Two Correspondents.

From time to time we have reprinted some of the kindly notices of Typo from trade papers far away. We could fill a good space each month with these, and with similar paragraphs from the New Zealand press, but that our pages are occupied with matter of more permanent interest. We are often gratified with the appreciation expressed in private letters; but we do not care to quote except from correspondence with a view to publication. However, this month we make an exception, withholding the names of the writers.

The first letter is from a subscriber whose displeasure we have somehow incurred, and he says: « Please discontinue sending me Typo at end of year. It is too strong for my digestion.—Yours fraternally,— » We are glad to be able to say that in the course of the four years that Typo has been published this is the first letter of the kind that we have received. Our correspondent is not very clear; but we are glad to note that it is the strength, and not the weakness of the paper that has led him to drop it. We may be wrong, but we presume that our criticisms on the Maritime Council and the ill-advised boycot are the ground of the offence. Those criticisms have been justified, not only by subsequent events; but by the deliberate action of the N.Z.T.A. As regards the estimation in which our journal is held in union circles, the resolution passed in Wellington, and officially communicated to us and published last month, bears sufficient testimony. We have also official letters, very similar in tone, from the Secretary of the Trades Council. Now we will just criticise our correspondent. He has subscribed to Typo for exactly one year. He belongs to an important city, from which, during the whole twelve months, we have not had a line of trade correspondence. If he has read our paper carefully he has seen that full scope is given to valued correspondents whose views diverge widely from our own. Had our friend sent us an occasional letter half-a-column long, a postal-card, or even a newspaper clipping, space would have been found for it; and not only would his fellow-craftsmen have been benefited, but he himself would have enjoyed a personal interest in « Our » journal, and would never have thought of writing « Stop my paper. » We are at a loss to account for the want of interest shown in the trade even by many intelligent printers. It would be in very bad taste to boast of our own share in the work of elevating the standard of the Craft, and we do not do so; but we may say that the actual cost of producing the paper—apart from all our spare time being devoted to the work—is very considerable. For the first year the returns did not pay for paper and postage; yet we held on. Our heavy outlay comes back to us in sums of five shillings at a time, and there are printers who seem to think that even is too much.

We now take the liberty of quoting from a letter of a different style—one, we are glad to say, of a kind that reaches us pretty often, and the oftener the better. It is dated 6th February, and we feel sure that the writer will not object to our making use of it. He says: « I am trying to show my appreciation of Typo by getting new subscribers: so far I have not been able to get many…. [Here follows an original « wrinkle, » which will appear in due course.] For some time I have thought of asking you if you could give us more wrinkles in Typo on every-day work, and if you could see your way to have an Apprentices' Column. If you could only teach the boys the value of punctuality, cleanliness, and how much the general health of the composing-room depends upon the « devil, » it would help to make them better workmen. There are some people who, if they see a thing in print, think more of it. New ideas in imposition, harmony in colors (which is very little understood in the colonies), the quickest way of cleaning type when it is filled with ink from face to foot; also hints about making a good packing for a press, would be heartily welcomed by many. »

We may add that we have had some of the matters suggested by our correspondent for some time under consideration. But, as we have more than once intimated, we are doing as much as with present support we are warranted in doing, if not more. There are many larger and handsomer organs of the Craft than Typo; but there is no other appealing directly to the colonial printer, nor that treats, as our journal does, with the precise class of work with which he has to deal. Every man who is interested in the Craft, who wishes to excel and to keep abreast with the daily advance of the art, should not only subscribe, but contribute, though his contribution be no more than a post-card will convey. The interchange of ideas will stimulate the progress of the Craft, misapprehensions can be corrected, and should the paper become too « strong, » our columns are open to replies, however weak, provided that ordinary courtesy is observed. Let our friends criticise as freely as they choose; but the weakest and poorest of all arguments is that of « Stop my paper. » « !What! » said old farmer Squashead, « ؟Ain't that 'ere paper busted up yet? Why, I quit takin' of it fifteen year ago. »