The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-31 00:00:00

TO THE IDITOR OV TUX lELPIESS.

His,—Your 'correspondent, " A Compositor,"
whose letter appeared M your impression of to-day,
seems tome to have touched toolightly upon the matter mme
immediately in hand, viz., the grievance of the corspositors,
and to have darted off, with the butterfly's fickleness, to
the market gardener's sad country innkeeper's source of sues-
plaint. The injustice inflicted upon the 1111Nliiag paper con,
positon of this great metropolis by Sir George Grey's bill
ma only be fully understood by theca who are prat.
tinily acquainted with the suicidal procure of their
nocturnal labours. Lamle' their homes, and the
cool fresh air of evening which they breathe as
they proceed to their night's work, they enter the
priating.office to encounter • close stifling atmosphere,
and are immediately plunged into another of nuified air,
where they have to encounter the glare of argand
ps•buroere, rendered blindingly brilliant by reason
of the umbrella-like shade or reflector, which is so
'constructed as to cover and give Bent to two men standing
opposite each other and the ((Aid odour of the heated type
sending out its fumes laden with arsenical and antiroo-
Biel poison. Thus greeted upon his fiat entrains, the
morning paper composites. commences his sight's
toil—toil in the treed sense of the wad—
far his is not only physical, but heavy mental
toil ; the brain is equally active with the busy fingers
that are employed in picking up and placing together
the types that are to furnish forth the maid'. news for the
morrow's bnakfast table. It is his task to decipher the
hurried caligraphy of a Lords' or Commoos' reporter—to
wade through the dry material of innumerable folios of
closely written micemoopicel copy, detailing at length the
transactions of a banking or a railway company—to retain
in bin memory • knowledge of general public events, the
names of aldermen, magistrates, police officers of note, and
public characters, by which means elope be is frequently
guided to • right conclusion of the miserable scrawl placed be.
foie him in the shape of manuscript, and which he is bound to
produce in type with as few errors as possible. Often with a
glaring argand scorching his head has the compositor to bend
to his copy during the night, closing one eye whilst looking
at it in order to get • clearer view of the labyrinth of
scratches, which may, perhaps, be but • simple word, the
omission or wrong reading of which would destroy the seers
of a speech or annihilate a whole article—turning his copy
now up, now down—aaos taking • sidelong glance : his
efforts an fruitless, and whilst in solemn conclave with
some fellow sufferer, or • reading boy, attempting to
decipher the word, he is soddenly aroused by a can.
paniou shouting from a room either above or
below him to know whether he is "On Fire,"
or if be bad the "Small pox in Lunheth"—whether Mr.
O'Deetighue, the reporter in the Lords, follows Mr.
If 'Sycophant—and whether the collision on the Great North
Wasters of Timbactoo sorted a break—all of which are
technical terms, that would sorely puzzle any one of the
general public were he admitted to the working of the com-
posing-room of &morning newspaper office. For six or seven
hours does this harass continue, and there being no set
home for refreshment, it will be seen that • man out have
but little time to take any repose during his work hours
even if he were so iodised. The generality of competitors,
however, prefer to leave the peroicioua atmosphere
of the office as soon as possible, and seek
a refuge of rest, sillier in the tavern or
coffee-bouss that has hitherto been kept open for
their me, where for an hour they can enjoy the
solace of • friendly chat with their fellows, and repieniek
their wore bodies sod miads with refreshment, sad rest for
the bran which is obtained by the comforting and solacing
pipe of tobacco. Compesiton do not desire that public-
houses aboald be geeerally mined at night; but they do
desire to ban that which Sir G. Grey pleisly promised their
deputation they should have, namely, stavern and coffee
house is the beighbourboode of the morning paper printing.
offices, to be specially opened for their exclusive me, wader
a proper polio, regulation ; to be • harbour of refuge and
rest for their w bodies before performing • fatiguing
journey to the ost.kirte of Loudon, where morning paper
compositors meetly rmide.
Trusting you will kindly grant me mom for my letter—
I am, he., ANOTHER COMPOSITOR,
Auguri 30.