Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-18
NEW MACHINES AND NEW
METHODS.
The london Times Type-Setting
Machines.
Cor. N. Y. Tribune.


LONDON, June 22.--Type. setting
machines have had a fair trial in this
city at the Office of the Times, having
been in use for several years past
There is an idea extant that they are
labor saving machines, and this is so
far exact that they can be worked by
boys, and when once filled do their
work with considerable rapidity. Con
cerning this there is no difference of
opinion. When the tiresome work of
filling the tubes has been performed,
the type setter works quickly under
the care of a bog. This
being granted, even by the
workpeople themselves, it remains to
consider the drawbacks to the type
setter in use by the Times, 1t destroys
a great quantity of type, as much it
is said, as three or four columns per
diem. No satisfactory method of
distributing" the type for it has yet
been discovered, and so they have
fallen back upon an automatic type
casting machine, which daily sends in
page after page of absolutely new type,
in tubes, for the type-setter. A foun-
dry has been established on the prem
ises and the Times makes it own type.
Every day three or four columns are
sent from the foundry into the Office.
1t is also said, on good authority, that
at the Times Office there is marked
indispositiOn to acknowledge failure
of any kind; and that as the type-setter
iswhat may be called fad of Mr.. Mac
donald, the manager, it must be made
a success, or at least made to appear
one. There has been endless trouble
with the machine; but inasmuch as
the manager has made up his mind
that it shall succeed, everybody puts
the best face on the matter and let's it
down as easily as possible. 1t is
hinted that the accounts are so made
| up as not to accentuate TOO sharply
the charges against the type setter
By these means a species Of spurious
success has been manufactured" fo1
composition by machinery; while, in
fact, it is gross failure from an
economical or financial point Of view
The machine does its work, it is true
and as show" is very good; but il
breaks more than it saves.
| 1t is significant, too, that in th,
newspaper offices managed as shrewd
| ly and skillfully as that of the Dali,
News, the idea of adopting type
setter is not even entertained. Thi
perhaps would prove very little wer,
it not that the Daily News and tn,
Standard were very swift in adopting
the improved Walter printing ma
chimes, and cleared out their OLD
machinery at the best price they coulC
get. The Standard long ago sold
lot of comparatively old machinery tt
the Morning Post, aud replaced it Will
the new machinery already in full
blast at the Daily News office. 1
is we'll known, of course, that th,
folding" part Of the last new machine
has proved useless. Except for solitary
subscribers, folded newspapers are {
nuisance. They will not pack, anC
Smith & Co. shut down" upon them
There is, then, no want OF readiness
to follow the Times when its machinery
is successful, Perhaps the manager,
of other great newspapers may be
unduly Influenced by the reports o.
practical men," Probably they have
got at underground sources Of
information. But whatever their
reasons, they shrug their shoulders
and.proclaim the type setter in use at
| the Times Office not successful enough
for them to adopt. Naturally enough,
they will not speak very freely on the
subject. But the fact remains that
they have allowed the Times for
several years to enjoy a monopoly Of
its type setter.