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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 5

The Electric Light: A Printers' Blessing

page 47

The Electric Light: A Printers' Blessing.

The compositor of modern times has many advantages over his brother of less than a century ago, and during that period many facilities have been afforded to lessen the wear and tear of his earthly existence—not to say that all these improvements and new ideas are very necessary. The average comp has a good deal to contend with when earning his daily bread at piece on a morning newspaper, and especially if he be a grass, and likely to remain in that department of the 'ship for perhaps several years. Inferior manuscript, bad sub-editing, small takes, (and the man with the following take can't set-off), and scarcity of sorts, are only a few of the small things that trouble the workman; but when he has to perform his task under a half-power gasjet, with a sickly half-and-half light thrown perhaps on a few of the larger boxes, then does the unfortunate type-lifting machine wish he had never acted in the capacity of P.D., or pondered over case till a kink in the back of his neck almost prevented him from holding his head up. But in many of the larger offices of today this most important item in the compositor's life has been, I may say, brought to perfection by the introduction of the electric lighting. To give an instance of a most complete and elaborately fitted up office, it will be necessary to go to that very modern city Melbourne—Marvellous Melbourne. A few remarks on the lighting of the Melbourne Argus composing-room may perhaps be of interest to New Zealand readers at all events, and the writer having worked under the light has no hesitation in describing it as a glorious invention for the morning-paper compositor, seeing that such an evil to mankind has to exist. When the gentleman glances at his morning paper and casts it down with a half-grunt that « there's nothing in it, » I wonder how often he thinks of the weary-eyed body of men that toiled all night to provide him with that sheet, and whether he has any idea that through some strike by miners, lumpers, gas-stokers, or some such cause, the work had to be performed under a half supply of gas. But to proceed. When the electric lighting was first mooted, the idea was considered as almost insane by many managers. The light, it was said, was not a steady one. ؟How were you going to arrange that when perhaps six men were left in the office, sufficient light only for those engaged should be kept going? and other such questions were raised. But like many another difficult problem this one was soon solved, and in the Argus office and many others to day we have the practical solution. It is a pretty sight to gaze on the gullies of a big 'ship with the rows of arms or jets protruding over the cases. Many old printers themselves even shook their heads and expressed doubts as to what would be the result of the experiment, but very few nights' work under the light convinced them that next to a substantial rise per thou. it was one of the greatest causes for jubilation that fell to their lot. They anticipated a glare and a slight quiver in the flame, but it is a mellow, steady, and pleasant light, emitting no beat (a most important matter in a hot country), and devoid of sickly fumes. Anyone who has wrought beneath a gasjet when a whiff of air has come through the ventilators and sent the fumes in his face, will have a perfect recollection of the sensation, and perhaps the proof would show that he had not followed copy at that particular moment. To fully explain the fitting-up of the fixtures in connexion with the light is rather a difficult matter. For the frames a railing runs along each double row (the frames being back to back), and at each case an arm or pipe extends from the main beam, each of these arms in turn bearing a branch from the main current, and in a small air-tight globe some three inches in length, is a very fine wire which produces the light. This was where the main difficulty at first arose: to turn off perhaps every jet in the row except one or two. But by means of a thumb-screw this was surmounteda half-turn shuts off or resumes the current. The hanging lights, extended from the roof over make-up bulks, stones, &c., are simply suspended by a cord, and can be raised or lowered to suit the workman, or shut off at his will by the thumb-screw, which in this case is attached close to the light on the brass fixtures for holding the globes. Besides the air-tight globes, the jets are all protected by green shades; and the strength of the light cannot reach the eyes. The conductors, all safely encased, are carried along the floor and roof, up the walls, over the frames, in all manner of shapes and casings, everywhere carefully protected. The main current is taken from the Electric Lighting Company's station, and conveyed to dynamos fitted up in an out-of-the-way and safe place in the office, well out of reach, and then securely surrounded by a tin casing. The light is not manufactured on the premises, the Company holding the right; and if any mishap occurs, there is a fixing-up of gas-jets (which of course are not removed, and the supply never cut off), and a gathering-up of broken globes and paper shades, and the composing-room takes the appearance of a gas-fitting establishment. Such stoppages as these, being slight hindrances to the work, greatly annoy printers; and combined with other little matters, have perhaps prevented the initiation of the electric lighting in many large offices for some considerable time. But once in full working-order, I am inclined to think that any reasonable employer would not be slow in recognizing the general benefit, not only to the workmen, but in the amount of work performed; for it is now coming to a matter of not how much can be done, but what must be done in the daily newspaper offices in order to keep abreast with the times. And it is simply astonishing what many managers in large offices can do to benefit their employees if they will only make a point of doing so. The matter is in their hands, for the shareholders only concern themselves about the profits. The man who has gone through the lower stages himself should naturally make the welfare of those under him a matter for consideration; but unfortunately many, when they reach the manager's room, seem to forget the period when they kept their nose in the space-box, and perchance, cribbed, or borrowed sorts from their neighbor; and would delight in sending perhaps a fellow-worker at case to tread the carpet for some trivial offence.

P. H.