Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-20
MAINE EDITORS.
CONTINUED from page 81

varying charges for its nroduets. Propri- |
etors of offices and those having them IN ,
charge. having, in q majority or cases
adopted no standard whereby to estimate |
labor. consumption of material. wear
waste and other necessary expenses seem |
to transact their affairs in this particular
by a system of guessWork or some othei
hap-hazard principle. which has caused
the idea to exist in the minds OF man!
persons who employ printers frequently
that the profits of the craft are 50 .cN-
orbitant that the smallest sum piece OF
work can be had for. toften without re-
gard to quality, it is true), is ample re-
enumeration for The amount OF work done
Men who patrunize the printer 70 any
considerable amount understand, very wen
that they can have their work done at
about their own prices II they have a
small job to be done amounting to two
or three dollars they MAKE d ci .he oi a..
ranging from one COLLAR up to four or
five dollars. They select the printer they
desire to do their YORK o ana ana s ag f 20 I'm:
than half your price; if you want the job
for So-and-so's price you can have 1t.
the poor printer. 10th to lose even a small
lob takes it, and by SO doing mpresses
the customer with the idea that the first
he mentally dubs him swindler While
the poor, foolish printer is giving his pat
ron a job well worth three dollars for the
beggarly sum of one dollar. and at the
same time helping. to establish, ruinous
schedule for printing that will be taken
advantage of with the very next order ms
customer brings to him. Not only this.
but his reputation for honesty is seriously
impaired. and his customer is going 70
look very sharp after him when he psalh
has occasion to do business with nun.
The foolish. not to say reckless greed
of incompetent parties, who viii have
business at any price or risk. IS manly NANNY.
that rule for many kinds of printing:
while those who can do better things: but
have placed themselves in competition
SO rife among certain wretched printers.
have the satisfaction. If such II is. OF
knowing they will be the real sufferers ;;o
A job printing plant. costing $sVv,
ought to return at least net p ront OF ~
M he e is but small income for
the investment; for besides the cost of
the plant, the proprietor must be con-
and card stock upon which ne ought. 10
what job office in Maine is doing as we'll
as this? ! know of none.
Now suppose there is an office returning
its owners 50 per cent profit. how. long
will il take to exhaust the capital OF such
material, provided there is no addition TO
the material or machinery? In 10 wears
such Z, plant wouid deteriorate Z? 10 10
per cent. and any pne can readily see
where The proprietor would land-in the
workhouse.
Tha, many persons engaged in printing
rant concerning the true value or their
OWL Nork-laboring Oh irdustriously for
years with little or no advance in Their
worldly crcu,n>tancss-is literally true.
Undecisive of character. although po@si-
bly, capable as workmen, they under rate
themselves, and constantly yield 20 thc
representations of Interested parties Who
make it their buslncSs 70 get the most
labor for the least money. and Who have,
by a practice of getting bids, ma &c
printing almost besgarly vocation III
many quarters.
Now, what is the remedy for this ruin
Gus competition which is sweeping over
all the land permeating every class of
manufacturing. och year gathering fresh
impetus. and ritting still closer into me
until now it l. well understood that any
man engaged il the common channels of
trade or manufacturing IS exceptionaDi!
fortunate if he escapes failure ana banR-
ruptcy for term of 10 years.
What is the remey? Wen. if 1 could
tell you, this paper would indeed =. an
essay worthy of very serious conSderd-
ton. l can only reiterate what has been
truthfully said many times before: care.
fully estima;c every job. with price of
paper, composition and press, work-make
your prices right and reasonable. and then
stand by them. Do no allow yourself TO
yield your mature judgnent in the estl-
mate because a competitor has made
mistake in his estimate, and perchance
will get the job from one you nave here
tofore considered a regular customer
If the business is ever to be improved
and made profitable, every one should do
something to help its moral condition.
We must stand by the honest figures we
have made in our estimate and now allow
the customer to dictate terms-base1 upon
the slip-shod way an incompetent nelsh-
fit cheating customers in stock and short
counts. The homes man will stand Che
sional job he will 70 beaten by the dis
honest swindler, aud Ne had better retire
with clear conscience and an I'M
Do not suppose, if orders are plenty, and
customers easily ma mayed during busy
seasons. that dull times will not come
and patrons be eXacting or hard to please.
1t is during business luls that many are
tempted to work below what they can
afford to do. and to yield advantages tnat
are pretty sure to remain advantages 10
the customer in future transactions
Now | am nearly the end of this paper,
and am going, TO close with a few arief
remarks upon the only topic l was ally
DESTROYS of ref .ring to. viz:
THE MAINE PRESS ASSOCIATION
IT'S PAST AND IT'S FUTURE.
Thirty-iiVe years ago, at its organiza-
ton, | joined the association. and have
during all that long period, attended most
of its meetings and summer excursions.
and have constantly taken a deep interest
in its wc.lare and in its membership.
Although not an old man, have lived to
see all but eight of its original m nbers
sever their connection with the assocla-
ton either by death or lack of interest.
1t is with extreme satisfaction and pleas
ure that call to memory many of the
old-time active members who have passed
over to the great majority; and | might
perhaps with some interest to this audi
fence, allude personally to some of its dis
tnguished members who have left their
impress, not only upon the associa tion,
but upon the history of their country.
Our neurology pages briefly allude 10
their worth and virtue. and the pages or
the minutes of the association become
doubly interesting as time elapses and M
creases and endears their memory to the
older members. That the association has
been helpful and accomplished good
work within its membership is undeni-
able. 1t has indeed done more than ITS
projectors had reason to anticipate for II.
OF its specific benefit il is unnecessary
for me to refer, but of what more useful
ness il might have been to the craft 1t
may not be alnss to briefly allude to here
In the first place. it must he apparent
to all that the association has failed 70
gather into its fold all the newspaper ma1
and job printers in the State. thai ny
right should be members. 1t ought 10
embrace the entire Dress of the STATE.
that its influence might be felt in every
section and its field of usefulness not err
cunscrroed. Have we, each one OF US.
made our personal influence Ielt in -nu.
individual localities should have
done to increase our membership? II the
JSSUc!sl ion is us iS ~.