The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-23 00:00:00

DISTRESSED CONDITION OF THE

COMPOSITORS OF LONDON.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY NEWS.

Sir,—Amongst the numerous artizans in London who
are suffering through non-employment, the deplorable
condition of the members of that heaven-born art—
printing, is to be commiserated. Of all the arts and
sciences that have been discovered, that of the art of
printing has conferred the greatest benefits upon man-
kind, yet there never was a time in the history of print-
ing in which compositors have suffered so much distress.
Throughout the late eventful year only one-third of the
compositors of London were in full employment. Now
that the Parliamentary ses,ion has commenced, there
are still great numbers out of employment. This is,
in a great measure, to be attributed to the recent altera-
tions in Parliamentary printing, which has been con-
siderably curtailed. The only remedial measures that
will benefit the compositor are the repeal of the
paper and advertisement duties. The paper duty
is a tax upon thought and reason ; by repealing this
duty a great boon would be bestowed upon the working
classes, by placing within their reach for a small
sum the treasures of literature. The advertisement duty
is a fetter upon the poor tradesman, inasmuch as the
high duty p events him from advertising his goods—even
the poor servant girl must pay eighteenpence to the
Government before she can advertise for a situation.
From the vast numbers of cheap publications which
everywhere meet the eye, a careless observer would
imagine that printing was the best business going. Let
him look but a little beneath the surface, and he will
find the contrary to be the fact. Out of fifteen months,
I have only received three months' casual employment;
and, from present appearances there is no evidence of
returning prosperity, as in the history of all nations
literature follows commerce ;_ and until the manufactur-
ing districts are fully employed will the compositor re-
main in " virtuous poverty." As your paper has the
largest literary circulation, I hope you will give inser-
tion to this letter, that the literary world may take note
of the depressed condition of the London compositors.
I am, Sir, &c.,
A COMPOSITOR.

THE STAMPS AND TAXES AND

'TIE EXCISE.

The consolidation of the department of Stamps and
Taxes with the Excise will lead to considerable altera-
tions in the mana,.,ement of the distribution of stamps
and collection of the duties in provincial districts.
Under the old system each county possessed an
officer styled distributor of stamps for the
county. In some cases, however, especially in
Wales, where the amount of stamps ustd is but trifling,
two or three counties were placed under one head dis-
tributor. Again, in some of the manufacturing districts,
such as Yorkshire and Lancashire, where the amount of
the population and the extent of business to be trans-
acted, rendered it impossible for any one officer efficiently
to attend to the whole duties, the districts have been
divided into two or more head distributorships. In all
cases the head distributor has been required to reside in
that town within his district where the largest amount
of stamps was usually disposed of.
In every other town of sufficient magnitude to jus-
tify the appointment, an officer, called a sub-dis-
tributor, was stationed, who was supplied from
time to time by the head distributor for the dis-
trict with the necessary stock of stamps, and who
accounted to thr.t officer for the sums collected by
him for .f t:nalp duties; security being given, both by the
head distributor and the subordinates, to an amount
sufficient to covcr the average value of the stock of
stamps in their hands, as well as the amount of their
remittances.

The head distributor was remunerated by a per centage
on the amount of stamps sold by him in the town where
he resided, such per centage varying in different dis-
tricts; and in addition to this emolument, he was allowed
a poundage of about 1/ 103. per cent. upon the
stamps sold by the sub•distributors in the other towns
comprised within his district, and who were themselves
munerateel by a similar per tentage. The total amount
of poundage in England alone, tor the last year, was
about 33,000/, of which about two-thirds, or 22,0001,
was paid to the head distributors, and the remain-
der to the respective sub distributors. Of this 22,000/.
about 10,000/ was the amount accruing► on the collec-
tions made by the head distributors in their own offices,
and about 12,0001. arose from the poundage on the
stamps sold, or the duties received, by their sub-distri-
butors in the other towns of the district.

It should be borne in mind that the aforegoing state-
ment has no ref( rence to the amount of stamps sold or
stamp duty coil, cted in the metropolitan district, where
the entire business is conducted at the office at Somer-
set-house.

It is now decided that, with a view to the saving of
this double poundage, and also to the more speedy
remittance of the revenue, the present system of
supplying the officers in the minor towns through
a head distributor shall be discontinued, and in
future these officers will no longer be treated as subor-
dinates, but ,will act as independent distributors, com-
municating with the controlling department in London,
and accounting directly to the Commissioners of Inland
Revenue, instead of through the present head distribu-
tors, whose powers and emoluments will thereupon cease,
excepting in so far as they may be derived from the sale
of stamps and collection of stamp duties in the towns
wherein they respectively reside.
It is proposed to make this change gradually, in order
to prevent inconvenience and embarrassment in the con-
duct of the business in the central office in London;
and as soon as it shall have been brought fully into
operation, the benefits resulting from the new arrange-
ment will be confined not merely to the pecuniary
saving, but a better system will be introduced
in checking the accounts of the distributors,
their remittances will be more regular and frequent, and
their conduct and proceedings brought more immediately
under the cognizance of the Commissioners of Inland
Revenue; while the employment of the collectors of
Excise in superintending the stocks and sales of the dis-
tributors will be a guarantee for the security of the
revenue far more effectual than has been hitherto exer-
cised under the old system.