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Typo: A Monthly Newspaper and Literary Review, Volume 5
[miscellaneous paragraphs]
The London Daily Chronicle has the word « program » in a leading article. Considering the conservatism of the London press, this innovation is significant. The last English census-paper contained the word « laborer. » ! Well done!
Two hundred and thirty-four German newspapers having petitioned for a reduction in the rate for press telegrams, the Emperor disposed of the petition by a note on the margin to the following effect: « The present rate is not too high: the number of useless telegrams published in the newspapers abundantly proves it. »
Since our last issue, three German typefounders have notified us of their intention of sending samples of new faces for our specimen column, and some of the lines referred to are now on the way. Neither of these houses have as yet shown anything in our pages, though their names will be familiar to regular readers. Our enterprising job printers, who do not care to be limited to the antiquated specimens exhibited from time to time by Australian commercial travellers— some of whom cannot tell whether « Cicero » is the name of the type or the typefounder, and do not know a Mark from a Kilo.—will do well to study our specimen column, and thereby secure genuine and artistic novelties before they become hackneyed.
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The « exodus » from New Zealand still continues, and is likely to increase so long as Parliament—probably on the principle of similia similibus curantur—endeavors to relieve depression by increasing taxation.
Printing paper was imported into New Zealand in 1880 to the extent of 21,969 cwt. In 1890 the importation was 58,324 cwt. In 1880 the declared value averaged over 59/- per cwt.; in 1890 it was only about 23/6.
Mr Thomas M'Naught, of the Scottish Home Rule Association, 79 Princes-st., Edinburgh, has sent us an « Appeal to the Scot Abroad, » which he wants printed in Typo. It would fill a page, and is quite out of our line. After enumerating the objects of the association, he says, « A11 this takes money as well as ability. We lack greatly the former. » ! Gi'e us your haund, Tammas! It's juist the same wi' oorsel's! Sae, we doot, ye'll Mak'Naught oot o' us!
The Wairarapa libel case, Murdoch v. Payton, has brought to light a curious anomaly in the libel law. The action was brought in the District Court, and the Judge, exercising his statutory power, ordered the plaintiff to give security for costs. Strange to say, the Supreme Court, with its wider jurisdiction, has no such power. The Bill which the Government in the late session so wantonly abandoned (says the Post) provides for cases of this kind.
We note with regret in our French exchanges the record of the death, after a painful illness, of the enterprising Parisian typefounder, M. Gustave Mayeur. Many years ago he became proprietor of the celebrated Battenberg Foundry, and by his energy and originative skill placed it in the first rank of French typefounding houses. Not only was he famed for original type-faces, copied from the best models of the early masters of the art, and for fine book-ornaments and vignettes; but he introduced into French printing the best productions of the leading American houses. We have had communications from him from time to time, and in June last year had the pleasure of showing specimen-lines of one of his original faces. His large quarto—the only French specimen-book we possess—will bear favorable comparison with that of any other house in the world. The funeral, we learn, was attended by the leading members of the printing and typefounding professions. M. Eugéne Sédard, editor of l'lntermédiare des Imprimeurs, delivered an oration at the grave, in which he said—and truly—that the works of the late founder were such as to give his name a place with those of Estienne, Elzevir, and Didot. An excellent portrait of the deceased appears in l'lntermediare of 15th August.
Four volumes of « Hansard » record the proceedings of one of the wordiest and most barren sessions of Parliament on record. The Government, in a minority in the country and the House, by a temporary alliance with the labor party, forced through a number of impracticable and ill-digested measures, in several cases drafted by irresponsible bodies outside the House. For the first time the people of the country have been driven to petition the Legislative Council to veto the obnoxious legislation of the « popular » chamber. The retrenchment in the Civil Service has been more than counterbalanced by new appointments, extravagant outlay has been incurred in commissions, whose voluminous (printed) reports are so much waste paper: the large surplus with which the present Government started has been dissipated, and liabilities have been incurred which will necessitate further loans. The bill to increase members' salaries to £240 per annum was carried by a large majority, and was supported by the labor members, with the honorable exception of Mr Tanner. The Legislative Councillors cut out the proposed addition to their own salaries, and thus shamed the Lower House into dropping the measure. The one labor Bill that passed—not without considerable amendments in its passage through the Legislative Council—was the Factories Act. It is a deplorable muddle, even in its modified form. Special regulations applicable to such diversified industries as the preparation of food-products and of poisons, wood and metal works, clothing factories and printing offices, are imposed upon all. the result being that the measure requires impossibilities. Among the slaughtered schemes is the Shop Hours Bill, which, while containing some excellent provisions, was on the whole so tyrannical and unworkable a measure that its fate gave general satisfaction. The Female Suffrage Bill, passed by a substantial majority of representatives, was killed in the Upper House by the connivance of the Government. Strange to say, the votes of the two Maori members settled its fate. The Libel Bill and the Indecent Advertisements Act, both needed measures, were lost; but House and Government alike systematically ignored practical work in favor of debating-club theories.
The Pall Mall Gazette lately started the story of the death of the Australian author « Rolf Boldrewood, » and obituary notices, eulogistic and otherwise, appeared in all the home literary papers. « It is an ill wind, » &c., Mr Brown is alive and hard at work, while the works of « the late Rolf Boldrewood » have had a remarkable sale in England. We hope to see much more and still better work from his hand.
One action of the present Government deserves the heartiest commendation—the substantial reduction they have made in the postal charges. As regards newspapers, however, the concessions are not very great. To have fixed a uniform rate of ½d would have made an insignificant difference in the revenue, and would have been acting handsomely to the press. The maximum weight for a single-rate newspaper parcel—4oz.—is somewhat low, and, except in the case of the mere handful of papers despatched to the European continent, prevents the larger journals from benefiting by the change.
The success of the Scottish hoax about a strike of doctors, which, strange to say, deceived the Lancet, has encouraged some joker to perpetrate one even more audacious and circumstantial. An alleged discussion in Kirk Session is reported in detail, the subject being the proposal of a soap-manufacturer to hire the front of the pulpit and gallery for advertising purposes, the offer being ultimately accepted nem. con. Obvious as the satire is throughout, several home journals have been trapped, and more than one colonial editor has swallowed the story whole.
Last month we noted the fact that Mr Henry Campbell, member for South Fermanagh and private secretary to Mr Parnell, recovered from the Cork Herald £250 damages for libel, said libel being that he had been employed to hire houses for Parnell and Mrs O'Shea to live in. From home papers now to hand, the case appears to have been a peculiar one. The Daily News writes: « Mr Campbell emphatically denied on oath the truth of the imputation. He had never, he said, done anything of the kind in his life, and great as was his respect for Mr Parnell he would have seen him at Jericho before he rendered him such services as those. He had not seen Mrs O'Shea, nor been mixed up in any way with her affairs. He had not read the evidence in the divorce suit, and therefore did not know that the accusation had been made there. Both judge and jury believed Mr Campbell. But the strange part of the case is that letters and telegrams were produced in court which, if they had been genuine, would have proved the truth of the libel. They were in Mr Campbell's name, and it is not suggested that the defendants concocted them. Mr Campbell swears that he did not write them nor authorize them to be written. ؟Who then did write them? One of the witnesses said that the handwriting of one of them was Mrs O'Shea's. Mr Parnell, who had been subœnaed, evaded service, and did not attend. The verdict was perfectly just, although there was some moral excuse for the Cork Herald. Mr Campbell completely cleared himself. But the existence of the letters shows that the charge was not made at random. » The fine and costs were paid by public subscription.
In the Supreme Court, Auckland, Hugh Shortland was found guilty of criminal libel. The particulars of the case we have already briefly noted. Judge Conolly passed a sentence of two years, and said that during the whole session there had not been one case that aroused in his mind so much horror as the prisoner's. Not content with publishing the charges against the character of the girl well knowing them to be false, defendant had after a lapse of time repeated these charges and supported them with perjury. It was surprising that while the law allowed hard labor and other additions to punishments for other offences, in the present instance it was not allowed. He was glad that he had never ordered the lash, but it was strange that for such a case the law did not give power to make some addition to the penalty. The prosecutrix's fair fame was absolutely established. The sentence would give defendant time for reflection and repentance, though he had little hope that anything would touch the heart of one who had shown himself to be so utterly destitute of every feeling held by a man of honor.—The sentence is generally approved. The prisoner bears the name of a family honored in the colony, and has dragged it in the mire. He has had a liberal education, belongs to a learned profession, and has the faculty of making himself attractive: but has turned out irreclaimably bad. He was tried in England for the murder of his first wife, whom he had cruelly ill-treated, and who was found drowned under suspicious circumstances. In Auckland he has lived the life of a libertine. He had endeavored to seduce the prosecutrix, and to gain possession of her savings, and not succeeding, deliberately defamed her. Still later, he married a respectable young woman in the country, ignorant of his past career, who now finds herself the wife of a criminal of the most dangerous type.
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An employer recently advertised in a London paper for a clerk understanding shorthand and the Remington typewriter and having a knowledge of French and German. For these qualifications he offered the salary of £60 per annum. He received the following application:— « I am forty-five years of age, and was educated at Oxford University, where I matriculated in 1869, being Senior Wrangler in 1871. I write shorthand at the rate of 400 words a minute, and can operate two typewriters at once. Should this latter accomplishment be of use in your office, I would be pleased to supply the machines. I speak all the European languages fluently, am an expert accountant, and would be prepared to work eighteen hours a day. The salary you mention is more than I have been receiving, and I would accept less, as living on nuts and water, my expenses are moderate. I am a member of four burial clubs, so that in the event of my decease while in your employ, you will feel under no moral obligation to subscribe to the cost of my funeral. I may further add that I am the holder of the London Merchants' gold medal for an essay on ' Overpaid Clerks; or ؟Why Encourage Luxury?' I have various other accomplishments, which I would be happy to detail at an interview. »