We have had more than one reference to the opposite tendencies in the use of the hyphen as evinced by English and American printers. While in the best English "work its grammatical value is becoming better recognized, and it is more freely used than ever before, in American books it is almost abandoned. It is interesting, therefore, to note in La Typologie-Tucker for January, that the French advocates of orthographic reform condemn the use of the hyphen as a grammatical sign, and advocate its entire suppression, confining its use to broken words at the end of a line. A long list of compound words is given, in which it is recommended that the component parts be entirely separated, and in some rare cases agglutinated. Thus haut-le-pied becomes haut le pied, and chiendent takes the place of chien-dent.

The Artist Printer for March contains two clever pieces of rule-work by Jule. W. Shaffer, New York. They represent the heads of little girls, full-face and profile. The former is the better of the two. « A Reporter and Compositor » advocates some wild views on punctuation. « The spacing should be an en quad in ordinary reading matter, and should be uniform throughout. Divisions should be made wherever the line breaks, with, of course, a hyphen to mark the division. This of course would not do for school-books,.. but in ordinary books would look much better than badly-spaced lines. » Ther-e is nothing new in the suggestion. Nearly a-ll illiterate boys adopt it in their first stick-full. A hyphen at the end of four lines out of every five looks well. In an amateur job held up to ridicule in the following number, the principle is partly adopted. We find « oceu-red, » « supe-rseded, » « pr-oven, » « without, » and others. American practice really seems to be tending in this direction. For the sake of even spacing, high-class magazines tolerate divisions that would speedily earn « the sack » for the perpetrator in any book-office in England.

In the National Publisher and Printer, « an old Printer » objects to the accepted division of the word England, and recommends « England. » If he be consistent, he will try « Lapland » and « Newfoundlands » as well.

A bright and lively exchange is the Chicago Ink Fiend, now in its third volume. Its only fault is its title. « Fiend » literally means enemy—in common usage an infernal one—and the grim figure in the engraved heading is a conventional representation of a specimen of the latter class. Now there is nothing in the contents of the paper to warrant the implied character. It comes to the typographer as a welcome friend, not as a foe. Why, therefore, should it assume the wolf's clothing? There is a « fiend » of some sort in the office, who invents strange words, such as « suse, » « knolik, » and « disgruntled. » A galley has been slipped into a late issue uncorrected—as may happen at times in the best regulated establishment.

The American Lithographer and Printer is facetious at the expense of a correspondent who asks for information regarding « the process of etching on wood. » Such a process was invented some four years ago by a Russian, and an account went the rounds of the trade papers. We had a brief note of the process, which is ingenious and quite practicable, in our issue for February, 1887; and we think it may be found in the Lithographer's own files.—The burden of editorial and technical writing having become too heavy for Mr F. Buehring, he will confine himself for the future to the technical portion of the paper, the editorial duties being undertaken by Mr George H. Davis.

Paper and Press for February and March has reached us by last mail. As usual, the latest mechanical improvements relating to the art are minutely described and intelligently discussed. No other trade journal enters so fully into these matters, or is so complete a record of the progress of invention. We have availed ourselves of part of a valuable article on type-composing machines. The editor is of opinion that « the color-printer is the coming mann » —not « any petty-job-printer who has tact enough to throw a little red ink into his work, » but one who must « possess sufficient skill to produce perfect register, must have correct ideas of the harmony of colors, the distribution of masses, the style of ornament called for, the character of type-faces, the tint of paper necessary to harmonize with the inks made use of, &c. » In short, he must be an artist. « The too common theory that color-work should only be used to obtain striking » effects must be abandoned, and the sooner the better. » This will show the practical style of the article, which proceeds to enter into many details. In the States, the color-printer has already appeared. In these colonies there are colored inks, but few printers who have any idea of their use, or having the idea, can find any field for its exercise. We have already remarked, that as a specimen of fine printing, Paper and Press is unsurpassed.

The Inland Printer for February is an excellent number. It contains the portrait of the Rev. W. Colenso which appeared in our last issue, with a biographical sketch by the editor of Typo. New Zealand this month is « to the fore, ii for in addition to the usual New Zealand letter, Mr Tom L. Mills contributes an article on the boy question, taking as his text a recent article of our own.

The B. C. Printer and Stationer has vastly improved its appearance by discarding its old brevier, and putting in a new fount. The new letter has a broad clean-cut face, and is both legible and beautiful. The old asterisks between the paragraphs should have been sent to the pot at the same time, as they look extra shabby beside the new fount.

« C'est, en vérité, une profession malheur-euse que celle d'imprimeur, » says our excellent contemporary the Gutenberg Journal. This may be freely rendered, « A printer's lot is not a happy one; » and such really appears to be the case in France. Not even in New Zealand is the unhappy man so harrassed with state regulations and restrictions. In this country, proofs are allowed to pasS by book-post, with all necessary marginal notes and comments. If the law relating to private correspondence is held to be transgressed, a penalty of double letter-postage is exacted. But in France, the instruction « priere de nous retoumer » is held to be a private communication, and a proof, the regular postage on which amounts to five centimes, is forthwith taxed fifteen francs! They evidently do not « manage these things better in France. » By the way, Typo is regularly fined a penny a week for alleged deficient postage on the Gutenberg Journal.

The London Printing Times keeps well ahead with original technical articles. In the March issue Mr W. H. Gass contributes details of some useful processes under the title of « Becent Developments in the Printing Trade, » and Mr T. B. Widdowson some valuable « Examination Papers in Lithography, » The same number contains an interesting account of the house of Messrs Hare & Co. Limited, wood-engravers and photo-zincographers, with a beautiful illustration from a half-tone process-block.

The American Art Printer for Jan-Feb. contains excellent portraits of Howard Lock-wood, of the American Bookmaker, American Stationer, Paper Trade Journal, and American Mail and Export Journal; also of « Nellie Bly, » (Miss Elizabeth Cochrane), who lately journeyed round the world in 72d 6h llm 14s —thus beating the record of the fictitious Phineas Fogg by more than a week. The A. P. has some beautiful « process » supplements, and is full of original practical articles. Its eccentric comps. again bring out that same old initial J to do duty for T.

The Paper World for March opens with a very interesting account of « the Bellamys and the Daily News, » illustrated with excellent portraits of the brothers Charles James and Edward Bellamy—the latter of whom has come into prominence through his fanciful book « Looking Backward. » The Paper World has lately introduced a novelty in the form of a three-fold colored wrapper— six pages instead of the usual four.

The Printers' Review for March contains an interesting history of mechanical typecasting, by the veteran Mr David Bruce, inventor of the type-casting machine.—We notice that Messrs Golding will henceforth merge their Bulletin of Novelties into the Review.

The Typografiske og lithografiske Meddel-elser continues its interesting series of articles on the Copenhagen press of the olden time, and contains, as usual, some very delicate specimens of process-engraving.

Mr E. W. Cole, Book Arcade, Melbourne,— Book-buyers' Guide, and Magazine of Choice Extracts, No. 29. Contains all the new books of importance, in some cases with descriptive notes and extracts.

Ph. Mayfarth & Co., Frankfurt a/M.— Illustrated catalogue of evaporators and cider and wine-presses. Among the latter we do not see any that could be used with advantage in typography.

Messrs Wimble & Co., printers' brokers, have sent us a copy of the Evening Standard of 23rd April, containing a description of the new five-story warehouse erected by them in Little Collins-st., Melbourne.

There are more changes in American stamps. It is not many months since the 2-cent was altered from brown to green—it is now carmine, and very liable to be confused with the 4-cent. All stamps issued prior to 1861 are now repudiated by the U.S. postal department, and « though many are still believed to be outstanding, they must not be accepted by postmasters in payment of postage. Mattel-bearing these stamps, and offered for mailing must be treated as held for postage. » This seems scarcely honest on the part of Uncle Sam: but the holders need not be at much loss. Collectors will probably give full nominal value for stamps thirty years old.

In our last issue we acknowledged vol. x (1889) of the Printers' International Specimen Exchange. Not having seen any of the earlier volumes, we are unable to make comparisons. It is to be regretted that the unity of the original scheme has been broken, local exchanges on a narrower scale having been started in various places, which have not only weakened this one, but lack its most valuable feature—the annual collection, in one group, of the best work from all parts of the world. No national collection, however complete, can be of equal educational value with an international one. These volumes possess peculiar interest as recording the fashion of the time. Since the late Oscar Harpel gave ornamental printing so great a stimulus by the issue of his Typograph, remarkable progress has been made. When the first issues of the American Model Printer appeared, ten years ago, it was a revelation to those who were only familiar with ordinary plain work, occasionally enlivened by a border in bronze, or prominent lines brought out in red and blue. But most of the startling effects in the old Model are now out of date. Compared with the advanced work of recent years, the display is inartistic, and the color arrangements repellant. The volume before us not only marks progress, but indicates how great a field still remains for improvement. There are 406 specimens, all the quarters of the earth being represented, but the great majority—334—are from printers in the United Kingdom, Of the latter many are contributed by workmen, 33—and not the least creditable—being by apprentices. There is remarkable variety in style and quality, from the finest work, to specimens which as the editor says, « set one's teeth on edge. » The best work shows the predominance of three countries in the styles of type peculiarly their own—England for body-letters; America for fancy type; and Germany for borders. Of the German houses, Schelter & Giesecke are the best known—their fine borders are everywhere. One in particular—the lovely Gothic which is equally available for one, two, or three colors—appears in many of the finest jobs. The American combinations do not even make a good second—the job in which they are most effectively used is one from the Liberty Press, Wexford, in which also a good effect—very commonly neglected—is produced by two printings in the same color. There are contributions from all the chief European capitals; and they clearly prove that Germany is allowed to do the type-designing for the whole continent. Our own library of specimens must by this time be fairly complete, as we do not see a single fancy letter in the whole book, or a border—save a single combination—which we are unable to identify. The few specimens of copper-plate and lithe-work are good—we specially note an excellent landscape in colors by Troedel, Melbourne—but they seem a little out of place in a work almost wholly typographic. The specimens are arranged alphabetically according to the names of contributors, and the first—a card from the Actiengesellschaft für Schriftgiesserei—is a very neat specimen in German style. A good deal of use—not always judicious—has been made of the Kampe's tint and Baker's stereographic processes. As a general rule, the press-work is beautifully sharp and clean; but while nearly every specimen has some special excellence, comparatively few attain the highest standard in all points—that is to say, in artistic design, well-balanced display, and harmony of color. Some are little else than elaborate studies of border, the display of the lines being weak. The German specimens are generally characterized by great accuracy of composition, with somewhat heavy style; but in this latter respect one English job would be hard to surpass. It is composed of seven borders (one a double design) set outside of each other, and printed in strong colors. The entire border—for a quarto page—is two inches wide! One beautifully-printed job is noticeable for inappropriate ornaments. It refers to a hand-bell concert, and has four sportiug corners, and a central vignette of a wide-mouthed frog. There are some interesting examples of rule-work, one being a sketch of a web-machine, by an apprentice. A curious litho-typo specimen is from Cologne. It is the business circular of a pork-butcher (appropriately named Hamm), and is adorned with hogs treated in a very original decorative style. As a simple, neat, and effective job, with a judicious scheme of color, we may note the card of the Manchester technical school exhibition of printing. Another with a brighter scheme of tints, and worthy of high commendation, is by Mr H. Richardson, Greenwich. A very tasteful card is contributed by Mr W. Myers, Southport, and the Visiter office in the same city sends some admirable specimens. But we have no space to enumerate the works in detail. We note that free use is made of Caslon's two-line pica « Ivy » and his new corners; but as a rule the ornaments are from abroad. New-Zealand is represented this year for the first time—we hope it will not be the last.

The clearance-card of the Canterbury Typographical Association, of which copies have been sent to us, is a neatly-designed and well-printed piece of color-work, and does credit to the Times job-room.—Messrs W. H. Foden & Co., Timaru, send us a neat and attractive business-card in three colors.—A correspondent sends us a copy of a testimonial, in gold, green, and rose-madder, very well printed on a Main machine, by Mr J. Caygill, at the Union office, Christchurch.

Mr C. Spencer, photographer, of Tauranga, has sent us some very fine prints produced by the heliotype process. They consist of three views of the port of Tauranga, a river scene, and two plates representing native shells. The latter are intended to illustrate a forthcoming work on the subject, and we hope that the letter-press may be equal in quality to the illustrations. The pictures are reproduced with all the softness of shade and perfection of detail possessed by the original photograph. Mr Spencer is prepared to reproduce any negative sent to him, and as he is the only artist in the colony who prints by this beautiful process, he should find a good field for his skill.

From Catamarca, Argentina, we have the first numbers of El Sincero, a small sixteen-column sheet, devoted to de intereses generales. It is a miscellany of news and literature, but we do not find anything in it pertaining to the Craft. The director and proprietor is Señor J. A. Villacorta.

Mr John Law Kirkbride, proprietor and editor of the Rangitikei Advocate, has applied for a patent for improvements in the means of raising, lowering, and securing window-sashes.

The body of E. P. Walker, managing editor of the New York Cosmopolitan Magazine-, was found on 1st May floating in the North River. The coroner's jury found a verdict of accidental drowning.

Mr F. Warbrick, who has been in the Bay of Plenty Times office for the past seven years, is leaving for the Gazette office, Brisbane, Q. Mr Warbrick is captain of the local football team, and was one of the party who made the English tour. The Times says he is a steady and expert workman.

A lecturer has offended the Wanganui Herald by asserting that there are « impure villains » in the colony. It says we have not had them yet in New Zealand (happy land!) and that such language is unfitted for an « intelligent democratic community. » The use of this last adjective in and out of season, is a curious characteristic of certain newspapers. It is becoming a kind of meaningless expletive.

Mr Salitzer, owner of the New York World, with three of the editorial staff of the same paper, were indicted for libel on 30th April on charges made by Judge Hilton, executor of the immense Stewart estate. Hilton had been charged with preying upon the estate and robbing and defrauding Stewart's widow". The World invites the fullest investigation, and meets the indictment by promises to publish further revelations of the executor's perfidy.

The alleged libel on Mr Eddy, chief commissioner of the New South Wales railways, was contained in a newspaper letter, and was to the effect that his friends and relatives had in many cases been appointed to offices in the department. Mr Solomon Josephs, proprietor of the Tamworth News, to escape the proceedings instituted against him, divulged the name of the writer—an ex-servant of the department—against whom Mr Eddy has now taken criminal proceedings.

Another farewell presentation has taken place in the office of the Wellington Press, Mr Mark Maxton, of the publishing department, who has been connected with the paper almost from the first, being about to remove to Greytown, was on the 3rd inst. presented by Mr B. S. Hawkins, on behalf of the staff, with a handsomely-bound collection of musical works. The runners, headed by their chief, Mr C. Lucas, also signified their esteem by presenting Mr Maxton with a handsome gold pencil-case.

Gore, Southland, possesses a mayor whose fantastic tricks before high heaven furnish a continual theme for newspaper comment. He is more like a Gilbert-and-Sullivan creation than a nineteenth-century colonist. He threatened, in mediaeval fashion, to slit the nose of Mr S. Edwards, solicitor and Witness correspondent, and the man of law and letters hit him in the eye. The local justices, to vindicate the law, inflicted a nominal tine on Mr Bdwards, but expressed their magisterial opinion that he was perfectly justified by the code of honor.

A new printing office for the stamp printer is to be erected in Wellington.

The Brisbane (Q.) Telegraph is having new offices erected at a cost of nearly £26,000.

Mr J. C. Brown, m.h.r., has retained Sir R. Stout in a libel action against the Dunedin Workman on account of certain articles reflecting on a Clutha gold-mining company.

The Sydney Bulletin, having published some idle gossip about the relations of the Daily Telegraph with its late editor, Mr Ward, has been served with a writ for libel.

Mr P. Galvin, formerly of this district (says the Palmerston Times), has become lessee of the Yea Chronicle, a nice-looking little paper published in Victoria.

« Police v. Press » is the heading of an item in the Wellington papers. It refers to a football match on the 4th May. The police were the heaviest, but the press won by three tries to two.

Mr J. P. Maitland having served the Oamaru Mail with a writ for £500 damages on account of some criticisms in connexion with a sale of crown lands, the newspaper has expressed its regret, and its conviction that Mr Maitland's ballotting was perfectly fair and above suspicion.

Illustrated America is the name of a magnificently illustrated paper which has lately appeared in New York.

The Napier News has published an apology to Mr H. H. Murdoch, of Hastings, for some very offensive references to that gentleman in a correspondent's letter.

Mr Joseph Ivess has decided to publish a daily paper in Newcastle, N.S.W. The first copy was to be issued at the end of the present month. This will make the second daily paper at Newcastle.

The Wellington Times has been purchased by Capt. Baldwin, formerly managing director of the Dunedin Guardian. Now that it has a new proprietor it may introduce new type and a few new ideas, and make a fresh start. It will be changed from eight pages to four.

Another Maori paper—or rather newspaper in the Maori language—is projected. It is to be published at Napier, and conducted by Mr James Grindell, a competent Maori scholar, who formerly edited Te Waka Maori. The title has not been announced.

The Kumara Times is in the market. The paper was started in September, 1876, as an evening daily, and has been a successful concern. The proprietor, Mr C. Janion, is about to visit his friends in the old country, after an absence of more than thirty years.

For the second time in four months, the Wairarapa Observer has changed hands, the latest purchaser being Mr W. M. McKenzie, who has been connected with the Wairarapa Daily since 1872. « Our Carterton friends, » says the Daily, « are fortunate in securing the services of so capable and genial a journalist. »

The Queensland postal authorities have been « drawing the line. » The Dead Bird, a Sydney weekly several degrees more foul than the ordinary « society » papers, and the Stockwhip, a scurrilous freethought organ, are not permitted to pass through the post-office.

The building now in construction for the Field, Queen, Law Times, and other papers belonging to the same proprietory, in Chancery Lane, is being fitted up regardless of expense, and will be, when completed, the finest printing office in Great Britain.

We are in receipt of the first number of the Egmont Settler, published at Stratford, Taranaki, and « circulating in the Inglewood, Midhirst, Waipuka, Waitara, Stratford, Eltham, Ngaire, Manaia, Opunake, Normanby, and Hawera districts. » It is a double-royal sheet of 32 columns, published semi-weekly, by Mr W. H. G. Spurdle, and edited by Mr E. G. Allsworth. In the title, « Egmont » is spelt with a cap G. Such errors are common enough in type headings, but this is the first slip of the kind we have seen in a specially engraved title. In the leading article, the editor announces his intention to encourage healthy rivalry between the several centres, but to discourage petty jealousies. We fear that the size of the sheet is rather large for the district. There are over sixteen 23-inch colums of reading-matter in the first number, which represents thirty-three columns a week, mostly brevier—(more than some of the country dailies supply)—and the advertising support is not in proportion.

Mr Twopenny has resigned his position as editor of the Otago Daily Times. He is an enthusiast on the subject of exhibitions, and the refusal of the proprietors to allow him to advocate the project of transferring the New Zealand exhibits to London and opening an exhibition there, is believed to have led to his resignation.

Mr William Jarvis Harker, well-known in Hawke's Bay, advertises the prospectus of Labour, « a Democratic Journal, … to be Owned, Written, and Published solely by and in the interests of the Workers. » Mr Harker has fallen out with the press generally, including the local « democratic » paper, which will explain the tremendous sarcasm of the following sentences: « It will run no bank overdraft, nor be mortgaged to any Land or Loan Company. It will neither admit Conservative Hacks, however smart, nor Rats, on its Staff. » It is doubtful whether Labour will ever become an accomplished fact. The prodigious escape of gas in the prospectus should be a sufficient (and much less expensive) relief to the promoter.

An English telegram of 1st May records the death at the age of 72, of Edwin Waugh, the popular Lancashire poet.

Home exchanges record the death (date not given) of Mr Hargrave Jennings, well-known as a writer on « the occult sciences, » and a great authority on the Rosicrucians and their mysteries.

Mr T. T. Clarkson, a very old and well-known reporter, died at Ryde, Isle of Wight, on 26 December, aged 75. He had been for forty years on the Daily News staff, and served under Charles Dickens's father, in the Parliamentary Gallery.

On the 20th February, Mr John Lovell, editor of the Liverpool Mercury, from bronchitis, following an attack of influenza. He occupied a prominent position, both in politics and literature, in Liverpool for the past nine years. Before joining the Mercury, Mr Lovell had been editor of Cassell's Magazine, and afterwards manager of the Press Association.

Mr John Blair, late manager of the Marr typefoundry, died early in March, in Edinburgh, in his 71st year. He was a man of active mind and much ability. He was the principal editor of the North British Express during the time it existed. He was a Chartist leader, a prominent Freemason and Oddfellow, and a poet— « the bard of Odd-fellowship and Chartism. » In typefounding he was a conservative, and wrote strongly to the Printer's Register against reform in type-bodies. « Mr Blair » says the Register, « was esteemed by all who knew him. »

On the 19th February, at Blackheath, Mr William Frederick Rock, formerly head of the firm of Rock Bros. & Payne, manufacturing stationers, in his 89th year. Mr Rock was many years ago in partnership with the late Mr Thomas De la Rue, commencing business with him in 1821. He retired from business seven years ago, the concern being sold to a company, who retain the old name. Mr Rock, who was never married, was very active in works of benevolence, and gave no less than £60,000 to his native town of Barnstaple for a public park and other useful purposes.

Napier, New Zealand. Printed and Published by Robert Co-upland Harding, at his registered Printing Office, Hastings-street.—May, 1890.