San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-11-06
Working for Nothing.

From the Printer opportunity.
The following Is republished for the
benefit of the struggling craft In San
Antonio:
OF the many items of expense In the
printing business there is one usually
overlooked by inexperienced makers OF
prices, that is, depreciation in value OF
material" How many young printers
start with new type and presses, and
plenty OF vim and couragep The bril-
iiancy of their work and low prices
asked. make their business brisk. The
young man imagines he has discovered
the royal road to wealth, and looks
scornfully at the old fogies, whom he
deems behind the age. But time passes,
type is wearing out, presses are becom-
ing shakey, and repairs are needed. 1t
becomes more difficult to keep up the
standard of work with the worn mate
rial. Competition is greater and
new offices are starting. The cratic Gus
toner slips off to ''new love" and gives
encouragement" while the older Office
gradually falls into Obsourity. The
owner, taking stock Of his affairs, finds
that, instead Of having q bonanza, he
has an elephant. He has given away his
capital, and has nothing for the work OF
wears but sadly demoraliZed lot Of
material, probably shingled with
liens.
Every new Office makes the fight more
complicated, and prices go down, down,
down. The more experienced wonder
show can such things be ?" and even
outsiders express their establishment.
The offices seem to vie with each other,
not as to how much can be realized for
work, but how little they can ask. Re-
cent bankrupt sales give us examples OF
this disregard of depreciation. In
an establishment recently sold
there was large and an
apparently excellent assortm, mt OF type
for general jobwork, but on examination
the material was found SO worn that II
was unfit for good work. The whole
plant was put up at auction and sacri-
feed. What had cost thousands brought
only few hundreds. The owner had
given away his capital. He had foolish
ly imagined he could make money by
charging less than the more experienced
printers.
1t is not alone the type that wears. IL
a press is run for several years, and its
owner should desire new or improved
one, how much will the manufacturer
allow in trade for the old one? The
difference between the cost Of the press
and the allowance made is what mex
perienced printers give to their Gus
toners.
At another sale there were several
presses of good manufacture. The office
was large. well located, and had con-
siderable business. The Inevitable anne,
however. and the whole Office was so d
for one-half of the original cost Of two
of its presses. The balance had been
given to its patrons in the course Of a
few years.
small, may be, but, like Peters pence,
they count, and reduce the profit. II
the interested reader can be induced to
cody calculate the percentage of ex-
pense against the average work actually
done, the writer's object In penning
these lines will be accomplished. For
instance-rent, water, printers gas, ink
rollers, oil, benzine, waste paper, steam,
repairs. losses, superintendence, proof
reading, collecting, type, etc., are actual
expenses, as much as wages paid.
1t will be found that these items az
gregate formidable sum.
A young man acknowledged that he
Gid not count his own time in managing,
etc. And another older printer made
the work cheaper for his patrons by
reading his proofs after night.
1t has been stated by an intelligent
Eastern printer that no office succeeds
In doing more than from one-third to
one-half Of the capacity Of its presses.
This seems to be a rash statement, but
il was made from statistics patiently
kept for one or more years. 1t would
be interesting to have the members of
the craft publish the results Of their OBJ
servations on this and other matters.