The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-10-08
THE PRINTING LAW.

Wes have been appealed to by q
learned District Judge, presiding In
another portion of the State, to render
a decision in matter affecting both
legal advertisers and publishers. We
shall endeavor TO do so, in answer to
our distinguished friends query, here
with given, in a way as satisfactory as
| is possible in constituting law not in
itself plain and its effect in q business
which only experts can well under
stand. The question submitted reads
AS you are both a lawyer and
printer, I would be glad to have your
opinion of the present printing law.
What is a square as defined by the
Act of 1877, p. CT, sec. Is, regular ses-
sion,-"One square to consist of the
space of one hundred words solid mat
| ter ?"
ssSolid matter" is simply type set
ssleads," between the lines of type.
Three of these leads should occupy the
space of one line Of type of any kind
of type used, to fill the requirements
of the printers code. Thus, our friends
inquiry is set sssolid,'' while these lines
are loaded, the type being the Same in
both.
In defining the printers t'square,"
the law. properly enough, regards
| ssspoce" rs the thing for which the adj
vertiser pays, since newspaper is en-.
tireIy and in alt its parts nothing more
than space but the difficulty arises in
constituting
1. What kind of type should be re-
garled as the standard in fixing the
space occupied by one hundred words ;
and
2. Given any size type as standard,
what rate of advertising charges is le-
gal for IL kind either larger or smaller ?
The Act of ~ fails to designate, for
judicial or legal advertisements, any
particular size of type, and both
printers and lawyers are naturally
puzzled to define a legal s'square'' and
the rates. Some offices use minion, a
very small type, while others use even
so large type as plea, specimens of
both OF Wnlch we annex:
| sion in and for the said parish, and being a
quorum thereof, by virtue OF the provis-
ions of the law. have this day met at the
clerks office of said parish, for the purpose
| OF drawing jury to serve at the October
law, to be holden in and for the parish, Of
.- Plea.
sion in and for the said parish.
and being Il quorum thereof, by
virtue Of the provisions of the
law, have this day met at the
clerks office of said parish, for
the purpose of drawing Il jury
to serve at the October term OF
In the effort to fix standard type,
we carefully examined tho Act of III
when promulgated, and came to the
conclusion that paragraph 2 of section
10, designating minion as the type
to be used in publishing the jour
nails of the Legislature, both in the Of
fetal paper and in book form, would
be n guide just and equitable to both
printer and advertiser. If there be any
T.
since minion type is rather small and
not used in many country Offices, or
was not, at least, until the "patent
print' came into use.
| To determine the rate of charges fol
| legal advertising, the number of publ.
cations, or ''insertions," and the space
occupied are ascertained, and these are
charged for at the rate of one dollar TO,
the first insertion, and fifty cents fol
each subsequent insertion, for "the
space of one hundred words, or .fiocio,
thereof" Tide, section IS.
The space an advertisement will oc
cupy, in any given type, may be
greater, or less, according to the de.
man,ls of the advertiser, or inclination
of the printer, in the use of display
lines or in making paragraphs. Tho
rule should he absolute, however, in
every Office not to "spread' an adver
tisement beyond the space necessary
for systematic neatncss and perspicuity
I