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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 6
[Mr Stead's narrative]
Those who derive their ideas of a « first-class misdemeanant » from Mr Stead's narrative would be a little disappointed if they went through the experience in New Zealand. When we went to see Mr Haggen, on the fourth day of his incarceration, we found that up to that time he had been confined to his cell with the exception of half-an-hour's exercise daily in the yard. He was allowed to wear his own clothes, but in other respects was treated as an ordinary criminal, and had to perform the same menial and disagreeable duties. He had five quires of note-paper and a packet of envelopes, but up to that day had been limited to two sheets of paper at a time; and he was not allowed to see a newspaper. We may add that, owing to representations made to the authorities by fellow-journalists, a less rigorous course of treatment was afterwards adopted. One solace was allowed—books from the prison library. We looked at them. Mostly worn-out schoolbooks. An old Euclid, ink-scribbled and dogs-eared; a battered school grammar; a coverless pocket French Dictionary; an ancient and well-worn French grammar. These latter had doubtless been thoughtfully provided to assist the prisoners in reading the only piece of literature in the collection: L'Assomnoir in the original French. We used to wonder what was the final destination of the ancient schoolbooks, hymnbooks, and obsolete almanacs that can be bought at about twopence or three-pence the dozen in auction-rooms and old-junk shops. We know now—they find their way into prison libraries.
There are three words that printers, of all people, might be expected to spell correctly, yet the majority of compositors appear to blunder over them. The words are Gutenberg, Senefelder, and non-pareil. The usual custom is to bestow on the inventors of typography and lithography an extra t and n respectively, and to place the i before the e in nonpareil.
With this issue the printers of Typo enclose a supplement in colors. The job was not set for exhibition, but is a specimen of their regular work—the cover of a « shocker. » The main line exhibits effectively the two-color « Algonquin » of the Dickinson Foundry, Boston; the two pretty vignettes are English. We will be glad to issue as supplements suitable specimens of job-work, plain or colored, from any New Zealand or Australian office, a proof being first submitted.
We have received from London a circular announcing the formation, on 15th July, of « The Bibliographical Society, » with the following objects: To bring together bibliographical workers and book-lovers from all parts, for the purpose of conference and mutual help; to organize a systematic method of treating all questions relating to the description, history, authorship, printing, and publication of books; to contribute, by means of co-operative effort, to the formation of a General Catalogue of English Literature, taking as a basis the printed Catalogue of the British Museum; to assist in the compilation of special bibliographies, to be dealt with by committees appointed from time to time for the purpose; to undertake the occasional printing and publication of bibliographical works; to hold periodical meetings for the discussion of papers and the exhibition of works of bibliographical interest. Mr Talbot Baines Reed (4 Fann-st., London) was appointed honorary secretary.
To a German correspondent we are indebted for a parcel of copies of the Berlin comic paper Kladderadatsch, which was last year made the subject of a state prosecution on account of cartoons and letter-press referring to the show of the « holy » coat at Tréves. The file of papers to hand includes the entire series relating to the Tréves business. To people accustomed to a free press, it is simply astounding that action was taken. The sketch on which the prosecution was based is called Der grobe Gimpelfang in Trier—the great snaring of bullfinches at Tréves: the bullfinch, in German, corresponding with the English « gull. » The cartoon is in three sections. Part 1 shows the birds, bearing banners, &c., in the attitudes of devotees, with eyes turned heavenward, conducted into the trap by a decoy-bird, in the garb of a priest. Section 2 shows hotelkeepers and Jews busily plucking the captives, various inscriptions setting forth exorbitant charges for food and shelter; and in the final scene, as the unfeathered bipeds, tearful, bleeding, and patched with sticking-plaster, limp away, the corpulent decoy-bird bestows a benediction. It is strange that though the press agencies gave great prominence to the fact of the prosecution, they did not think it worth while to record the result, which was a complete victory for Kladderadatsch. Naturally, the state trial has increased the popularity and influence of the paper, besides giving to these special numbers real historic value.
؟Is it pedantic to counsel accuracy in quotation? The Dunedin Tablet thinks so—it admits its own « bad error, » but good-humoredly retorts on us very neatly indeed. We wrote and printed « Shamus O'Neil » when it should have been « O'Brien, »—thereby unwittingly giving an object-lesson in support of our advice, not to quote from memory when there is any chance of error. We did hesitate as to which name it was; not having the piece in any of our books we could not look it up; and the writer who hesitates over a reference or quotation is lost. The Tablet, therefore, has every right to Shamus into an apology. As for our « big book »—we will only be too glad to show it to our friend as he desires, if he will spend a long evening with us when he comes to Wellington. It is in many volumes, of varying shapes and sizes, and fills a good many shelves. We put very little faith in quotation dictionaries. They are sometimes of service, but are only crutches at the best, and would not enable one to detect misquotations in ordinary reading. We would be ashamed indeed, if we knew the English poets only at second-hand. Except in the case of miscellaneous verse acquired in childhood, for which we can still trust our memory, we go to the best accessible edition of the poet we would quote. One « big book » we did refer to—a costly one, too. Not knowing much of old Latin hymns, we consulted a recognized authority, and with the honesty which our contemporary recommends, we named him. The Tablet does not attach any literary value to the little pieces we indicated—it is the sentiment that is to be admired. But their substance is worse than their form. Rank race hatred saturates them both, and one is of peculiar ferocity. If they lack literary merit, than it can only be said of either, nulla virtute redemtum.
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Supplement to "Typo," 24Th September, 1892.
Pamphlet Cover, in Three Colors, by Harding, Wright, & Eyre.
« The National Association of New Zealand » is the name of a body which has lately been formed, with branches in the chief centres. Its objects are set forth in six sections; but may be briefly summed up in No. 1: « To promote a national sentiment, as opposed to sectional and class interests. » It is about time that a serious and united effort was made to carry out this object. For many years the current of all our legislation—social and financial, local and general —has run in the opposite direction.
In the House, on the fith inst., a question of privilege was brought up by Mr Fish. Certain telegrams produced before a petitions committee, and which had not been reported to the House, had been published, with comments, in the Dunedin Star. The reporter of the Star had naturally declined to say in what way the documents had been made public; but the inference was that they had been handed over for publication by Sir Robert Stout, who had applied to Mr Joyce, a member of the committee, for a copy of the telegrams, and had received them. The Speaker ruled that Mr Joyce, in divulging information which came before him as a member of committee, and which had not been presented to the House, had infringed Standing Order 196, and had been guilty of a breach of privilege. Mr Joyce apologised for having made the information public, and said that at the time he was not aware that he was doing wrong.
In the House on the 8th inst., Mr W. Hutchison, chairman of the committee appointed to inquire into the working of the Government printing office, asked leave to make the following motion without notice: « That this House authorize the Government Printer to submit 'Hansard' proofs to the inspection of the Government Printing Office Committee. » The reason for the motion was this: honorable members would see from the Government Printer's annual report, referring to 'Hansard,' that the amount of time devoted to correcting the authors'—that was the speakers'—proofs was set down at 4907 hours, which, reckoned up at 1s (3d an hour, totalled up to the sum of £308. His committee was under the impression that probably they might be able to make some suggestion that would reduce that large expenditure, and with this object in view an application was made to the Government Printer for some of these proofs. That gentleman declined to comply with this application—very properly declined, as he had instructions from the Reporting Debates and Printing Committee to decline. An application was then made to that committee, which was also declined; hence this application to the House. The Speaker said that the honorable gentleman would have to give notice.
On the subject of the Printers and Newspapers Registration Act, 1858, the Taranaki Herald writes: At present the Act in some respects is almost obsolete, for there is not a printing-office in New Zealand that carries out some of its provisions. Under the existing Act, « every printer's name, and the name of the place, and if it be a town of the street or other part thereof in which his usual place of abode is situated, » has to be put on every printed paper. There is not a printer in New Zealand who puts an imprint such as is required by law on to work that he turns out of his office; and accordingly every printer renders himself liable to be mulcted in very heavy fines, and is at the mercy of any common informer, who can « claim a moiety of every penalty so recovered in respect of any offence against the Act, which shall be for the use of the person who informs or sues for such penalty. » The fines are, as we have said, very heavy. We quote the Act:— « If any person who prints any book or paper omits to print thereon his name and place of abode, as required by this Act, or if any person publish or disperses or assists in publishing or dispersing whether gratuitously or for money any paper or book in which the name and place of abode of the printer thereof is not printed as aforesaid every such person shall for every such copy so published or dispersed by him, but not for more than twenty-five copies in the whole, forfeit a sum of not less than £5 and not more than £20. » (Clause 20, part iii.) There is not a printer who thinks of putting in his imprint his place of abode, and very few even put in the name of the street where the place of business is situated; but they are liable to be fined under the Act for not doing so, half of the fine going to the informer. The penalty clause is not very clearly constructed, but those who print bills, and drapers and others who distribute them, are at the mercy of any disreputable person, who could secure not less than £2 10s on every information he laid. We should like to see a new Act passed, but if that is not possible, the addition of a clause such as there is in the English Act would prevent any innocent person getting into trouble. The clause we refer to is to the effect that « no information shall be laid unless the same be commenced, prosecuted, or filed in the name of the Attorney-General. » Such an amendment would render the present risk less to the printer, and answer all the purposes required.
A London printing firm has been three years completing a big contract. It was a work which had to be entirely composed before any part could be passed for press. It consists of three volumes, containing 4498 pages. The standing type weighed over twenty-two tons; and forty-two tons of paper were used in the printing.