The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-27
THE BRITISH LINOTYPE
Earning Big Dividends for the
Manufacturing Company.
Business Doubled i'm Five Years.
Common stock Receiving IL Per
Ccnt-Chnirmnn Lawrence Makes
nm Eloquent Address TO the stock
holders ut the Annual Meeting.

The annual meeting of the Linotype
Company Limited. of Great Britain, held
in London recently, exhibited the affairs
of that company to be in most prosper
Gus condition, only a little less flourish
in. than those of the parent American
concern, in fact. The net profits of the
company for the year we're &205,0 goo, of
which G1SO, 600 in debenture interest and
dividends were distributed. the deferred
ordinary stock of the company received
10 per cent dividends and was established
on u per cent basis. The sum of 100000
was added to the reserve fund making a
total of e211.000 and G26,000 was car
Iied over TO the present year.
The gross manufacturing profits Of the
company amounted to G21i000. or more
than 81 O00, 00o. against s194 900, an in
crease of G20,026 or 100000. The gross
manufacturing profits for the year 1894
were f56.000 They have increased to
four times that amount in the past five
years.
The statement was made at the meeting
that the immense profits of the company
would have been much larger but for the
increased cost of materials used. Coal has
advanced in London 80 per cent, pig iron
~ TO IS per cent, brass 30 per cent, and
other materials nearly in proportion The
same drain on net profits has been made
in the American Company except for which
the rs per cent rate on the stock earned
so far this year would have been at least
per cent larger ii is said.
The British Company has followed the
policy of the American concern in buying
up all the patents which its directors con-
slider in the least likely to benefit it or to
lead to rivalry with it. During the past
year it has taken out forty-siX new Pat
ents. many of which are considered likely
TO prove very valuable. The total number
of establishments using machines manu-
featured by the company in Great Britain,
the Continent and the Colonies, but prin-
cipally UP 10 the present time in England
alone, is 70S. Many of these establishments
have from six TO forty machines. In 1897
the total number of companies was only
1853. The book and general printers using
the Linotype machines in Great Britain
have increased since 1897 from II to 1a6
Chairman Lawrence's Views.
Mr.. J. lawrence, the Chairman of the
British Linotype Company, made an elo-
quent and exhaustive address to the
meeting, detailing its growth and pros
perity, and pointing out TO the sharehold- |
ers the fine outlook for expansion, and |
augmented profits in the future He stat |
ed his belief that the Linotype will con-
tinue to be the only commercially sue
eessful and practicable machine for a |
long time in the future.
His remarks on this question are par |
ticularly interesting, as they are appli- /
cable to conditions in America as we'll. He |
said among other things:
We are presenting TO you consecutively,
year after year, reports disclosing contin-
ued prosperity in our affairs; but people /
say there must be fly in every ointment,
and there must be some in ours. AT
present. however. we do not know what |
the fly is; but dealing with it under the
head Of possible competition, l would like !
10 make one or two remarks, which l
hope will be taken seriously to heart by
everybody who takes an interest in this
First of all. / would say that we
view competition with no fear. We buy
up or control all new inventions in our
particular line which have any real merit
In them.
I'VE see no cloud on the horizon. We
DO hear of machines coming forward, and
with regard to those machines and TO the
which are in existence / ought
to. remind you that the Linotype always
has had competition. From its earliest
days it has been working and forging its
way side by side with the existence OF 9th
er and competitive machines. After ten
Or eleven years existence the position to-
day is that the Linotype stands absolutely
unriyaled There are fewer competitors
than there were five years ago, or even
three years ago We know of no Office in
England. on the Continent, or in America
where anybody can point with success to
q type setting machine We have heard o,
machines being put down-we know of
hem. We have accurate records of their
with the CONNER ciai results
and we can say quite fearlessly and truth
'uliy that we can hear Of 70 instance of
my machine being worth the while Of the
newspaper printer OF general printer TO
Idopt in preference TO the Linotype.
No Fear of Competition.
People assume that if these new ma
hines come out We must suffer I do not
zee that at ALL Take the worst aspect of
hings; If these machines conc out and,
to expectation, they succeed. We
hall be just in the position of every pre-
nier company where there are a great
lumber of persons engaged in the same
shall always hold our own
here are at this moment in England. |
merica, and on the Continent Linotype
machines representing a capita. value of
e 0o0, goo sterling. The bulk OF those have
onable 10 suppose that a man who has paid
{ 10, Gee, see, GOO. or $50 eco for an outfit
4 machinery Of that kind is likely to throw
[ carelessly on the scrap heap unless he
las brought before him some strong and
reasons, and has shown to
lin vastly greater economies possible by
dopting some other machine? II there is
lothng else left to US there is the repair
ny of those machines, and the repairs are
citing a very considerable item. We are
eginning to derive considerable revenue
nder this head; ii is not larss at present.
because our machines were so well made in
he first instance that they need very little
eSsir, but even the best, strongest, aud
line. need repairs and that repairing bus
hess is now beginning. Machines sold
even years ago now want fixing up with
tile improvements and require additions
} be made and new parts to be substituted.
hat is d source of revenue TO you. apart
rom the mere supplying of machines. /
aid a moment ago that We should regard
urselves as being in the premier position"
Mr.. Lawrence spoke thus of the death
Mr.. Mergenthaler: i
During the past year we have had TO
eoord the death of Mr.. Ottmar Merger /
haler whose name viii probably 90 down
o history with those Of Gutenberg. Kos
er, and our own Caxton as one OF the 5
reaiest inventors of the age. He was not {
eally the sole inventor OF the Linotype {