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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 2
[trade dispatches]
« Recollections, » by T. L. M., are held over till next month.
They took things easy in the good old days. Here is a paragraph from the Wellington Independent, 10th May, 1845:— « The committee of the Independent beg to announce that they are willing to take produce of any description for their journal, » The following is from the Otago Witness, 21st December, 1854:— « We shall be unable to furnish our readers with a paper next week, as we have in hand some other printing that must be attended to. »
In answer to numerous inquiries, we have again to state that we do not keep a supply house, and do not hold the agency for any typefoundry. We have already imported for our friends, and are always willing to import, any special novelties from American and Continental houses who have no representatives in New Zealand. We forward Typo to, and receive specimens and other communications from, about fifty such unrepresented typefounders—some of them of the highest rank. Not being agents, we do not in such cases receive agents' discount. The many correspondents who are enamored with Schelter & Giesecke's new designs, circulated in last month's Typo, we again refer to the representatives of that firm—the Continental Export and Agency Company, Dunedin, Auckland, and Sydney.
Bad as the tariff is, let us give it its due. It has justified itself by developing a new industry! A New Zealand house is manufacturing roller skates!! and the protectionists are singing Io! triumphe! Next summer, when the rink-madness is past, and skates are selling at sixpence a pair, our manufacturer will be drafting his petition to Parliament for compensation.—As against this worthless and ephemeral industry, let us see how the tariff affects useful manufactures. A company had made all arrangements to establish an extensive factory for the manufacture of paper from wood pulp. The natural features of the country—its vast forests and unlimited water-supply, were all of the most favorable kind; and the raw material was being burnt to waste by the settlers. Three months ago, the machinery and plant would have been landed duty-free. Now it would be taxed seven thousand pounds, and the industry is to be started in New South Wales. The protectionists have deprived us of our paper-mill; but they can shew us Home-made Skates, from Imported Materials!
The Hon. G. Fisher, Minister of Education, has had some association with journalism. But he has neither the personal dignity nor the courtesy by which the trained journalist is always distinguished. On the contrary he is exceedingly thin-skinned, and has just « given himself away » in a deplorable manner. The clever New Zealand correspondent of the Australasian who writes under the signature of « Taniwha » lately criticised the ministry, and Mr Fisher in particular, pretty freely. Hastily concluding that « Taniwha » was a certain journalist and ex-M.H.R., Mr Fisher wrote an angry letter to the Australasian, in which he made an unwarrantable personal attack upon the gentleman in question. The Australasian declined to insert the letter, adding that the editor would be very happy to accord full space to Mr Fisher to contradict or refute their correspondent's strictures if he felt so inclined. But Mr Fisher, thus mercifully preserved from gibbeting himself in Australia, would not be restrained from doing it in New Zealand. As no paper with any regard to journalistic propriety would insert his communication as a letter, he obtained its insertion in the Post as an advertisement, and has thereby done himself more irreparable damage than any political or personal opponent could have done. And those who have the best opportunities of forming a correct idea, are of opinion that Mr Fisher, in his blind anger, has been attacking the wrong man!