The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-03-14
From me New York Tribune.i
TIE TARIFF on TYPKs.
Printers Views.


presses the printer; that removal Of
the duty would rednce the cost OF
types In this country from . to % per
cent, to the great benefit Of the prin-
ter and the public, whose interests, It
Is asserted, should be held superior 70
those OF the American type-fOunder.
This curt summary is a fair state
ment Of the case Of the petitioners.
Before making any further obserya-
tions, It may be well TO state the eX-
act amount Of this duty-a necessary
fact to the discussion that is nOtstated
by the advocates Of the measure.
The duty on printing types is % per
cent. on the foreign cost. The same
tariff that imposes this duty enumer-
ates many articles that are subject TO
double, treble, and quadruple that
rate. This tariff was constructed quite
as much for revenue as for protection.
There Is no warrant for the belief that
type-foun0ers nave been specially IA
vOred.
It Is not practicable to state percise-
ly the foreign cost Of type. The
price-lists Of foreign founders have diff
ferent prices and classificatiOns; they
make distinctions tnat are not made
here; their sizes and names are differ
ent; their classificatiOns are altOgeth-
er different from those Of American
founders. A table that purpOrts to
show as a glance and in contrast the
price Of foreign and domestic types is
misleading. To be truthful, it must
be accompanied with many explana-
tons.
But such q table is not needed. It
is admitted that the foreign rates for
Roman types are lower than the
American rates. But this admission
should be applied in its broad sense
only 70 the larger sizes. The smallers
more useful, and most purchased size
of foreign Roman, advance much more
rapidly in price than they do with US,
as the bodies decrease in size. The
rates for foreign Blacks, Scripts, Orna-
mentais, and for small fonts and small
sizes Of Roman, are quite as high as,
and sometimes higher than the rates
Of American founders. An average
made up from a ccntrasted table
showing the American and foreign
rates Tor each size of Roman type
would show that the foreign type was
cheaper. The inferences deduced
from such q table would be deceptive.
The larger sizes, that serve only &c de-
crease the average rate to an injurious
contrast with the American average
rate are sparingly bought and little
used. To be just,a comparison should
be instituted not between all sizes Of
Roman face only, but between such
sizes and faces as constitute the great
est part of the stock Of every Ameri-
can printer. In all offices, such a
stock Is chiefly made up Of the small
er sizes Of Roman; in most job offices,
there is a large proportion, and some
times, he greater proportion, of Orna-
meEtals. II careful inquiry be made
as to the relative cost at respective
points OF manufacture Of a fairly as
sorted stock Of American and foreign
types, it viii be found that, ia the ag-
gregate, there is nc such formidable
disparity in price as has been claimed.
The proposition that foreign printing
types are always 80 per cent cheaper
than the American is altogether un-
tenable. Such an assertion may be
attained only by cOndniEg the COM
parison to selected sizes and faces that
constitute but q portion Of the Ordina-
ry cOmposiug-rOOm stock.
II printers were traders only, who
made the selling of type their exclu-
sive business, speciOus reasons might
be advanced why they should not be
shut out of the cheapest market. But
il is the business OF the printer to use
the type he buys. Is il his interest to
buy his tools in foreign markets ? I
Would it be to the general welfare of
the trade that il should be dependent
Nrra r1r~rrNarrzn f.1rnforrn Fnrrrnal- -
ers.
Setting aside all considerations Of
public welfare, and confning the
question only to its personal results,
il may be asserted that the inc0nVe- /
nienees Of using foreign types can /
hardly he overstated. With the wri- /
ter, this evil is not a matter ofspecula-
tion, but one of experience. More than /
20 years ago, he wa5 employed in an |
office that, for that day, made large /
purchases OF foreign Ornamentals. /
How much time was wasted in fudg- /
ing for sorts, in useless stereotypeipg, 1
in double printings, cannot be express |
sed by figures. This extra work was 1
compulsory; for the sorts were not /
to be had. Any printer can see that I
such waste Of time soon makes cheap /
type dear. It is enough to add 1
that the experiment of using foreign |
type was unsuccessful, and was absn-
doned.
On text types, these annoyances
would be still greater. It matters lit I
tie how large a font is ordered, or how
well it is sorted, every printer finds
it necessary from time to time to buy
additional sorts. Il these sorts can be I
had quickly, the work can be done to
profit IL they cannot be had the work
is lost. And here we may properly
acknowledge the Obliging disposition
Of our founders in the furnishing Of
sorts in many cases where the sorts
cost them much more than thev re-
ceive. l have telegraphed at three
o'clock in the afternoon to q Philadel-
phia firm with whom ] had few deal
ings, for pound of sorts, and have
had them specially cast and deliver
ed IN New York By noon the next
day. A New York founder has kept
men and machines at work all night
10 give the Office odd sorts that were
and that were finished next /
morning. Such instances are quite I
common. I,
On a fontof foreign type, such ae-
cOmmodetiOn is impossible. The DUP
chaser cuts himself of from all chance /
Of help when be is in extremity. II I
such q purchaser saves 500 by his I
choice OF foreign type, and for want I
Of sorts has TO decline profitable or :
ders on which he might make a prof- (
itof twice that sum, or has to exeeufe :
such orders at disadvantaOe and / /
loss, has he not been penny wise and !
pound foolish? ;
Foreign types will be found esne- !
cially Objectionable to an American :
printer, by reason OF their irreo1IsTi- +
hes. If American types are not pni-
form in body, they are at least uni- n
form in hight to paper. The varia- !
lions we now have in body are quite !
enough, bat they are trivial as COM ! :
Whoever fancies that it will be to his :
advantage to have, in addition to his a
stock, French bodies c
made TO Fournier's points and to Did {
IT'S points that justify with no other J
'odies, and with the novelty of hicks '
N the backs, or to have German {
ypes that are above our standard C
light, or Scotch types that are below L
{, and all htted TO molds unused in L
American founderies, may try the ex- +
'eriment. For US, the writer would b
efuse them at any price. o
It is not wise for American printers b
o take any steps that viii discourage n
american type-founders in their eff o
rts to raise the standard of typo e
raphy. He must be wilIfully blind Il
Tho does not see that the higher p
rices received by founders since 1862 d
ave been wisely used for the general q
dvantsge of the trade. Before this a
ate, most Of the founders were virtu- u
ly cOpyists of foreign founders. They &
ought drives and eleetrotyped ma n
ices, but they cut few ornamental 81
ces. The punch cutters Of merit in n
e United States might have been st
united on tae fingers, and they had st
precarious employment. Now, our al
unders invent types. Better pay h,
s stimulated them TO invention. "
thin the past ten years, more use ty