports of the colony. Most of the plates are familiar, having been published separately from time to time as a uniform series. The descriptive text is by Mr Edward Wakefield, well known as one of the ablest literary men in the colony. Mr Willis's lithographic views have received high commendation, both in the colonies and at home; and the letter-press of the present volume is quite in keeping. The pages are bordered with a rule in red, with light corners and centres of German design, and an ornament in red appears in place of a column rule. The press-work is sharp and clean, and the text, in an old-style pica (new type) is particularly clear and readable. We would have preferred a more subdued style in the headings and in the display of the title-page. Among the views are two plates representing the beautiful terraces of Rotomahana, blown into the air in the eruption of Tarawera in 1886. The most interesting plate in the book is a copy of three photographs representing parts of the interior of the lately discovered Waitomo cave, a wondrous cavern rivalling the Mammoth cave of Kentucky, in the variety of its curiosities. Two of these represent the « blanket » stalactite—a unique formation, so exactly simulating folds of drapery, even to a colored striped border following the contour of the edges, as to deceive the eye at a distance of twenty feet. Some of the galleries of this cave have as yet been imperfectly explored, so that more objects of interest may yet come to light. Mr Willis's book should have a large sale, and will be a very
The Picturesque Atlas of Australasia is now completed, and the second volume is in the hands of subscribers. This volume is of special interest to New Zealand readers as it contains the portion relating to this colony, with upwards of 150 engravings of New Zealand subjects. The writer of the North Island section is evidently more at home in dealing with Auckland than with the southern portion of the island. In his account of the Rimutaka he makes the mistake of placing the Fell locomotives and the central rail on the Hutt side of the mountain. The same blunder was made in a book of travels published by a clerical gentleman two or three years ago. We have not the book at hand to ascertain if the whole description is « cribbed, » but there can be little doubt that the compiler has been led astray through neglecting to refer to proper authorities. In his account of the New Zealand Company he does but scanty justice to Wakefield and the early pioneers, and actually quotes Rusden (!!) for some of his information. The literary merits of this part of the work are not very high; but this is of minor consequence, as the volume will be chiefly valued on account of its artistic merit; and—as regards New Zealand at all events—no one is likely to refer to it as an authority. Of the artistic merits of the book it is scarcely possible to speak too highly. But we have again to complain of inattention to small matters which seriously mar the work as a whole. The division of the volumes is the first ground of complaint. The work, we may remark, is paged cousecutively throughout, that subscribers may have it bound either in two or three volumes as they please. Our own copy is (unfortunately) bound when it comes to hand, and both volumes are disfigured by double-sheet maps inserted (according to printed directions) right in the midst of the text. In the middle of a sentence in the double-leaded english in which the book is printed, one suddenly comes upon a nonpareil reference-index to a map, and has to turn two leaves to finish the sentence! The maps should have been all together as an appendix, or better still have formed a separate volume, which could have been provided with a pocket for the large folding maps. Then the volumes are divided right in the middle of the « Topography of Queensland." It is only 44 pages altogether, 22 in vol. i, 22 in vol. ii. Had either volume been just twenty-two pages more or less, the second, instead of the contents being followed abruptly by text with a small-cap heading would have begun with a departmental title and handsome headpiece. The engraved title to the first volume, bearing the words « Australia, vol. i » implies a similar one for the second volume, which does not appear. « Vol. i » should not have been inserted at all, as though, for convenience, the work is divided into two or three volumes at the option of purchasers, it is paged throughout as one. There is a full table of contents, but no index, a great deficiency in so large a work. Some of the padding at the end of the second volume might have been dispensed with; but the omission of an index is a grave defect. The appendix of « stamp duties » and similar information is ephemeral and out of place in an art-work, and is moreover not so complete as one can get for sixpence in an ordi nary almanac. The fine colored diagram of the solar system is also curiously out of place in a work of this kind. But the gravest objection of all is the invidious prominence accorded to the portrait of a clergyman whose association with Australia is of a very recent date, and purely accidental. In the case of Marsden, the missionary pioneer, Selwyn, Dunmore Lang, and other men who have permanently influenced the history of these colonies, a carte de visite wood-cut in the text is considered sufficient; while a new-comer, whose name only appears in the most incidental fashion in the historical portion of the text, and would never have been missed if entirely omitted, is accorded the prominence of a fine steel-plate portrait—a distinction shared only by Captain Cook in the first volume! This plate, which probably did not cost less than a hundred pounds, is little else than an insult to the subscribers.
So far, in this colony, literary talent has found its only profitable field in the daily and weekly press. This is doubtless one reason, though not the only one, why the latest attempt to establish a literary magazine is not a success. Any number of a leading daily, taken at random, would give outsiders a higher opinion of the abilities of New Zealand writers than a file of Zealandia to date. The best of its essays do not rise above the average standard of a leading article in a city paper; while of its stories, the less said the better. No. 5 is redeemed from utter flatness by the instalment of the leading serial, « The Mark of Cain, » which is however made ridiculous this time by the « illustration » (a plagiarism from the cover of a recent English shocker); and by a sensible article by Miss Fraser advocating the instruction of girls in cooking. The short story is a production worthy of a Bedlamite. In his brief notes, the editor makes the extraordinary statement. « Even in this fair and favored colony, the lot of the mass of people is grinding poverty—a heart-breaking unrelieved monotonous toiling to avoid the stigma of eating the bread of charity. » He repeats the same idea almost in the same words in the « Answers to Correspondents. » It is monstrously absurd. In no part of the world are the conditions of life easier to the great body of the people whom it is the custom of some to insult by the title of « masses. » The politics of the magazine appear to consist, of a nebulous kind of socialism.
« Tributes to Tennyson » are as plentiful as the autumnal leaves that strew the brooks; in Vallombrosa. Alfred Austin, taking as his text, « Whom the gods love, die young, says:
—Thus I interpret it The favorites of the gods die young, for they, They grow not old with grief and deadening time, But still keep April's moisture in their heart, May's music in their ears. Their voice revives, Revives, rejuvenates, the wintry world, Flushes the veins of gnarled and knotted age, And crowns the majesty of life with leaves As green as are a sapling's.
Mr Austin's verse is somewhat marred by the trick of repeating the last word of a line at the beginning of the next—a fault which occurs twice in the few lines above quoted. The little poem closes with some very beautiful lines:
Long may your green maturity remain Its universal season; and your voice, A household sound, be heard about our hearths Now as a Chris&mas carol, now as the glee Of vernal Maypole, now as harvest song. And when, like light withdrawn from earth to heaven, Your glorious gloaming fades into the sky, We, looking upward, shall behold you there, Shining amid the young unageing stars.
—Theodore Watts contributes to the Athenæum the following sonnet:
Another birthday breaks: he is with us still. Then thro' the branches of the glittering trees The birthday-sun gilds grass and flower: the breeze Sends forth methinks a thrill—a conscious thrill That tells yon meadows by the steaming rill— Where, o'er the clover waiting for the bees, The mist shines round the cattle to their knees— « Another birthday breaks: he is with us still! ti » For Nature loves him—loves our Tennyson: I think of heathery Aldworth rich and rife With greetings of a world his song hath won: I see him there with loving son and wife, His fourscore years a golden orb of life: My proud heart swells to think what he hath done.
This is described by a contemporary as « the best tribute yet paid. » To be in a position to judge, one would need to read them all—which is more than even the grand old poet himself could reasonably be expected to do.
Supernatural Religion, an anonymous book which made some stir in its day, has long been dead, and would probably have been quite forgotten but for the scholarly reply it evoked from Dr Lightfoot, Bishop of Durham. The Bishop's book has just been republished, and in his preface, he says: « The author of Supernatural Religion is, apart from his work, a mere blank to me. I do not even know his name, nor have I attempted to discover it. Whether he is living or dead, I know not. » This has elicited the information that the author is still living, that his name is Walter Richard Cassells, and that he is a nephew of the late Dr. Pusey.
The following item in the home news will be read by many with great concern:—Miss Frances Hodgson Burnett met with a serious accident while driving on October 6th, near her house in Sussex. She was thrown from her pony equipage and was picked up unconscious. At last accounts her condition was serious.
From a notice in a recent issue of the Australian Trades and Labor Journal, we learn that Mr James Clarence Hart has ceased to he managing director of the company, and has no longer any business connexion with it. There has been a little falling-off in the quality of the machine-work in the late issues, as compared with the earlier numbers; but under the able editorship of Mr S. T. Stevens a high literary standard (except in the original stories) is maintained.
There is an old story of Astley, who insisted on his trombone-player playing throughout the piece, and when the unhappy performer pointed out the « rests » in his part, roughly reminded him that he « was paid to play and not to rest. » The Wellington Times has matched this anecdote with one from the parade-ground. The inspector, a martinet, whose trained eye was sharper than his ear, noticed a euphonium player whose instrument was sharper than the rest, and who consequently had the slide a long way out. He ordered it to be pushed in to correspond with the others, and refused to hear any explanation, exclaiming angrily: « Put the thing in, sir, I'd as soon see a bayonet half-out of its sheath! » And the slide was put in, and the band played on, to the anguish of the conductor, the amusement of the audience, and the entire satisfaction of the inspector.
The first number of a neatly-printed « bi-monthly » (we presume this term is used correctly in the sense of an issue every two months) entitled Printing reaches us from San Francisco. It is published by Messrs Tatum & Bowen, Clay-st, and is a very creditable production. « It is not intended, » says the editor, « that Printing shall be an advertising sheet alone. Articles of interest to reading and thoughtful printers, and specimens of letter-press in one or more colors, will appear in each issue. » This promise is redeemed in the first number; and the advertisement in tints and colors, which forms the frontispiece, is a tasteful and harmonious piece of work. From a note in this paper, we gather that the novelties mentioned in the last paragraph of « Recent Specimens, » page 127, are by John Graham, Chicago—a name new to us. In grace and delicacy of finish they equal if they do not surpass anything of the kind yet produced in America, and are sure to have a « run. »
The British Printer, May-June, is as good as ever. It contains a beautiful portrait of Mr Isaac Pitman, « a benefactor of the race, » and a view of the Phonetic Institute, Bath; and a striking pictorial supplement in chromotype, printed from five plates, by Ferd. Jasper, Vienna.
El Poligrafo, Buenos Aires, is a large quarto of eight pages in a colored wrapper, on which is a bold and handsome design. The numerous trade advertisements are elaborately displayed, American and German ornaments being freely combined.
The Inland Printer for August contains beautiful specimens of process-engraving, and a special supplement showing a remarkable piece of work by a master of color-printing—Mr Earhardt. It is a design containing thirty-six colors produced by five printings.
L'Intermédiare for August contains a practical article on Plomhotype (otherwise known as Chaostype, Owltype, Selenotype, &c.,) illustrated with colored impressions in detail showing the method of producing the characteristic effects.
Just twelve months ago, the St. Louis Stationer published a paper by Mr Richard Ennis, on international copyright. In our January number, in acknowledging our new exchange, we made some comments and quoted a few lines from the article in question. We entirely dissented from the writer's conclusions, and gave reasons for so doing; but as the article was long enough to fill a page of our paper, we made no attempt to review it in detail. We had not noticed at the time that Mr Ennis was the editor of the Stationer, though we could see that the ideas advanced had the editorial approval. The article, it appears, has been made the subject of a good deal of hostile comment; but our editorial brother, ignoring critics nearer home, has devoted a column in his last issue to the pulverizing of Typo, and he certainly wields the pestle to some purpose. He thinks we ought to have copied his article in full, and he charges us with « giving a number of garbled extracts from the 'paper' which distort and change both argument and meaning. » Had we done so, we should have deserved a good deal rougher handling than the Stationer gives us. Now, we have carefully re-read Mr Ennis's article, and we find we have done nothing of the kind. Not only this, but the reply justifies our criticism, whether our opinions are right or wrong. But the Stationer has been guilty of a small unfairness. Six times in the article the word « paper » (referring to Mr E's article) is placed in inverted commas—and one of these is in a quotation from our paragraph. The only inference a reader can draw is that Typo thus distinguished the word as a mark of contempt. On reference to our January number we find that the editor has taken the liberty of adding the quotation marks to our paragraph. This is garbling. We would remind the editor that his article did not appear as an editorial, but appeared in a Typothetæ report, and was distinctly headed « Paper by Richard Ennis. » Why, then, does he interpolate quotation-marks, and six times repeat them, as if we had used the word in an offensive sense'? Our objection to the article was that the writer, after refusing to acknowledge such a thing as literary property, said « We are ready and willing to protect our home authors." We objected that the refusal to recognize literary property was a form of dishonesty—the writer in reply refers us to a passage in the original paper, declining to discuss the question on this ground. The words are: « It is not a question of sentiment as to what we should do for the authors of the old world, but how would the passage of the Chace international copyright bill benefit our people at large. » Of course « sentiment » has nothing to do with the question—the word is often used to blink the issue when « principle » or « rectitude » are intended. We do not intend to discuss the expediency of copyright laws when the moral aspect of the case is steadily ignored. And a careful reading of the article we are charged with misrepresenting, only shows us one argument we failed to note. The writer dwells largely on the danger if international copyright were recognized, of a literary « corner. » « It would build up a large book monopoly, as the oil and sugar trusts, which of all things should be avoided." We may be pardoned for hinting that such a danger is imaginary. The older countries, under strict copyright laws, have not suffered any inconvenience in this respect. It is painful to read nearly every month of some industrious literary man or woman, whose works have given pleasure and instruction to a whole generation, being reduced to penury after a life-time of hard work. The Stationer is justly severe on papers that have annexed its original articles without giving their authority; but the hardship would be greater if every such plagiarism represented a direct pecuinary loss. We are, however, surprised that holding the views he does regarding literary property, he has retained the word « plagiarism » in his vocabulary. May not « others have covered the ground ages before his ancestors were born » ? Is it not contended that « words once uttered, like the flashing lightning, should belong to humanity » ?
The Printer's Bulletin for September effectively displays some of the popular productions of the Boston Typefoundry. It contains a number of good portraits of leading Boston printers. A grand legible series of roman, specially designed for news-work, but equally adapted for book-printing is the « heavy-serif face, » and it affords a strong contrast to the meagre styles so fashionable at present. We would not have guessed had the fact not been stated, that the specimen was worked from a stereo. Publishers of daily papers might do worse than look up this series.
Boolis and Notions, Toronto, is as usual lively and interesting. The editor is « down » on cutting stationers. We regret to say that they are found in other places than Canada.
The New York Tribune has a peculiar idea of the inhabitants of Australia. It dreads their competition in the wool market, and opposes any reduction in the tariff on the ground of « principle » ! It says « The principle involved is that American woolgrowers ought to be effectively defended in their industry against the destroying and degrading influence of competition with wool grown by serfs, savages, and convicts. » —The Tribune has surely learned its geography from that famous American schoolbook that describes England merely as « a small island lying off the European coast. »
The Napier News has issued a prospectus of a company with a capital of £5000 in £1 shares, to purchase and carry on the concern. According to a leading article, the paper was at the point of death eight months ago when some gentlemen took it in hand and undertook to carry it on to the end of the year. They are in no way dissatisfied with the result of their experiment; but their other affairs claim attention, and it now becomes necessary that new arrangements be made. « Were the News not in existence, » we are told, « the most exorbitant rates would be charged for advertisements and general printing, » and a similar statement appears in the prospectus. The slur upon the other printing offices is unjust—there was keen enough competition before the News appeared, and charges were as low as a standard rate of wages would permit. Newspaper and printing companies are to a great extent responsible for the bad state of the trade and low wages in the colony, and have never proved a financial success.
With the Sydney Daily Telegraph of 18th November is issued a large sheet giving an illustration of their splendid new premises; and the same issue contains a full report of the celebration of the opening. The success of the Telegraph, with so powerful an opponent in the field as the able and old-established Morning Herald is sufficient proof of the ability with which it has been conducted. Referring to the celebration, the editor says: « The occasion stood alone in the history of Australian journalism. Never was so large and distinguished a company assembled to recognize the progress of a newspaper. The company was representative in the widest sense of the term. It comprised many of the best men Sydney had to send. It included some of the ablest men on both sides of politics and also representative men in art and science, in public administration, in the large interests of finance and commerce and general production. It represented almost every section of our active social and public life. What we valued most of all, it was attended by representative men from other Sydney journals whose presence showed that however we may be divided by trade and professional rivalries we all feel united as members of a great and honorable profession. »
Address Wanted of Mr Joseph Wood, Printer or Schoolmaster, late of Kennington, London, England, by Mr E. Pechey of 33, Aldersgate-street, London, England.
A List of upwards of 120 Books now in print relating to this Colony and Oceania may be had free from W. Wildman, Bookseller, Auckland, who is also a purchaser of any rare books or pamphlets relating to the above subjects.
We acknowledge with thanks the following new exchange: Printing, San Francisco, from No. 1, Sept., 1889.
We have received copies of the Opotiki Mail, a weekly paper bearing the imprint of Mr R. Rhodes, and published by Mr M. Downey. It appears to be partly, if not wholly, an offshoot of the protean Tauranga Times.
A six-page double-demy weekly has just appeared in Otago entitled the Nenthorn Advocate and Waikouaiti County Press. It is described as « well written and well printed. »
The Takaka News is the title of a small weekly started in the Collingwood district, Nelson, during the month, by Mr C. Girling Butcher, late of the Colonist.
Mr Stead is reported to have severed his connexion with the Pall Mall Gazette, and thinks of trying his fortune in the United States.
On the 13th November, the plant, stock, good-will, and book-debts of the Marlborough Daily Times were offered by auction. The concern was bought in without opposition by the mortgagee. There was no bid for the book-debts.
In the « libel » case, Mynott v. the Taranaki Herald, judgment was given for plaintiff for £20, with costs on the lowest scale. The amount of fine and costs was quickly made up by voluntary subscription, and handed to the defendant.
Mr G. Alderton has repurchased the Northern Advocate, Wangarei, and made improvements in the paper. It is to be edited by Mr J. M. Geddis, a member of the « Hansard » staff and formerly chief reporter to the Auckland Star.
The Wellington Post offers three prizes of fifteen, ten, and five guineas respectively, for the best original poems, not exceeding 150 lines, on the subject of the foundation and jubilee of the colony. The poems must reach the Post not later than the 31st December.
Mr W. F. Terry, who has resigned the position of manager of the Sydney Star, and is leaving for England, was entertained at a supper by the staff, and was the recipient of a purse of sovereigns and a complimentary address.
Dr. E. Shortland, an old resident of Auckland, and well-known as a writer on the traditions and mythology of the Maori people, has left for the home country, where he intends to end his days. Dr. Shortland, who has filled many responsible positions in the colony, came out in 1841 as private secretary to Governor Hobson.
Buenos Aires possesses twenty-three daily newspapers—more than either London or New York.
Mr Ferrier, who was for many years manager of the Bank of New Zealand at Dunedin, is now on the business staff of the London Sunday Times. The proprietor of that journal is Miss Alice Cornwell.
One of the most peculiar terminations on record to a threatened libel action is reported from Dunedin. The party aggrieved accepted a mild printed explanation in complete satisfaction, stipulating that it should be inserted in twenty copies of a given issue of the paper, such copies to be handed to him to use as he pleased—no reference to the matter being made in the ordinary issue!
Mr James Wilkie, of the Reefton Guardian, is again in hot water. Several people in the mining city appear to have thought that Mr Warden Bird, the Resident Magistrate, had given a foolish decision: the Guardian said as much in a leading article.
Two of a trade fall out and fight— So proverb says, and song: And what the Warden said was right The Guardiansaid was wrong.
So Mr Wilkie finds himself committed for trial (bail allowed) on two charges of criminally libelling Mr Bird in his official and private capacity.
Irreverent scribe, thy hasty word Was neither mild nor meek: Unwise wert thou to tempt the Bird Who is, not has, a Beak!
Mr W. Wildman, Auckland, has published some Christmas cards with original verses of local application. He has sent specimens to Typo. One bears the following stanzas:
Old Christmas comes once more on Time's fleet wing, Peace upon earth he breathes the wide world o'er, And fancy hears those herald angels sing Who sang of yore. This year he finds me on the rugged track, In a new land with heart both faint and sore, Oh! but to hear the English Christmas chimes With thee once more!
And this is another:
Crimson and creamy the roses Glow in our gardens so bright, Whilst thy dear land with its snows is Clad in its cerements of white. Leave it to Winter and sadness, Better you'd find it to rove; Come to our sunshine and gladness, Come to the land that we love. Come where warm breezes will soothe thee, Lulled in a languorous dream Come where sweet Christmas can crown thee With roses of crimson and cream.
These cards should have a good sale.
Mr T. P. O'Connor's Star is printed on paper manufactured by « the hated Saxon. » Another injustice to Ireland! For quality the products of the North of Ireland papermills are unsurpassed; but possibly they cannot compete with English houses in the matter of price. A patriot, however, ought to rise superior to such a consideration.
Mr Algie's N.Z. Musical Monthly completes it second year with the December number. We are glad to see the paper is a success. It is conducted in a manner equally creditable to the proprietor's enterprise and judgment. The printer should get a few ♯ and ♭ signs— « Eb » has the appearance of a make-shift. And we would suggest that the machine-sewing through the side be discontinued. It makes an ugly « rip » and quite spoils the sheets for binding.
Mr H. Ellison has been appointed editor of the Waipawa Mail.
Mrs Besant, according to a late telegram, has brought a libel action against the rector of Stepney for charging her with unchaste teachings. The jury were unable to agree.—The probability is that the charge was based on the lady's connexion (a very remote one, by the way), with the re-publication some years ago of a very objectionable American book.
At a recent representative gathering of Sydney journalists, including the members of the « Hansard » staff, preliminary steps were taken for the formation of a national association of journalists, on the lines of the British National Association of Journalists. An executive committee was appointed for the purpose of communicating with the pressmen in all the other colonies with a view to secure simultaneous action throughout Australasia.
A black marble timepiece, paid for by sixpenny subscriptions, has been presented to Mr Donnelly, editor of the Christchurch Telegraph, for the services he has rendered the community by exposing a religious impostor. About nine months ago, a man styling himself G. T. Sullivan, and claiming to be a brother to a noted pugilist, professed conversion, and being taken in hand by some of the churches, developed into a popular « evangelist. » While this man was carrying on a profitable « mission » in Christchurch, the Telegraph received information that he was a swindler named Arthur Clampett, and notwithstanding much threatening of libel suits, and even of personal violence from the « converted athlete, » ferreted out the whole of his history. The clergy then repudiated him and refused him their pulpits; but his infatuated followers held a great public meeting, at which a prominent lawyer presided, and presented him with a purse of gold and a communion service! Immediately afterwards, he went on a disgraceful « spree » and boasted of his successful imposture, stating that he was « dead-broke » when he started the « religious racket, » and had made more than a thousand pounds out of the « soft » people who had assisted him. He has since left by the San Francisco mail steamer. One of the most unpleasant and risky duties of the journalist is the exposure of cheats who impose upon the public; and it is gratifying to see that their efforts sometimes meet with recognition.
On the 7th October, at Sydney, the Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, geologist and naturalist, in his 47th year.
On the 9th September, at the residence of her parents, Endsleigh Gardens, Miss Amy Levy, an accomplished Jewish authoress, aged 27.
Home papers announce the death of Madame Lewald, the German novelist, at the age of 78. She began her career as a writer of fiction in 1841; and from that time until within a few years she was constantly active. In 1854 or 1855 she married Professor A. Stahr; and in 1861 she published six volumes of autobiography. Her realistic tendencies brought her into collision with the Countess Hahn Hahn, whose sentimental romances she ridiculed with considerable cleverness.
Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Coupland Harding, at his registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—November, 1889.
XXXVI.
Most of the Running Borders—vast as is the variety now manufactured—may be arranged in three or four simple classes. We have first the purely geometrical, then the naturalistic, conventionalized, and lastly the realistic, in which the geometric basis (which is a necessary part) is concealed as far as possible. On the general subject of decoration, the question of concealment of lines of construction has been much in dispute. We are inclined to take the view so ably maintained by Professor Knox, that the beauty of natural objects consists to a great extent in the concealment of structural forms. Every flower, for example, contains within itself the typical suggestion of a regular geometrical figure; the tall trunk of the pine suggests the perpendicular line; but the right line itself, the square (on which the cruciform flower is based), the triangle, the pentagon, the hexagon, and corresponding forms, are never found in organized nature. Even in crystallization, as in the familiar example of snow, the rigid hexagonal forms are disguised by beautiful frond-like decorations. Knox has enlarged greatly on this subject in reference to human anatomy, and in defiance of the accepted theories of his day, denied that any true conception of the living form could be gained from the rigid corpse or bony skeleton; instancing the case of an artist who had made five hundred drawings of the skeleton hand in order to familiarize himself with its structure; and who found the chief result of his study to be that his representations of the living member became more and more deathlike. Both in form and color, the artist can do no better than follow Nature's hints—her harmonies are infinite, and can only be followed at a remote distance. These considerations are more for the typographic designer than the printer; but they are worth bearing in mind. They justify the decorator in representing natural objects in conventional forms—one of the chief objects of which is to conceal the lines of construction.
The simplest form of ornamental border is the decorated straight line:
These examples are purely geometrical and conventional; but we would draw attention to the suggestion of the trefoil in the third and fourth examples, and of the budding plant in the fourth and fifth. From this to the staff around which realistic floral forms are spirally arranged is a simple transition. We give two examples, out of a vast number which might be adduced:
The staff and scroll, of which the above are types, is second only to the key or Grecian pattern (said to be suggested by waves). This is found in every species of ornament, classic and barbaric. Sloped, curved, involved in many ways, its adaptations are infinite. Typographically it is most conveniently represented by the square angle. We give two examples:
In former articles we have shown how this design may be built up by the compositor from the straight corner and the right line. In the case of ornamented corners, its geometrical basis may be concealed to almost any extent; but the principle of construction remains unaltered.
Passing from the geometric to the realistic class of borders, we first take those of one character in which no attempt is made to join the pattern. This is one of the earliest forms of type borders, and until recent years fell almost entirely out of use. The old name of « Flowers » as distinguished from « Borders, » was applied to designs of this class. In late years they have been revived, and many of the most popular forms are cast from very ancient punches. These (from the Caslon Foundry) are examples:
Not content with the old forms, the German founders have during the last few years produced innumerable styles in silhouette, in the antique style. Some of these are very beautiful, as in the example below. We have made use of them in our Title-page this year:
Apart from their intrinsic beauty, the readiness with which these ornaments may be composed is a great point in their favor.
Here are specimens of more decidedly realistic forms:
The first is a flower pattern, the second a texture. The ribbon, rope, chain, and nail-heads are excellent examples of the legitimate and artistic use of a realistic design in decoration.
There is a certain economy in the use of borders, as we have more than once shown, by which varied designs may be obtained from a single character, by a change in its arrangement. This is particularly the case when the character is oblong in form, as in the annexed example:
Here is another from a combination by Theinhardt;
One of the most striking, however, is the following, also German, in which a square character, by being set sidewise, produces a totally different border. The same corner is used in each case, but is also turned sidewise, to correspond with the altered pattern:
In our next article we leave the subject of regular borders, and deal with Ribbon and Tablet designs.
A man was recently charged at Glenly Victoria, with larceny of a newspaper from beneath the door of a grocer in that township, and sentenced to seven days' imprisonment without the option of a fine, the presiding justice characterising the offence as a mean one and deserving of severe punishment.
New Printing Process.—A new patent process of printing imitation type-writer circulars is advertized in our American exchanges, and a specimen sheet of the work is bound in. The imitation of type-writer work is perfect. Our impression is that it is worked on an ordinary machine, from an ordinary « type-writer » fount, but without printing-ink, instead of which an aniline sheet is interposed between the type and paper, thus producing a rough and blotted impression precisely resembling that of the machine. We have ourselves taken « pulls » of type that we did not wish to ink, in this manner, with carbonic paper.
Paper Horse Shoes.—A German paper relates that Julius Goldberg, of Weissensee, near Berlin, has succeeded in producing a practicable and excellent horse-shoe. He has employed two methods—one by pressing layers of paper together, and the other by pressing pulp, special preparation being required in each case—but the former method produces the best results. The shoes absolutely resist moisture and all substances with which a horse's foot comes in contact, do not wear smooth and slippery, are exceedingly durable, and may be glued or cemented to the hoof instead of being nailed. The shoe is elastic and easy, and it is believed will prove to have permanent value.
A New Copying Process.—An ingenious development of the principle on which lithography depends is embodied in a recent invention called « The Zinco-Copyist. » The apparatus consists, essentially, of a pad something of the nature of the hektograph pads, mounted on a piece of wood, to which is hinged a piece of zinc—the relation of the two being that of the tympan and bed of an ordinary hand letterpress. The original is written or drawn or photographed on the zinc plate and fixed or etched thereon with a solution. The plate is then damped with a sponge and rolled as in lithography. It is then turned over upon the pad, the writing or drawing on it being transferred by pressure. The pad is printed from in the ordinary way. The work thus produced is equal to lithographic, in every respect. One advantage of the process is that any tyro can do the transferring—the chief difficulty in lithography. Another advantage is that the thin zinc plate, being movable, can be put aside and another used. The writing or drawing is done on it as easily as on ordinary cardboard. An artist can carry about with him a supply of such plates and print direct from them as required. The process is a thoroughly practical and useful one, as printers will find who adopt it in the ordinary way of business. Stationery Trades Journal.
Instantaneous Stereotyping.—What appears to be an important improvement in stereotyping is the recent invention of Printer Friedrich Schreiner and Dr Arnold Schott, of Philadelphia. The invention consists of a special matrix made from cotton and asbestos, with a face of stereotypers' ordinary cream tissue, and a backing of wood pulp. With this matrix no heating of type is necessary, as it can be dried from cold type in from half a minute to a minute and a half. Large open spaces need not be filled in or backed. A large number of casts can be made from one matrix. The matrix can be used a year or more after being made. From the foregoing claims of the patentees, which appear to be confirmed by an examination of several of the matrices made by this « cold-type process, » it will be seen that some important advantages have been gained. The most important is that of time—doing away almost entirely with the twelve to fifteen minutes required to dry the matrix under the system now in vogue. The type, not being heated, will not become soft on the bottom, nor « bottle-arsed »; hence a less frequent renewal of body founts will be required. This may not tend to the benefit of the typefounder, but the heart of the newspaper publisher will rejoice thereat. The absence of heat will also allow woodcuts to be used the same as in stereotyping from plaster. Mr Schreiner, one of the patentees, is a compositor on the Philadelphia German Demokrat, and Dr Schott, the other patentee, is his brother-in-law. Conjointly they have worked until success has been achieved, and well deserve the substantial reward that awaits the introduction of their invention.—Printers' Circular.
An eastern printer, in the National Publisher and Printer (Louisville), writes: « Do urge typefounders to pay a little more attention to those printers who prefer plain faces. » Typo's opinion is that printers are to blame in neglecting plain faces as they do. The standard romans, ionics, and other plain styles have arrived at such perfection that many of the recent changes have been for the worse. There would be no difficulty in choosing from the specimen-book of any large foundry a complete outfit for the finest book, newspaper, and commercial job-work, without a single ornamental face.
The death of Eliza Cook has caused some enquiry for her works, and we find six editions advertised in a late catalogue of a London publishing house. The English literary correspondent of a contemporary says that the one song Eliza Cook wrote which seems likely to live is « Cheer Boys, Cheer, » and its popularity is due rather to Henry Russell's music than to the poetess's words. This a strange mistake, as the song in question is by the once-popular Charles Mackay, the news of whose death was telegraphed during the present month. It is too much the fashion to slight the best song-writers of the past generation, and it is often done by those who are entirely ignorant of their work.
Many strange stories are told of the Scotch « natural. » One of the best is in Miss Marjory Kennedy's reminiscences of her father, and the scene of the incident is Wanganui, New Zealand. The singer's opening night had been very successful. Next day, as Mr Kennedy was taking his walks abroad in the outskirts of the town, « he met a grave-looking man, who addressed him in the Scots accent. 'I was hearing ye last night, Mr Kennedy,' he said, 'and I was gey weel pleased, but I was na satisfied wi' that song ye sang, the « Land o' the Leal, » for ye didna state the auld man's grounds of assurance that he wad meet his wife in Heaven!' Amazed at this theological criticism of one of the most beautiful songs in the language, he returned to town and mentioned the incident to some of his friends, 'Oh, that man's daft,' said they, and he was relieved to hear it. »
No one who knows how « society » papers are conducted in the colonies ever looks for accuracy in their statements. One of these papers in Queensland lately accused Lord Kintore, the new Governor of South Australia, of gross plagiarism, in proof of which it quoted part of one of his recent addresses in parallel colums with one delivered some years ago in London by Lord Inverarie. It charged him with filching his speech from an Englishman « whose shoes he is unworthy to unloose, » and reminded him that in Australia there are men whose reading is as extensive as any in the world, and who have good memories. A contemporary quietly informed the man of extensive reading and good memory that « Inverarie and Kintore are the same: Inverarie was Kintore before he succeeded. » There is an Australian missile called the boomerang, that clumsily thrown is liable to return and break the owner's head. Let us hope that in this case the editoral skull will be found solid enough to stand the shock.
Our Christchurch correspondent writes: Mr James Fergus, of this city, has just issued a reprint of an old work, bearing the comprehensive title of Christ's Famous Titles, and a Believer's Golden Chain: also a Cabinet of Jewels or a Glimpse of Sion's Glory; together with Christ's Voice to London, or a Call to Sinners. This book was written by « William Dyer, late Preacher of the Gospel at Chesham and Chouldsbury in the County of Bucks, » in the year 1665, and in the reign of Charles 11, or 224 years ago. It is said that this work had such an effect on people in those days that thousands of copies were sold throughout Great Britain. An edition was printed in Glasgow in 1722 and another in London in 1840. No doubt this book will prove of interest to many people on account of its antiquity, and as setting forth the views of a prominent preacher about the time the Great Plague was raging in the city of London. The local edition bears the imprint of the Union office, printed under the super-vision of Mr D. H. Pine.
The Kaikoura Star heads a telegram relating to a Napier bankruptcy, « Naples, Tuesday. » —The Napier News informed its readers about the middle of the month that Christmas Day this year would fall on Monday, and advised them to take a holiday spell from Saturday to Tuesday!—Several of our contemporaries make the curious mistake of stating that the year 1889 « completes the ninth decade » of the century.—An English paper states an earthworm from four to six feet long is found in New Zealand. Such a worm is found in Australia, but it is quite unknown in these islands.—At Opo-tiki, according to the local paper, a short time ago, at an auction sale of property, « good prices were realized, a cottage having fetched £1 15s. » —The colonial youth is precocious, but what appears to be an exceptional case is recorded without comment by the Wellington Press. Notifying the arrival from home of the Rev. John Bowden, S.M., M.A., the new professor of classics at St. Patrick's College, it says: « Mr Bowden is a young New Zealander, having been born in 1886. » — « The scratching of Tirailleur, » says a sporting contemporary, « has brought down vitals of wrath upon the head of Mr G—. » —The champion blunder of the month is the following telegram in the Bush Advocate:— « London, Dec. 7.—Jefferson Dawis (sic) died from malaria, which attacked him through getting a child! »
From the Display Advertisement Company, New York, we have a specimen book of electrotypes of very original and effective styles, in which the heraldic style of ornament—thoroughly German—is harmoniously combined with the latest Yankee ideas in display lettering. The book begins with a series of more than sixty designs for letter or note heads—the former about 36 x 12 ems, and the latter the same designs repeated to 26 ems measure. Beautiful and varied as most of these are, they illustrate the wide difference in taste in the United States and in British possessions. Deducting those that contain distinctively American emblems, and are therefore unsuitable elsewhere, we find few that would be passed by any tradesman here—much less professional man—as a letter-head. We would not like to answer for the consequences if we were to submit a medical man or a solicitor to the shock of finding Nos. 105 or 117 at the head of his stationery; and a clerk of the court would be thunderstruck if he found No. 126 adorning an official document. Many of these blocks would be quite available for sheet almanacs of programme advertisements; and if engraved from 20 or 24 ems measure might be used with good effect in pamphlet or book-almanac advertisements, but here their usefulness in the colonies would begin and end; for no one would have them on private stationery. The designs are really artistic, and are engraved in the finest style—but they do not agree with the ideas of fitness prevailing in this part of the world. The book contains also a number of good pierced scrolls and headpieces, a single set of pretty initials, and a large number of very neat emblems, many of which are pierced for type. One of these (No. 43), which illustrates the graceful style of the designs, is used as an initial to this article. Nos. 181 and 182 are juvenile figures representing spring and autumn, but the two other seasons are not shown. No. 190 is a good group of the Fates, but we scarcely see how it is available for the purposes of the ordinary job printer. We note some very pretty frame and label borders. In regard to the otherwise excellent block No. 131, we may remark—and this applies to ornaments in other books—that no design in which the Americanism « lumber » is used in the sense of « timber » is of any use outside of the United States.
Messrs Seegner, Langguth & Co., Auckland (who hold the New Zealand agency), have sent us a copy of Julius Klinkhardt's latest specimen book. As we have been in regular receipt of specimens from this house for some years past, there is not much in the book that is new to us; but we cannot but remark on the enterprise it displays. The former books, and the sheets regularly issued from the house, were large quarto; the present volume is large octavo, every page having been re-set. It is uniform in size with Schelter & Giesecke's book, which it greatly resembles in arrangement, being divided into sections, each with an illuminated title. We are glad to note that, with the exception of some pages of poster-cuts at the end, too large for the ordinary page, the nuisance of double and folding sheets, so characteristic of German specimen-books, is entirely avoided. The whole work is bordered with a neat and uniform red rule border, with an inner border of tint rule in black. The corners are neat and simple. The border is broken at the top by a curved ribbon bearing the name of the firm, from which depends a tablet containing the heading of the page, in red. At the foot, the border is broken by a second tablet, generally containing some explanatory note. A unity of design is thus maintained throughout, which is very pleasing. The title-page is a masterpiece of ornamental composition, harmony of color, and matchless presswork; and the various sectional headings, though not so elaborate, deserve careful study. The first and second sections contain an illustrated price list of every requisite for a printing-office; the third is devoted to German text—still the favorite letter of the German people—in all its varied forms; the fourth to « Antiqua » —that is to say, Koman, old and new style, French and English face; besides numerous ornamental faces, including two-color styles; the fifth to italics, scripts, and rondes, plain and ornamental; the sixth to music; the seventh, « Diverse, » contains some fine Greeks, fractions, signs, chess, and crochet and embroidery type. The latter is more complete than any we have hitherto seen, representing a greater variety of stitches, and containing 32 characters. Section 8 is devoted to initials and monograms; the latter constitute a specialty of this house, and consist of five series, each containing 253 pieces, representing every possible two-letter combination in the alphabet, bestdes a variety of coronets, for titled customers. The ninth section contains corners and borders, for one and more colors. Klinkhardt's masterpiece, the « Germania » —the most complete and highly elaborated combination border ever devised—does not, however, appear. Section 10 consists of ornamental rules in metal, and section 11 of plain and fancy rules and corners in brass, circles, ovals, & c. Section 12 consists of polytyped ornaments for commercial work, programmes, &c, and section 13 bookwork ornaments—head-pieces, tail-pieces, and allegorical vignettes, labels, national emblems, hunting scenes, and natural history subjects. The fifteenth and last section contains wooden types and poster vignettes, and a notice at the end of the volume cautions customers against the destructive and inexcusable trick of cutting up the book when sending orders.
Caslon's Circular, No. 50, which by some mischance failed to reach us at the proper time, is to hand. It contains an advertisement of a desideratum for which job-printers have long sighed—small founts of Greek, made up in a special case with cover, and supplied at a moderate price. They are in five sizes—english to nonpareil. We are sorry to learn that, so far, printers have shown very little practical appreciation of Caslon's thoughtfulness and enterprise in this respect. We notice that the scheme of the founts includes sixteen accents to each vowel, the—and being included.
The name of Zeese, Chicago, is always associated with the highest quality of work, and the latest artistic methods. The Electrotype Journal for October contains a good example of half-tone work— « A Country Idyl » —produced by a new process direct from the photograph without the troublesome intermediate operation of drawing. The effect is soft and artistic, with great fidelity to the original. Two pages are occupied with very tempting « arabesque » ornaments, plain and mortised. We have seen nothing better for note-heads and envelopes than some of these new designs. There is also a page of mortised ornaments for note-heads, with interchangeable lettered panels to correspond; also two pages of « bizarre » ornaments—wild and scratchy designs in the style affected by Foster, Roe, & Crone. Some beautiful check ornaments, many pages of calendars in all imaginable styles, and some fine examples of photo zinc-etching, complete an excellent number.
« Elizabeth, » in four sizes, is a light eccentric latin with lower-case and ornaments, by the Lindsay Foundry. The line throughout is of almost uniform thickness.
James Conner's Sons have produced a variation of their « Athenian » — « Old-Style Athenian Extended. » It is a striking wide letter, with lower-case, the serifs sharply bracketed, and has a good effect. They also show a series of thirteen ornamental quadrant corners, various sizes.
The Johnson Foundry show, under the name of « Unique Celtic, » a new ornamental eccentric sans with lower-case. One feature of the series is that there is a 14-point size (2-line minion) to occupy the somewhat wide interval between 12- and 18-point.
Messrs G. L. Goodman & Co., 234 Broadway, New York, show a pretty series of electrotyped corners, mostly representing European scenes, with names of localities attached. Some of these titles are a little fanciful— « The Upper Seine, » « Lake Merritt, » and « Off the Isle of Wight, » would suit equally well for any other lake, river, or sea.
Marder, Luse, & Co. show an original style (caps only) called « Rivet, » which the cap I exactly resembles. There is a slight serif at the top, and none at the bottom. The effect is striking, and much better than one would guess from the description. « Banquet » is the name of a dainty light eccentric style with lower-case, and plain and tastefully ornamented caps. The latter alone are worth possessing, as they are prettier than many a set of ornamented initials. It may be had in three sizes.
Barnhart Bros. & Spindler have produced a very novel and quaint style for circulars, entitled « Anglo. » We think it will be popular, but it defies description.
Our specimen library grows apace, and the latest addition is a large and handsome octavo specimen-book from Palmer & Bey, San Francisco. Whether this house cast any but body-founts, we do not know; but they hold the Pacific agencies for numerous Western houses, and carry all the leading job-faces, some hundreds of which are shown in the present book.
The Printers' Register has discovered that the first inventor of the type-writer was an Englishman, one Henry Mill, who patented his machine so long ago as 1714—in the reign of Queen Anne.
The East Coast Maoris, according to a correspondent, have compounded a panacea for internal and external application, which is in great repute for all manner of ills, « from a stomach-ache to a broken leg. » This is the recipe: « Painkiller, Jacob's oil, castor oil, and kerosine. » The proportions of the ingredients and amount of dose are at the discretion of the dispenser.
Grip, the Toronto comic paper, has a capital sketch illustrating the attitude of the press towards the « heroes » of the ring. « A Fine Distinction. Office of daily newspaper—select family journal. Editor (responding to knock at door and finding prize-fighter in waiting.)—Next room, sir. In this department we regard you as a vulgar brute, whose business is a disgrace to civilization. In our news department, however, you will be treated as a hero, and can have all the space you may require in our columns. »
A manufacturing stationer in a Pennsylvania town was flooded out at the time of the great disaster, and the larger part of his stock of paper discolored and spoiled for ordinary purposes. Here, however, was an excellent opportunity for a novel and striking advertisement. Accordingly, he had this dirty paper trimmed to size, and printed on both sides particulars of his business. These odd looking sheets were inserted in a trade journal, where they attracted instant attention. Moral: Spoiled stock need not be wasted.
« Civis, » in the Otago Witness, writes:— « I have received from Oamaru two and a-half pages foolscap, chock full of libels on one of the candidates at the recent election. At the bottom the writer says, 'Please don't publish my name.' I am to publish the libels, observe, and to bear the brunt thereof, but I am not to publish my authority. I am to make the libels my own, and in due course go to court for them, while the gentleman who supplies them to me remains in safe and comfortable obscurity. Thanks, no!—however disposed to libel the Oamaru candidates, either or both, I can't consent to do it on these terms. This correspondent in effect says: 'Look here; there is Mr So-and-So, a public man against whom I have great antipathy;—kindly fling this handful of mud at him; don't mention my name; I'd rather not appear in the affair at all; when you have flung the mud and hit him, I shall be round the corner and out of sight.' There is a pleasant humor about a proposal of this kind which saves me from getting angry. My virtue is shocked, of course, but I make no parade of that. I merely wish my correspondent to recognize that the distribution of parts he proposes is essentially unfair.
Luceo Non Uro.
On pages 25, 27, and 64 of this volume may be found notes and reminiscences of one of the pioneer newspapers of the colony, the Southern Cross. As we have already said, supplementary particulars have reached us from various quarters; and though fragmentary, they are of sufficient interest to place on record. Strangely enough, no one has supplied any details regarding the « extinguishment, » —the only point on which the correctness of our article was disputed. If none of our readers' memories carry them back to 1845-6, some of those who have access to the earliest files of the Cross would do us a favor by turning them up, and settling the question whether or not the newspaper was temporarily suppressed by the Government.
A correspondent thus describes the first number: « The Southern Cross, New Zealand Guardian, Thames and Bay of Islands Advertisers » is the title heading of a paper which commenced its career in Auckland, New Zealand, on April 22nd, 1843. It was demy folio in size, and consisted of four pages, with four columns to a page. The type used was long primer; with brevier for the shipping. The advertisements were also set up in long primer. It was published weekly, the « charge to subscribers being 10/- per quarter, payable in advance. » Advertisements were inserted in it at the rate of 3/- for six lines and under; and for every additional line 3d. The imprint stated that it was « printed in Shortland Crescent, for the proprietor, by P. Kunst and G. E. Hunter. » The contents of the first number may be summarized as follows:—A leading article announcing the necessity for the appearance of an independent journal, owing to the corruption that existed and required exposing; there is another article on the current topic of the hour, « New Zealand compared with other Australian Colonies as a field for emigration. » The names of the immigrants by the ship Westminster from London who had recently been landed in Auckland are printed. It appears there were two hundred on board, and on arrival they had been badly treated by the Government. The copper mines at the Great Barrier Island were referred to. A Mr Abercombie appears to be the leading spirit of the enterprise, and he states that the Great Barrier Mining Company would in the course of a couple of months from the publication of the paper have a hundred tons of copper ore ready for exportation. In those days the County Court was an institution which was evidently a necessity; for there are several cases recorded as having been heard. The annual licence meeting had been held and licences granted to eighteen public houses and taverns. There are some letters to the editor on political subjects; a poem; extracts from some Sydney and English papers; and an account of an overland journey from Auckland to Port Nicholson. Amongst the advertisements is the following, indicating that money was scarce in those days: « Wanted £150 to £200 upon undeniable security, and for which 25 per cent, interest will be paid. » The names of the advertisers in the first number of the Cross are—Nathan & Joseph, John J. Montefiore, Edward Rich, Gibson & Mitchell, and Brown & Campbell (who offer Baltic timber, planed, tongued, and grooved, at 12/- per 100 feet). There is a local in this number, which by the side of our mail notices at the present time reads strangely: it is as follows:— « Good opportunity for forwarding letters to England. The Caroline, whaler, sails from the Bay of Islands for London in the latter part of this month. A mail will be made up at the Post Office to go by her and forwarded to the Bay by the first opportunity. » In the third number of the Southern Cross the following « commercial news » is published— « Pork offered by native traders at 2¾d per lb; potatoes, £2 10s to £3 per ton; fish at nominal prices. »
The old copy kindly lent to us by Mr Seffern (15th April, 1848), is interesting as giving some idea of Auckland more than forty years ago. There is only one shipping advertisement—the fine ship Ralph Bernal, 315 tons being announced to sail for Sydney, direct. The shipping list for the week shows three foreign arrivals—the Louisa, brig, 182 tons, from Sydney, with sundries; the schooner Cheerful, 123 tons, from the same port, with cattle and horses; and the barque Ralph Bernal, 315 tons, from Twofold Bay, with cattle and coals. The two departures are the Cheerful for Sydney with sundries, and the brig Maukin, 106 tons, for Sydney via Kawau, with copper ore, wool, & c. There is no list of shipping in port, and no notice is taken of arrivals or departures coastwise, if any.—Two Government land sales are announced—one at Auckland at the upset price of £300 per acre, The editor complains of the fluctuating values placed upon the lands—at a former sale where no one was « foolish enough » to to buy—the upset prices had been £800 to £900. The other sale was at Howick, « better known as Paparoa, » the lots, of various sizes, but all less than an acre, being put up at £30. The returns of imports and exports for 1847 are quoted from the Gazette. There are only five ports—Auckland, Wellington, Russell, Nelson, and New Plymouth. The total arrivals of shipping were 204, departures, 195; imports, £202,355, and exports, £4585. The chief business was done at Wellington and Auckland, Wellington having the advantage, the figures being: Imports, Wellington, £94,510; Auckland, 92,229. Exports: Wellington, 23,187; Auckland, 17,385. The paper contains two columns of miscellaneous extracts from home papers, including an article on « Discouragement of Duelling, » attributed to Ibid, without any preceding reference by which the authority may be identified.
Under the editorship of Mr Hugh Carleton, the Cross had been « going to the bad, » but was suddenly revived in 1861, through Mr William Brown, the proprietor (who had been six years in England) sending out Mr R. J. Creighton to take the management and editorial control. Then came Mr Scales as printer, and made great changes. One of the old hands left, and Moss, from the New Zealander, took the vacant frame. In May, 1862, the paper changed hands, a partnership of Creighton (editor), Scales (printer), and Tothill (accountant), taking it over. Tothill left the firm about 1863.
The first chapel formed in Auckland was in December, 1862. The members were Stewart (father), Seffern (clerk), Ellis, Grimble, Warren, Ford, Hunter (the younger), Schrader, Brett, Free, Haszard, Thomson (sen.), Rogers, Bryce, and the pressmen, Low and Ball. The editorial staff of the paper consisted of Creighton (editor), Allen (sub.), C. Williamson and Parsons (reporters).
The change from a semi-weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays) was effected very quietly. On Friday the 16th May, 1862, Mr Scales told the hands to prepare to remove the plant from Shortland-street, to O'Connell-street. On the following morning at 8 o'clock the removal began, and by 6 p.m. everything except the machines was transferred and properly arranged. The new composing-room was on the upper floor, large and convenient, and well lighted from both sides; the machines on the ground floor. The first issue as a daily was to appear on the Tuesday, and on Monday the hands became aware of the fact through seeing the new running-heads. The engraved head had not come from Sydney, and a substitute had to be set up in the job-room. Only one outsider knew of the proposed change, and this was Mr P. A. Phillips (now town clerk of Auckland), who happened to come in late with an advertisement, and discovered the secret. The public were taken by surprise: but the surprise was greatest in the office of the rival paper, the Herald. It made arrangements to follow suit, but could not carry them out till the beginning of the next year. Even then the newspaper was issued only thrice weekly, the alternate issues being headed « New Zealand Herald Advertising Sheet, » and containing auction and shipping advertisements, &c,. but without a line of news. A column of shipping intelligence was next introduced; then a few « locals; » and in course of time the Herald developed into a regular daily.
The quarto card, of which we gave a copy on p. 27, was designed and composed by Mr W. S. Bryce, one of the jobbing staff.
The Cross was finally « extinguished » in 1878, when it was amalgamated with its rival, the Herald. It was held by a company; times were bad, and the bank « put on the screw. » The concern was bought by Mr Horton, who joined with the Wilson Brothers, proprietors of the Herald, under the name of Wilsons & Horton. It was an extraordinary mistake to drop the old and familiar title, associated with the earliest history of the colony, and retain so hackneyed and commonplace a name as the « The New Zealand Herald. » For several years the Cross had published a weekly edition under the equally commonplace title of the Weekly News, and this is still continued under the same name. Had the Herald (which at the time of amalgamation was little else than an advertising sheet) dropped its name and retained that of the Cross, it could have traced an unbroken existence (except for the temporary suppression) back to 1843, and would now have been the oldest paper in New Zealand.
The oldest newspaper in the colony is the Lyttelton Times, established 11th January, 1851; the second oldest, the Otayo Witness (8th February, 1852); and the third, the Taranaki Herald (4th August, 1852).
Some of the cuts used by the ink-makers in their advertisements are real works of art—pleasant to look upon. But we are pretty tired of one in our American exchanges which does not come into this category. It is the seated figure of a female with averted face and hair hanging untidily over her eyes—her hands, with fingers widely extended, pressed inelegantly on her hips. She gazes into a darkness as intense as that of Egypt, and which serves to set off the rich black of the ink. Can the manufacturers not find a better subject than this?
Typo this month completes its third year. How far it has carried out its original programme its readers can judge. That it has taken its place among the world's trade journals is a fact of which every mail brings us evidence. Not only do we find our paragraphs quoted and going the rounds in various European languages; but correspondence from leading members of the Craft, English and foreign, has shewn that our work has met with appreciation. We have an overwhelming number of New Zealand exchanges, and we are sorry that they are not of the same value to us as they would be to a general newspaper. We cannot open more than half of them, and may look through twenty at a time without finding a single item « in our line. » While acknowledging the kind and generous assistance received from many of our brethren in the Trade, we regret that the majority do not appear to realize the value of a local trade journal sufficiently to subscribe. Those who do, continue. Except in one or two cases of subscribers leaving, and uncertain as to their future address, not one has written « stop my paper. » We would remind workmen—from apprentices upward—that for their annual subscription they receive a.full equivalent. The « wrinkles » alone are worth many times the money to a practical man. Not only this, but we provide a fairly complete record from month to month of the typographical and literary history of our own colony, and to a less extent, of the Australasian colonies also. We would remind possible advertisers and subscribers that the position of this journal in the Craft is unique. The Australian group or colonies is one of the largest, wealthiest, and most active regions in the world, and Typo circulates through the whole, and is moreover, the only periodical of its class published in Australasia.
The obituary of the year 1889 includes many prominent names in the world of art and letters. Lawrence Oliphant, Halliwell Phillips, Pellegrini, William Rivington, S. C. Hall, P. B. St. John, Warren de la Rue, Dr Monk, S. G. Osborne, Mary L. Booth, G. Rawson, Sir E. Denny, Horatius Bonar, Eliza Cook, Wilkie Collins, William Allingham, Henry Farnie, Madame Lewald, J. E. Tenison-Woods, and Miss Amy Levy, are among the distinguished names on the death-roll of the first eleven months; and to these has to be added for the single month of December, the names of Martin F. Tupper, the Rev. E. Bradley, Bishop Lightfoot, Charles Mackay, and Robert Browning.
A New York printer named Dalton has been guilty of an act which is happily as rare as it is shabby. Having a copy of the subscription list of the North American Review, he retained it, and offered to sell it to the editor of the Forum. The latter gentleman communicated with the publisher of the Review, who laid an information against the printer; and he has been committed for trial.
There is some difference of opinion among the newspapers as to the action of the commissioners in abolishing the railway privileges. The change is generally approved by the country press, while some of the town-papers cry out. It is evident that free carriage was all in favor of the city dailies, and placed the country journals at a grievous disadvantage. They are now on an equal footing. The Commissioners will make a great mistake if they weakly restore the privilege.
Describing a new chaff presser, the Christchurch Times says: « The compressing of chaff into as small a space as possible is a matter of great moment to exporters. » It may be added that the art is also of great value to journalists, and if a machine could be introduced into the editorial rooms to perform the operation, it would be highly valued. Under its grip flatulent articles would be solidified, and some—such as the London Daily Telegraph leaders—would be in danger of disappearing altogether.
Advance copies of the « speeches » of the Governor and the President of the exhibition commissioners were given to the press agents in Dunedin on the occasion of the opening of the exhibition, and also an advance account of the ceremony itself, that they might be put in type and published at the earliest possible moment, but on the express understanding that they were not to be prematurely issued. Two morning papers, the Christchurch Times and the Auckland Herald, to steal a march on their evening rivals, published the whole account on the morning of the ceremony, some hours before it actually took place. This may have been « smart, » but was not very honorable; and the result will probably be that in future, on occasions of real importance, « advance » copy will be denied.
A warm dispute is going on between Auckland and Wellington as to the date on which the jubilee of the colony should be observed. Three dates have been suggested: the 22nd January, 1840, when the first band of colonists landed in Wellington; the 29th, when Governor Hobson hoisted the British flag at Kororareka, and the 6th February, when the treaty of Waitangi was signed. It was truly an eventful fortnight fifty years ago when these events happened. As a « jubilee » date, the second may be dismissed at once. The whole discreditable episode of Kororareka is one that the colonists would willingly forget. Thrice was the British flag laid in the dust by the chief Heke; the inhabitants fled, the town was sacked and burnt, and the prostrate flagstaff, nicknamed « Queen Victoria » by the Maoris, was allowed to lie till it rotted away. If the colony dates from the hoisting of the British flag, its true birthday was on the 10th October, 1769, when Cook took possession; and the centenary of this important event was allowed to « slide » without any recognition. The signing of the Treaty was an historical landmark of high importance; but if the jubilee is to mark the beginning of the colonizing of New Zealand in an orderly fashion, there can be no question that the 22nd January is the date to be observed.
The largest funeral ever seen in Australasia was that of a young colonist lately deceased. It took place in Sydney, and about two hundred thousand people attended. Telegrams of condolence were received from all the colonies in such numbers as to suggest an idea to an ingenious editor, who wrote an article, in all good faith, to prove that a basis had now been discovered for « Australian federation. » The Governor sent a message of condolence to the bereaved relatives, and it was even contemplated to place a resolution of public sorrow on the records of Parliament. Places of business were closed, and the day was one of general mourning. Surely a great and good man—a distinguished patriot—had passed away! All this display was in honor of a young man of three-and-twenty, whose name three years ago was unknown. He is said to have been a good son, and exemplary in his other relations; but it was not on account of his virtues that a nation mourned. They were proud of him because he had proved himself an invincible oarsman. He had never suffered the unpardonable disgrace of defeat. Strange reflections are suggested by such a display as this public funeral. Patriotism, integrity, and genius may receive a partial and grudging recognition; but the Australian public have conclusively shown that the idols they worship with all their strength and all their soul and all their mind are Muscle and Success.
The Government Printer has sent us a guide-book to the Otago Lakes, issued in connexion with the exhibition. Mr Malcolm Boss is the writer, and the work therefore is not « dry » like the average books of this class. There are numerous excellent lithographed illustrations, sketchy in style, by Mr L. W. Wilson, and the frontispiece, showing two beautiful bits of lake scenery, is a finely finished piece of work, bearing the imprint of the Caxton Company, Dunedin.—From the same office we have also two little publications issued by the railway commissioners—a railway guide to the lake district, Southern Alps, and a complete time-table of the New Zealand railways, published at the extraordinarily low price of a penny.
The strike of the « printers' laborers » (says the Stationery Trades Journal for September) was a curious and rather inconvenient episode of the printing business during the past month. It has resulted in the condition of these men being improved all round. They are an anomalous and rather unfortunate class. Until quite lately, they were called « machine lads, » as most, if not all, were originally employed as boys. Growing up, and keeping to the work at boys' wages, the majority of them are men with families. Their wages have averaged about 16s a week, but in many offices there have been chances given them to make a little more by overtime. The effect of the strike has been that the employers have looked into the matter and raised the wages according to skill and service of nearly all of this class of workers. The reasonableness of allowing some sort of increase of wages was generally admitted. Some of the malcontents among the laborers are forming a trade union to secure a minimum rate of 20s a week; but the prospects of this being accomplished are, it, is stated, very uncertain.
A literary giant has passed away in the person of Robert Browning. Popular as other modern poets have been, he was the only one around whose personality has grown a recognized literary sect or party. In this respect he was the Eichard Wagner of poetry, though in all essential qualities the opposite of the German musician. Wagner represented pessimism and the modern renaissance of paganism—Browning optimism and advanced Christian thought. Each had his circle of enthusiastic devotees who held that their hero had anticipated and founded the art of the future in his own particular sphere. Excepting a few pieces, such as the popular « Pied Piper, » Browning's works are little known to the general public. A living poet's writings are always somewhat costly to the great majority of readers, and this specially the case with Browning, who steadily refused to contribute to periodical literature. All his works, poetic and dramatic, bear the mark of learning and high culture, with great originality and eccentricity. His talent for out-of-the-way rhymes is not surpassed, even in the Ingoldsby Legends. In 1846 he married the accomplished Elizabeth Barrett, who is acknowledged to stand at the head of English female poets. She died in 1861, and the loss cast a shadow over the poet's subsequent life. One of his recent publications was a fierce and not unprovoked epigram on Fitzgerald, in whose diary, published posthumously, the editor had unfortunately allowed to pass a foolish entry on the death of Mrs Browning. « Thank God we shall have no more Aurora Leiglis. »
Martin Farquhar Tupper, whose death, at the age of 79, is recorded this month, has been for half-a-century before the world as an industrious writer; and has shared the experience of many another popular author, his last years having been passed in straitened circumstances. Though chiefly known as the author of Proverbial Philosophy, he was the author of many other works, among which may be noted Geraldine (1838), an ambitious attempt at a sequel to Christabel, and Three Hundred Sonnets, published in 1860. Proverbial Philosophy appeared at intervals covering nearly thirty years—in 1838, 1842, and 1867. No other work of our time has had so large and sustained a sale; and none has been so mercilessly condemned by critics and ridiculed by comic writers. Its faults far outnumber its excellencies—it is often commonplace, prosy, and turgid in the extreme; it lacks originality, whole epithets being transferred bodily from Scriptural and other sources, and numerous familiar passages being paraphrased and diluted. Yet it must have possessed certain good qualities to have gained so great and lasting a reputation; and these are to be found chiefly in the fine passages relating to the domestic affections. The author traverses nearly the whole ground of philosophy and theology, and disposes with considerable confidence of some of the profoundest problems that have perplexed humanity. Proverbial Philosophy is unrhymed, and irregular in measure and rhythm. One quality in the good man who has gone demands our respect—his unshaken faith in himself in the face of endless ridicule and burlesque. He felt a touching confidence that he was in the right, and that the world would one day recognize the fact.
Mr J. Macdonald, late manager of The Times, is dead. The news is not surprising. The scurrilous abuse which has been freely cast upon the paper he managed, was in England concentrated upon him personally. In cartoons in some of the Irish papers he was lampooned with a malignity which was simply fiendish. He has passed « to where beyond these voices there is peace, » and we believe that when the secret history of the « forgery conspiracy » comes to light (Truth has incautiously given an important clue) Mr Macdonald's memory will be fully vindicated.
The embodiment of dulness is the colonial Hansard. No one subscribes to it; no living man (except a.proof-reader) could read it. It is costly, and is useless as a record, members having the privilege of tampering with the reports. Sir T. Mcllwraith, a Queensland politician of some prominence, advocates that in future Government advertisements be inserted in Hansard only! Even this would not force its sale. It is shrewdly suspected (judging by advertising methods at present in use), that many Government announcements are not intended to be read; and Sir T. Mcllwraith's proposal, if carried out, would consign this class of literature to as complete obscurity as could be desired.
In its notes on the French exhibition, our Milan contemporary Il Tipografo describes « the invention of a Swiss founder, » Herr Goldschach, of Berne, which saves fifteen per cent, of the time in composition, and twenty per cent, in correction. It is nothing else than a modification of Benton's « self-spacing » system, which has now reached the continent. The characters, we are told, are cast to a set of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9 points; the 4-point letters are 1, c, e, r, s, and v; the 5-point, j, a, b, g, h, k, n, o, p, q, u, x, ff, fi, fl, », t, ?, &c. Il Tipografo questions whether the necessary accuracy will be long maintained, considering the damage inflicted by bodkin and nippers; it also says that the appearance of the work is marred by the letters standing at irregular distances apart. As we have already mentioned, the self-spacing system of The Times is open to the same objection; but this defect is not inherent in the system. No such objection applies to the American types cast on this principle.
George Gordon Bennett (says the Star correspondent) made one of his periodical dramatic descents on the New York Herald's London office on Friday afternoon, and dismissed two-thirds of the entire literary staff, commencing with the news sub-editor. When he said « Go, » he of course meant « in the course of a fortnight unless I change my mind; » but English journalists are not acclimatised to this sort of thing yet, and taking up their hats the lot went there and then, leaving George Gordon to get out his his paper as best he could. Sunday and Monday's Herald were in consequence composed entirely of reprint from the American papers, and Mr Bennett has been considerably laughed at. As he is the sort of a man who can bear anything but ridicule (which is death to him) the Yankee has been pretty severely punished. In future I guess he'll think twice before he treats English journalists like niggers.—The sequel to the incident was that the Bennett, being unable to find another staff, had to reengage all hands!
The death of Mr District Judge Harvey has brought out an anecdote in which one of New Zealand's prominent statesmen figures. The story is well known to all old pressmen in the colony. In the time of the gold-fever in Dunedin, Mr Vogel, a reporter on the Daily Times, just out from Inglewood, Victoria, was sent into the country to report a nomination. Two local men were in the field, and the fight was expected to be a warm one. A tremendous rain just before the nomination day, had rendered a river impassable, and the place of nomination was on the wrong side! On one side were the candidates, with their proposers, seconders, and MS. speeches—on the other was the Returning Officer—and his writ. The reporter with his friend Mr Harvey, a young barrister, drove up; the hour arrived, and the writ was read to an audience of two. « I have the honor to propose Mr Julius Vogel as a fit and proper person to represent this district in the Provincial Council, » said Mr Harvey. « I have much pleasure in seconding the nomination, » said Mr Vogel. The Eeturning Officer turned up the roll, and having satisfied himself that proposer and seconder were duly qualified, declared Mr Julius Vogel duly elected. Thi3 incident—entirely unpremeditated, and carried out more as a practical joke than in serious earnest—was fraught with far-reaching consequences. Mr Vogel speedily came to the front both as a journalist and politician; he entered the General Assembly, became Premier, inaugurated the borrowing policy and an enormous scheme of public works and immigration; and has left on the history of the past twenty years a deeper mark than any other man in New Zealand.
Cassells have completed their fine Picturesque Australasia by the issue of the fourth volume. The work is not so costly as to be beyond the reach of the ordinary buyer; and both on literary and artistic grounds it reflects great credit on the publishers. A large share of the fourth volume (as with its predecessors) is devoted to New Zealand. The first article, « A Trip to Mount Cook, » is by the editor, Professor E. E. Morris, m.a.; Mr W. Gay writes on « The Maori Wars, » « Sir George Grey, » « Some New Zealand Ports, » and « Maori Legends; » Mr W. Waite gives an account of the coach journey from Napier to Auckland, and an anonymous Aucklander gives a very good description of the city of the north. Mr Waite murders Maori names in spelling and pronunciation—he not only gives incorrect directions as to the pronunciation, but adds that he is « not responsible for the anti-phonetic spelling. » Mr Waite should know that—thanks to the good-sense of the early missionaries, who reduced the language to writing—all native names are phonetically spelt. In the article on the ports, Napier, Gisborne, Wanganui, Nelson, Akaroa, and others are described. The Western Spit and bridge, which would have more appropriately illustrated Mr Waite's article, where they are referred to, are here shown. The view of Napier—an unusual one—is, strangely enough, taken from almost the same point as that selected by Mr Schell, for the Picturesque Atlas. It is impossible to obtain a general view, but this, while possessing no particular artistic recommendation, shows the merest corner of the city, and very little of the fine curve of the bay, which Mr Gay, like many others, compares to that of Naples, adding, however, that « it has none of the dirt, disease, and poverty of the classic city. Of all the towns in both hemispheres Napier is one of the neatest and cleanest, one of the most cheerful and well-to-do. » High praise, and not undeserved. Mr Gay is wrong in crediting « the municipality)) with naming the streets after the poets. This was done long ago by Alfred Domett the poet—
The honest Nelson man Who christened Napier and shaped her plan Who when he lived in her fought in her van For justice and freedom and rights of man.
—as a local rhymer wrote in the local paper just one-and-thirty years ago. The municipality—after the manner of such bodies—lias departed from the original plan, and have given the new streets a medley of incongruous names which they some day will have to alter. It is a shame to the town that it has not a Domett-street. There is a pretty little engraving of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, taken from Mr Tiffen's beautiful garden. The view of Nelson is not from a very favorable point, and makes the city look much smaller than it really is.
As a genuine colonial story, by one who really knows something of Australia, Mr E. W. Hornung's « Jim of the Whim, » in the Summer Number of the Pictorial World, takes high rank. No less striking are the illustrations. They are true in every detail to the country life of the colonies. In the signature « S. Begg, » we recognise the name of a Napier friend, a native-born colonist, who from his childhood exhibited remarkable artistic gifts, and who is now on the regular staff of the Pictorial World.
Zealandia for December is better than the previous numbers. The Mark of Cain shows skill in development. It is, however, a mistake to give a reference to an actual newspaper of recent date, as it quite destroys the Illusion which it is the object of a writer to maintain. « A Christmas Flood » is overdone. Nothing less than the diversion of a large river into the creek described could have produced such an inundation as the author describes. « A typical New Zealand stream » is not subject to such tremendous freshets. « Led by a Child, » by the editor, is about the best short story that has yet appeared. There is just a touch of unreality about the motto at the end. It is the fashion for a storyteller to make psychological studies of his neighbors; but common folk do not subject themselves to the process. An anonymous correspondent from Invercargill writes sensibly advocating the retention of native local names. The editor annotates his contributors' articles to express his dissent from their conclusions—an unusual proceeding, to say the least. The remainder of the magazine is « padding » of the ordinary newspaper stamp.
From the Government Printer we have received a copy of one of the most interesting as well as the most valuable works yet issued by the Government of this colony—the Forest Flora of New Zealand. The book is foolscap folio, and like all Mr Didsbury's productions, is well and correctly printed. All our varied forest trees and shrubs are minutely described and illustrated; the native and vulgar names are given, the properties and uses are set forth in popular language as well as in the ordinary scientific style. The plates number one hundred and forty-two, and are chiefly executed by the draftsmen of the Survey Department. Most of them are signed by Mr Hugh Boscawen, and reflect great credit on his skill as a botanical artist. We notice other names of the survey staff, as well as those of Mr A. Hamilton of Napier, and Mr D. Blair. The work is written and compiled by Mr T. Kirk, f.l.s., and is highly creditable to the author. The contents might have been more systematically arranged, as we find closely-allied species widely separated, altogether alien forms coming in between. The illustrations as a rule are excellent, but being by different hands exhibit a want of uniformity. Some are fully shaded; others in almost pure outline. In an appendix the plants are systematically classified, and to have followed this arrangement in the body of the work would have been an improvement. A comparative table at the end showing at one view the particulars scattered through the work as to strength, specific gravity, &c, of the various woods, would have been an acceptable addition. We would be sorry to criticise so excellent and valuable a work in any spirit of faultfinding. A limited number, we believe, were printed on large paper. It would have been well to have issued a number for sale, as the narrow margin to some of the plates will not be pleasing to book-lovers.
The Auckland Weekly News Christmas number is a fine specimen of journalistic enterprise. It consists of sixty pages, and in addition to the news of the week contains more pages of literary matter than we care to count. A colored lithograph supplement « The Advent of the Maori » is presented with the number, and is a capital illustration of a familiar Maori myth. It is, however, a little too bad, and very misleading, to treat this pretty story as authentic, and to add the date « Christmas, A.D. 1000. » The date of the first appearance of the Maori in New Zealand is prehistoric.
Stanley has sold the MS. of his diary to a London publisher for £40,000. The London publisher must be a man of mighty faith.
We have received the first number of the Transatlantic, a literary paper published at Boston, and printed in the facsimile Elzevir type of the Dickinson Foundry, which gives it a peculiar appearance. There is nothing original about the contents; as the editor says: « It journeys into foreign lands, and says 'Give us of your best.'e….It has no opinions of its own. It gives voice to the opinions of all the great thinkers of the worlde…. It mirrors a continent. It knows the value of its reflections. » It is, in fact, simply a literary privateer, and could only exist in a country where there is no proper law of copyright. Its articles are good, which is not surprising. The burglar who fills his « swagi » with crockery and leaves the silver plate does not understand his business. The editor of the Transatlantic knows his. We notice that he does not meddle with English literature, but selects foreign authors for spoliation.
Few newspaper men are likely to dispute the claim of the Pekin Gazette (established in the time of William the Conqueror) to be the oldest newspaper in the world. The position of editor was attended with considerable risk, as, in round numbers, nineteen hundred occupants of the editorial chair have suffered decapitation. Yet the perquisites attaching to the office were so inviting, that it was always in eager request. A file of this paper would afford very interesting reading; but it seems that the office file is unfortunately imperfect. An advertisement appeared in a recent issue of the Gazette offering a handsome bonus for a copy of one of the issues of the year 1498, in which a long account appeared of the discoveries made by Christopher Columbus on the other side of the Pacific. The account filtered across from Western Europe by way of court gossips and couriers, entirely by word of mouth, and it is rather astonishing, considering the slow rate of travelling in those days, that the Gazette could have been so early in the field with the news. The account is said to be extremely interesting, and rather highly colored.
According to the Athenæum, an interesting discovery has been made in India—nothing less than the lost books of Euclid, of which a Sanskrit translation is said to have been found at Jeypore. Mr H. H. Dhruva, delegate of H. H. the Gaekwar, is to read a paper on the subject before the eighth International Congress of Orientalists at Stockholm.
Messrs Reid & Gray, the well-known agricultural implement makers, of Dunedin, have published an illustrated catalogue, the whole of the engravings locally executed. The press speaks highly both of the engraving and printing. We have not seen the catalogue, but a specimen illustration sent us by Miss Maxwell, the engraver, is as beautiful a piece of work as anything of the kind that we have ever seen.
The Otago Times published an exhibition supplement, with « portraits » of gentlemen connected with the show. The engravings are described as hideous caricatures. This is altogether inexcusable. As good wood-engraving can be done in Dunedin as in any part of the world.
The Inland Printer occasionally publishes in facsimile a batch of terrific scarecrows of amateur printing. One of these in the September issue, an announcement by the « Rev. W. H. Baker. Commercial & Job Printer and Rubber Stamp Manufacturer, » is particularly dreadful. For the sake of his congregation we hope the rev. gentleman composes his sermons better than his types.
The Auckland Herald companionship send Typo the season's greetings in a beautifully-printed card in four colors, bordered with Berthold's combination rule.—A card also reaches us from the Hawke's Bay Herald staff. It is neatly printed in two colors on a pale green card.—We have also received a clever piece of rule-and-tint work conveying seasonable greetings from the Canterbury Typographical Association.
On the 7th inst. the Dunedin pressmen gave a dinner to the press representatives visiting the exhibition. The Argus representative was unable to attend, having left on the previous day; but the Sydney Herald, the South Australian Register, and the other colonial papers were represented, and the Paris paper Le Temps. Mr G. Bell of the Star, was in the chair, and Mr G. Fenwicke, of the Times, in the vice-chair.
Hr George Giesecke, the grandson of one of the original founders of the house of Schelter & Giesecke, has done much to stimulate the typefounding art in Germany. He was born in 1858, and after serving a full term of apprenticeship in the foundry, finished his training with MacKellar, Smiths, & Jordan, Philadelphia, Returning, he took charge of the mechanical departments, and completely re-organized the foundry, introducing the latest American labor-saving appliances.
The Stock Exchange Times is the name of an English « financial » paper, which was accused lately by the Mining News of making a living by blackmailing stockbrokers, and « slating » those who did not advertise. The proprietor, Mr Harris, sued the Mining News for libel, but on cross-examination was obliged to admit that he had been convicted of using threats to obtain advertisements, and that he had been bound over to keep the peace. The jury awarded a farthing, and the judge refused costs.
The Launceston papers (Tasmania) have been busy defending libel actions. Mr Manning, assistant-clerk in the House of Assembly, claimed £300 from the News for charging him with favoritism in supplying copies of a report on the defences of the colony. The jury after five hour's deliberation, gave a verdict for £60.—A firm of importers claimed £300 from the Telegraph for accusing a local house of evading duty. No names were mentioned; but plaintiffs alleged that they were intended. The jury gave a verdict for a farthing. The Chief Justice expressed his surprise at the verdict, and reserved his certification for costs applied for by plantiffs solicitor.
In our American exchanges this month there is an unusual degree of sameness. All the larger ones devote many pages to a full report of the third annual meeting of the United Typothetse of America; and the matters discussed, by the best men in the Craft, were certainly of the highest importance. The copyright question occupied a prominent place in the deliberations of the Assembly. We notice that the committee on the subject reported in favor of the general principle of international copyright; with, however, the proviso—which practically nullifies the recommendation—that it should only apply to books printed in the United States. We notice that our friend Mr Richard Ennis, of St. Louis, is the recognized champion of the anti-copyright party, and that Mr DeVinne is the leader on the other side. This is the line he takes; « It is, after all, a question of right and wrong. Concede that the author has the right to the fruit of his own labor, he has a right to dispose of his book as he may please, and we do wrong to contest that right. The question of profit and loss to us as publishers or printers should not be considered an instant. Whether we make or lose has really nothing to do with our decision. It is enough for us to know that we must not take what is not ours »
The more we see of the American Bookmaker, the more highly we esteem this valuable exchange. In several respects its field is different from that of any other technical journal; it is no mere collection of extracts, but abounds in practical, useful, and suggestive original articles. In the October number the articles on « Illustrated Title-pages » and « Bookbinding » are worthy of special note.
The October number of Paper and Press illustrates its report of the Typothetfæ meeting with eighteen fine portraits of the principal printers who took part in the proceedings. This issue is also marked by the introduction of a very artistic series of departmental heads.
Portraits of two eminent English printers reach us in our exchanges this month. The Printers' Register for October contains a biography with portrait of Mr William Blades, and the Effective Advertiser gives us the likeness, with biographical notes, of Mr John Southward, editor of the Printer's Register.
The Printer Girl (Nos. 7-12) comes to hand from Topeka, Kansas. We would have been glad to receive the earlier copies also, as we preserve and bind all our trade exchanges. The P.G. is more literary than technical; the articles are well written, and many of the engravings are very good. We find very much the style of « printer girl » on the cover that we suggested some months ago—the real, not the idealized. But the young lady is so fashionably attired that the engraving will soon require alteration, and we regret to notice that she has not learned how to hold her composing-stick. She appears to be in the act of tipping out a broken line into the h box. The Printer Girl is a thoroughly good paper, and ought to be well supported.
The American Lithographer and Printer, publishes portraits of the officers of the National Lithographer's Association of the United States.
We note a strange error in a London trade contemporary. It says that « an organ of the trade devoted entirely to female interests—La Muchacha Impresora (The Printer's Girl)—appears weekly in the Spanish language at Topeca. » —The reference is to the monthly Printer Girl (Topeka, Kansas), and the item has evidently been found in a Spanish paper, and its purport misunderstood.
We have been looking over our list of exchanges. For three years Typo has been sent regularly to every organ of the printing trade with which we are acquainted, as well as to some whose connexion with the Craft is merely incidental. Some of these are not of very great value to us, as they exist solely to advertise the products or agencies of private firms; others are in languages with which we are not familiar (and cannot find time to learn)—but all are welcome. To our exchange copies we have received three kinds of response. First, prompt and regular exchanges (the Inland Printer, on receiving our first and second numbers, was considerate enough to send us six numbers in a batch, that our volume should be complete). And we are glad to add that these valued regular exchanges include nearly all the best trade journals of the world. A second class have sent us fitfully, a few copies, and we have a rudimentary file with neither beginning, sequence, nor end. We indicate these below with an asterisk, and hope they will take the hint. A third class take our paper, and (possibly from oversight in omitting to enter Typo on the exchange list), send us nothing in return. We do not indicate these in the list below. We may add that every exchange and type specimen received is preserved and filed—the more useful ones regularly bound; they are never cut or mutilated, and are all, without exception, open to the inspection of the Craft. And we are glad to say that the notices in the column « Our Exchanges » have led to many copies of English and foreign papers being subscribed for by printers in these colonies. The following is a list of our exchanges as they stand at present:
The above list includes nearly every journal of importance in England and America connected with the Craft, as well as some of the best continental organs; but in this latter direction there are gaps that we should like to see filled. Just as we close this number we are in receipt of copies of the Brunswick weekly Journal für Buchdruckerkunst—one of the best trade papers in the world. We still regret, however, the absence from our list of Hr Waldow's Archiv für Buchdruckerkunst, of the Typographische Nachrichten, Lithographia, the Austrian Buchdrucker-Zeitung, and of the beautiful Arte della Stampa, of Florence. We expect these will follow.
The postal charges do not admit of our sending regularly to non-exchanging exchanges. Two shillings per annum is paid in postage for every continental address to which our little paper is sent. This is the last issue that will be despatched to non-reciprocating exchanges. In future they will be « turned off at the main. »
Mr W. Wildman, bookseller, Auckland, sends us a long list of New Zealand publications kept in stock, of several of which he possesses the sole remaining copies. Mr Wildman makes a specialty of the literature of the colony.
Messrs John Dickinson & Co., limited, send us a sample of their double demy 681b « Art Paper. » It is not more expensive, weight for weight, than ordinary good quality printing paper, and the surface is such as to produce the finest possible effect in printing. It is largely used for the finer class of type specimens.
Carl Schlenk, Roth, near Nuremberg (London, 14 Aldersgate-st.), sends us a beautifully-printed circular in bronze, with a litho view of his new factory. His new machines enable him to produce over 10,0001b weekly, and he claims to be the largest manufacturer in the trade.
Messrs John Haddon & Co., the English agents, send us a copy of Grip, a Canadian weekly illustrated comic paper, the title of which is derived from the raven in Barnaby Rudge. Grip is in its seventeenth year, and is vigorously written and cleverly illustrated. Most of the sketches are signed with the initials of the editor, Mr J. W. Bengough.
The Parthenon is the title of a new quarto literary monthly, published in Sydney.
Sheet almanacs reach us from the Southland Times and the Manawatu Daily Times.
Mr W. Freeman Kitchen, Dunedin, has been appointed exhibition correspondent for The Times.
Mr James Gordon Bennett's London daily is not a success, and has already more than a score of libel cases—some very serious—to to defend.
Land and Sea, Dunedin, is dead. It was a weekly miscellany, chiefly of borrowed matter. Many of its cartoons were « traced » from Punch and other comic journals.
We have received the Hawke's Bay Almanac for 1890, a well-compiled annual, published by Messrs Dinwiddie, Walker & Co., Napier; and the neatly printed Star book almanac, issued by Innes & Co., Hawera.
The editor of the Dunstan Times has just wished his readers « the compliments of the season » for the twenty-fifth time. The paper has been established twenty-eight years. We hope to return his greeting on the occasion of his editorial jubilee.
A continental exchange came out lately with a full-page advertisement, the border of which is a Greek design composed from a single-character nonpareil border after one of the patterns shown in our article on p. 21 of the present volume.
A railway station-master in the North Island has had to be sent to a lunatic asylum for monomania. He is sane on all points except the railway regulations, his efforts to master the tariff having unhinged his mind. The Wellington Press says the reason why the other station-masters retain their reason is because they are wise enough not to attempt to master the regulations.
The first number of Te Korimako Hou has reached us. It is published at Opotiki by Mr B. Henry, and edited by the Rev. B. Maunsell. It is a demy quarto of eight pages, three columns to the page. With the exception of a few advertisements, it is printed entirely in Maori.
Mr J. T. M. Hornsby, on leaving the Waipawa Mail, was the recipient of four presents: one—an albert with masonic jewel—from the district school, he having held the office of secretary to the committee; two purses, from residents in the town and district; and the fourth, an illuminated address in handsome frame, from the staff of the Mail.
Two of the Australian Chief Justices are ex-editors. The Hon. George Higginbotham of Lincoln's-Inn was a reporter on the Morning Chronicle in 1849, emigrated to Victoria in 1854, became the editor of the Melbourne Argus, and is now Chief Justice of the colony. Sir Charles Lilley, the Queensland Chief Justice, was editor and half-owner of the Brisbane Courier, the leading journal of that colony. He has recently been credited with the epigrammatic remark that « A newspaper can say anything it likes without getting inside the law—if it only knows how. »
The Akaroa Mail is adopting a practice which might be followed with advantage elsewhere. Under the heading of « The Story of the Bays, » it is publishing a series of very interesting articles, giving particulars of the first colonists and their work—in fact, the early history of the district, with authenticated facts and precise dates. Now that the pioneer settlers are so fast disappearing, is the time to place such facts on record; it is not at present possible to do so in book form; but in newspaper files the information is accessible to those who seek it, and in future years it will be highly valued.
It is difficult to form anything like a true estimate of contemporary literature, especially when it is popular. A few years hence, probably people will wonder how the forgotten song « Laddie » —the most inane production of this generation—should have had the largest sale of any ballad published during the century; or how the trashy « Hansom Cab » should ever have brought in shillings to the extent of a third of a million. The tendency to depreciate good work of the past and magnify present productions, is curiously illustrated in a letter by the clever home correspondent of the Dunedin Star, Immediately after describing the late Eliza Cook's songs as « weakly and sentimental, » he goes on to characterize Robert Martin's « Bally-hooley » and Killaloe » as « immortal lyrics. » Clever they are, and deservedly popular, but— « immortal » ! Prodigious!
An English telegram of the 29th November records the death, at the age of 79, of Martin Farquhar Tupper.
On the 12th December, at Venice, died Robert Browning, one of the greatest poets of the century, aged 77.
Mr Percival Leigh, one of the earliest and most assiduous contributors to Punch, author of « Mr Pips, his Diary, » &c, died on the 24th October, in his 76th year.
An English telegram records the death of the genial and popular writer « Cuthbert Bede » (the Rev. Edward Bradley) at the age of 62. He was the author of a good many tales and sketches, the best-known of which is the evergreen « Verdant Green, » the first part of which (An Oxford Freshman), appeared in 1853, and still maintains its popularity.
Home papers announce the death of Dr Colborne, organist of Hereford Cathedral. Dr Colborne's musical career has been principally associated with the musical services of the Anglican church. He was the composer of several part songs and pianoforte pieces. He also wrote « Samuel, » a church oratorio, and several services and anthems.
Another English musician who has recently passed away is Grattan Cooke, son of Tom Cooke, the well-known vocalist and conductor, who was the teacher of Sims Reeves. The deceased gentleman had a European reputation as an oboe player, and was at one time bandmaster of the 2nd Life Guards.
An English telegram of 27th December records the death at the age of 75 of Dr Charles Mackay, l.l.d., a well-known and accomplished poet and author. « Tubal-Cain, » « Far, far upon the Sea, » « Cheer, boys, cheer, » were among his songs, which, set to stirring music by Henry Russell, attained wide popularity. His first book of poems was published in 1834 at the age of twenty. Among his works we may note « Lost Beauties of the English Language » (1874), and « Forty Years' Recollectionsn » (1876). He was a native of Perth.
Bernhard Rudolph Giesecke, of the firm of Schelter & Giesecke, Leipzig, died on the 25th July, in his sixty-third year, from a stroke of paralysis. The typefoundry was started in 1819, by the father of deceased, in conjunction with Johan Gottfried Schelter, who retired in 1841. Nine years afterwards Giesecke senior died, and his two sons—Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand and Bernhard Rudolph—succeeded to the business. Under their management, the increase of the business was remarkable. George, son of Bernhard Rudolph, who was born in 1853, is now in charge of the technical departments,
William Allingham, a writer of simple and graceful verse, whose gifts were appreciated in literary circles, but who never attained any great measure of popular fame, died on the 18th November, in his 66th year. He was a contributor to the Athenæum, Household Words, and Fraser's Magazine, becoming editor of the latter in 1874. In the same year he married Miss Helen Paterson, a water-color artist of high repute. In l877 a collection of his earlier poems appeared under the title of Songs, Ballads, and Phantasies, and a complete edition of his works is now in band, and will shortly be published by Reeves & Turner.
Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Coupland Harding, at his registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—December, 1889.
False report—see p. 5-4.
Not the celebrated author and reformer, as at first supposed, but the Russian Minister of the Interior.
[Harding, Printer, Napior.]