The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-11-03
TALK ON JOURNALISM.

classes, with number of friends of
the organization, at the fOrtnightly
"prsctical talk" in Y. NJ. G. A. hall
yesterday evening. Mr.. f. M. Eng
fish, President of the a, q 5. A., in
a few Introductory remarks an
nounced that the next lecture would
be by Mr.. j. N. S. Williams, on the
subject of Heat. "
Mr.. ID. Logan Of the BULLETIN
began his talk on Journalism" by
describing the great advance in re-
cent years of printing machinery,
without which the marvellous pro-
auctions of metropolitan journalism
now seen would be impossible. The
hand press was followed by the bed
and platen power press, which
though great step soon proved in
adequate to the growing demand for
quick work. Then came the single
cylinder, followed by the double, the
four cylinder, until ultimately the
eight and ten cylinder presses
printing eight Or ten papers at each
revolution of the type cyIinder-end-
ed development in that direction
By the art of stereotyping several Of
these mammoth machines could be
employed simultaneously printing the
same matter. The large calculations
kept growing, however, until the
multiplication of machines in the
press room became seriously cumber-
some. To the relief of this situation
came the press printing from a con
tlnuous roll of paper a mile long,
printing both sides in one operation,
cutting off the sheets. FASTING two of
the cut sheets together, folding, de-
livering and counting the edition.
This was as fine piece of machin-
cry as was to be seen, feeding itself
where the former machines took as
many men to feed them as they had
impression cylinders. The feasibl-
ity of such machine was created by
the invention of process for casting
stereotype plates in complete cylin-
drical form.
The great capacity of the new
machinery enabled full expansion of
a newspapers capacity of growth, so
that the business of metropolitan
newspaper was truly vast concern.
The local distribution of the paper
by carriers, newsboys and news
stands, and the distant distribution
by mail, express and special trains,
together with the handling of an i'm
mense advertising patronage, called
for the highest order of business
ability. Some of the most eminent
journalists won fame and fortune
chiefly by their able direction of the
business end of their papers; by
their Napoleonic strokes of enter.
prise, such as Benefits sending
Stanley to find Livingstone, and by
directing their journals in certain
strict lines of policy from the begin
ming.
The speaker described the staff of
a metropolitan paper and its methods
of work. There was a strict if kindly
discipline in every department.
Everything was conducted in a
systematic manner, everyone must
know his duty and do 1t. The
development of correspondence at
important centers was referred to.
AT Washington there is host of
able journalists connected with
papers all over the Union, and it was
not uncommon for editorials to be
telegraphed from the capital. The
formation of the Associated Press
was described, it having originated
with the organization, in 1851, of the
New York Associated Press" which
is the head center of the present
Associated Press, comprising the
leading papers of the United States
and Canada. This combination had
10000 miles of leased wires, fur
its members with news pre-
pared by its own agents. The New
York office handles daily $4,000 to
100000 words, making from 80 to
20 columns of matter. Instances of |
quick transmission of elaborate re-
ports by wire were given. Besides |
the service of the Associated Press,
the great newspapers made free use
of the regular telegraph wires. Some
of them spend $4,000 or $4,000 a
month on "specials." With the
Western Union Telegraph Co.'S sys-
TEN of about 100000 miles of wire
and 10000 offices, the country is
well tapped of its news. In the year
ending June 80, 1890, the Western
Union delivered at all stations 1922
OS8, 43S words of Associated Press
reports. They are delivered to an
average of two papers in each place,
at an average cost Of ID cents a hun
ared words. The foregoing did not
include reports over leased wires.
These added, together with reports
10 papers outside the organization,
would make 800, 100000 words of
telegraph news in one year. The
-otal press receipts for the year were
81 ,84S,247.
The talk went into the scenes of !
getting to press" then concluded |
with some remarks on the press in
relation to literature, the press in
Honolulu and ''freedom of the
press, )" together with some special
Information to the classes regarding
he conditions of journalism as n |