The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-06 00:00:00

THE PATENT PRINTING COMPANY

AGAIN.

This redoubtable scheme has at length been partially
brought to a test of experiment, in consequence of Mr.
Clay, of Bread-street•hill, having challenged Major
Beniowski to a trial of his invention, as compared with
the ordinary process. The first portion of this trial
took place on Tuesday, June 12, at Mr. Clay's office,
in presence of several members of Parliament and gen-
tlemen connected with the printing profession, when
it was arranged that a page of Parliamentary work' should
be composed by each party. Cases being provided with
letter in them, some copy was given to the composi-
tor, Mr. W. Hughes, who composed a page of small
pica, 33 ems wide (or 77 ohs small pica), containing,
according to the ordinary method of casting up, 6,006
letters, but by counting the actual letters and spaces, as
was done by Major Beniowski, it consisted of 7,020.
The trial of Major Beniowski's system took place on
Friday, June 15, at his residence in Bow-street, when
the same copy Was given to the young lady who picks up
the types, being assisted by a youth who spaced out the
lines. The time occupied was—
CLAY'S. h.
Composition
Imposition 0 2i
Readingand revising 0 12k
Proof and revise
Distribution

BENIOWSKI.S. h. in.
Composition
Correcting (on galley) 0 29
Imposition
Reading
?roof (not corrected)* 0 45
Distribution 0 56

Total
It will thus be seen that from the time the compositor
took copy he had his page ready for press in less
than three hours, including the time occupied by the
reader, and that he afterwards distributed the type in
51 minutes. While, by Major Beniowski's system,
although two were engaged in the process, it required
upwards of two hours to produce the page, and a
reader was occupied 15 minutes in reading it ; but the
gallant Major, it seems (although at the outset it was
stipulated that the page should not be considered finished
till properly read and corrected), declared that there was
no necessity for reading or correcting, the type having
been read over on the galley by the fair compositor. It
appears, however, that there was great necessity for
reading for as many errors were discovered as would
have taken 45 minutes to correct. The Major, however,
refused to have the proof corrected, considering that
there was no impropriety in dividing the word " ve-ry,"
and that a double of a word or two and a host of other
• imperfections were of no consequence. Had the time of
the reader been taken into account, and had his proof
been corrected, as undoubtedly it should have been, the
compositor would have had the advantage of his two
competitors by twenty-eight minutes. Thus the
Major is on the horns of a dilemma—either it will take
longer to produce a page correctly by his system than by
the present ; or, to gain any advantage in speed, he must
entirely sacrifice correctness, which, in Parliamentary
printing especially, is so indispensable. Then, again.
the time occupied by the two boys in distributing was 56
minutes each, while that by the compositor was only 51.
This, then, is the system which threatened to produce
an entire revolution in the printing business—which was
to simplify the art so that any one able to read might
at once become a compositor—which should annihilate
the present race of printers, and supersede them as com-
pletely as the ancient scribes were by the introduction of
printing—and by which printing could be executed in
one-fourth the time and one-eighth the cost, returning
to the fortunate shareholders a profit of 300 per cent.
But on the very first imperfect trial, which was one
calculated, from the simple nature of the work to be
executed, and the plainness of the copy, to give the
inventor every advantage,t it kas displayed anything
but a superiority over the common method. That a
number of types may be put together in a short space
of time no one doubted, but that, as every practical man
knows, is the least part of a compositor's art ; and the
" inventor" has exhibited nothing whatever to lessen the
difficulties a compositor has to contend with. What is
there, or can there be, in the proposed or any other
system that facilitates the deciphering of imperfect
manuscript, or assist in more readily punctuating ? So
far from they being any improvement in the appearance
of the work when executed, it is confessedly the re-
verse ; and instead of progressing in the tart, a book
printed with the proposed types would be infinitely in-
ferior to those printed a hundred years ago ; for words
or syllables having tinfoil wrapped around them, and the
single letters having none, it is impossible to make them
range and extremely difficult to make them " lift" when
imposed, as is clearly proved by the time (19 minutes)
occupied in imposing Major Beniowski's page ; and
whilst some of the letters will be close together, others
will have a space between them ; and what the type-
founders have most striven to achieve will be destroyed.
With regard to time, it is shown by the experiment
that if the work is to be done in anything like a proper
manner, it must go through the ordinary routine of
reading and correcting, and then, in spite of two
persons being engaged instead of one, no advantage will
be gained, but the reverse; for every practical printer
knows that when work is in a hurry the composition may
be facilitated by dividing it into small portions, as is
done on the daily papers ; but where much correcting is
needed there is an inevitable delay, from the extra time
occupied in reading, and from the difficulty of dividing
the work into portions ; and the time occupied in cor-
recting is very much greater with the proposed logotypes
than with the present, owing to the compositor not be-
ing able to overrun the lines or divide the words with
the same facility.
In distributing, although the "inventor" asserts that
it may be done by any little boy able to read, it turned out
that it occupied two boys a longer time than was taken
by the compositor. It is to be regretted that ne inspec-
tion was made of the way in which this was executed,
for we have no doubt that from the number of compart-
ments (1620)in Major Beniowski's case (or "authoriton,"
as he terms it), the work was most incorrectly done,
and that after a day's work, the whole case would be
in confusion, making it impossible for the lady to proceed
with composition. Boys can distribute in the cases at
present used, and we have no doubt much better than in
those of Major Beniowski's ; but we should like to know
what compositor would consider his work facilitated by
such assistance.

We are at a loss to conceive how there can be any
saving in the expense ; for we have seen that while the
whole time occupied in composing, reading, and correct-
ing a page for press by the present method was only 34
hours, that taken by those engaged in the new process
was no less than 5 hours, to which, if one hour necessary
for reading and correcting be added, will be 6i hours,
or nearly doubled. Major Beniowiski however, it seems,
relies for cheap production not so much on the actual
time consumed, but on the very low wages he would pay;
but in this he displays a knowledge of political economy
and the laws which regulate wages about as complete as
his knowledge of printing ; for if the enormous number
of hands he represents were to he brought into requisi-
tion, the demand for their labour would compel him to
raise their wages ; besides, he would find a much greater
amount of skill necessary than he seems to imagine, and
this would cause another rise, for when a lad fount
himself useful he would demand an increase of wages,
which must be given in proportion to the difficulty there
might be in supplying his place. Also let any one read
! the truthful description of the protracted labour necessary
for the production of a blue book, given in another
column, and say whether it would not be the greatest
inhumanity to condemn boys to such unceasing toil.
It, then, the appearance of the work would be far in-
ferior to that at present executed ; if, instead of gaining
time it should he the reverse ; if correctness is to bs
disregarded, and a slovenly system substituted, what
inducement can there be for a Government to adopt the
extraordinary course of buying the patent from the
" inventor ?" If the system possesses any portion of the
merits its advocates claim for it, it needs no patronage
from Government for its success—on the contrary,
all our most important inventions have been brought
forward by private individuals, who have never found
difficulty in providing funds for any scheme posses*.
iug merit ; and if its promoters are so confident,
why do not they give in a tender for the execution of
Parliamentary printing, and realise the fortune we are
told they might ?
We should think that the fact of there being found 4
practical master printer to advocate the inventiofn (while
to the
so many condemn it), would be sufficient p
committeeintroduction
me t could be ewsf fc-hehraceottmeoe whatever by
smttaaht
laeym, improve.
beme
ns at i
ind ofth
theire
aopposition
threateningo
surely
i(fasmaosngthoethpeartrcoanlsumonf,of
to journeymensupe supersede et' eo t
areheld in
•
combinationof those '
in
a state of thraldom by the
an additional
their employ, that would only be, _ , reason.
i es Major),the
masterß e n i ow s k
printers ' s
why they should
emancipate them (especially if the
should promise to
be eager to acolii, any system which
ispenseet with.) Con.
of their su from the sequently, the withholding.
sent scheme must be considered its strongest condent-
" old hands" can be
nation.
hwe consider the recent trial,far
But although iow ka so as it
experience, but manuscript of major Ben sI 8 apparatus to be a complete
went, — •
failure, we contend that, in order fully to test its merits,
ar!ntirisly cl* ,
trials should be made on various kinds of work • not
only, should. the simplest kind be selected, which, we
tda;ted,
admit, may be done either system,
e f y
a rbi
oyus persons
kinds
should of but
merits of and tabular matter should be composed ; for if,
the system is applicable to Parliamentary
pablirsetitnitsltreiinse g) let the various kinds of matter usually com-
prised in such work be tried. When the comparative
sailing vessels are tested, trials of the various
methods of sailing are made—as, before the wind,
against the wind, &c. We contend that, in the present
instance, similar trials should also be made, and we are
confident that on every trial the absurdities of the pro-
posed scheme would be more apparent, and that in a
short time it would be condemned to oblivion.---Typo.
graphical Circular.

* This was the lowest calculation, and does nob include
the reader's time for revise, or the Major's for correcting
revise.
+ The width of the measure, an awkward one for a com•
positor not used to it, was in favour of Major Beniowskra
system, as giving fewer lines to pass and space out ; and
this was further improved upon by the lady compositor,
who, contrary to the usual practice, made each answer
commence a paragraph, instead of running it on after the
eitesitoi.

HARROW SCHOOL.—A number of tho old pnpile of
Harrow dined together at the Freemasons' Tavern on
Wednesday evening. The ball was elegantly decorated
for the occasion. The chair was occupied by Sir Robertreel, Bart., supported by the Hon. F. Ponsonby, M!*.
A, Stafford, M.P., Lord Garlies, the Rev-
Francis
F. A. Sankey? C. S
Trench, Rev. T. 0. Blackall, Captain Sapte, Rev. J. N.
Simpkinson, Rev. W. Osenham, Rev. J. Drury, Messrs.
H. Haggard, J. P, Broughton,
Ourrer, ac.