The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-09

which is lined with newspaper offices,
and lies in the heart of foreign Shanghai,
with big business buildings either side.
The most of the papers, however, are
housed in low, dark, ill-lighted struc-
lures, the offices being reached by mar
row stairs. l was especially interested in
the sleeping accommodations put up for
the compositors and editors. 1t will seem
strange to our newspaper men that the
employees of Chinese dailies should be
s.slept and eaten Their wages always
include board and lodging. But the
meals cost but few cents each per day,
and the lodging is not as good as the
steerage accommodations of an Atlantic
steamer. For instance, In one journals
tic building T found ten men sleeping in
a bedroom not over - feet square They
lay one above the other in hunks built
around the walls, and the only private
property 1 could see was the boxes In
which the men store their clothes. Not
only the compositors and reporters, but
some of the editors, sleep on the premises
in this way. They are always on hand,
and there is no trouble in getting out an
extra at any hour of the night
WAGES of Newspaper Men.
AS went through the establishment
7 asked as to the wages. They are ex-
ceedingly low Competitors are paid by
the month. They each receive from two
to seven dollars for 80 days of hard work,
there being no rest on Sundays, The two
dollar men are the apprentfces-boys who
have had q slight education and are
learning to set type. Editorial writer's
are fairly well paid, some receiving as
high as $S5 a month, while reporters get
25 cents and upward per day. Some
space work is done, and correspondents
are paid for what they send in, accord
ing to the valuation of the editor The
Sin Wan Pao has in slt about 200
CORRESPONDENTS who send in letters and
kilograms. They represent every section
OF the Chinese empire, and especially the
large cities in the provincial capitals
The uaper gets the news OF the world by
cable through the Reuter- Associated
press. Much of its correspondence is
sent in on approval, and not a few OF the
writer's are paid small salaries with boz
muses. for extra work
The Printers Union.
found many queer things In the man
agemert of this newspaper ofnce. In the
first place, the printers are not hired IN
dividually A contract is made with the
foreman. who sets up the paper at so
much per day and employs his own as
sistants In this he has to conform to
+ha printers' union, for everything In
china is done by guilds and labor organi-
cations. The employers have also a I'M
ion and SO have the newsdealers. The
pruprietors have to pay the latter guild
40 much for each copy Of their circula-
tions. and dare not push their sales indie
nendentIy of 1t. The latest guild is that
of the newspaper owners. They have
combined together not to cut prices and
to defend themselves from the printers
and others.
The Sin Wan Pao has circulation of
about 20 900, but this is equal to more
than 100000 in the United States, because
every COPY of . Chinese newspaper is
sold over and over again. 1t first goes
to the rich who use 1t for the morning.
In the afternoon the boys call for it and
sen It again In the morning 1t is worth
Il Dash. or about one-half cent American.
In the afternoon It win bring quarter
of . cent, and the next day perhaps half
that. Every copy is supposed to reach
five different families. So that, so far as
the advertisements are concerned. 1t
touches fve times as many people as a
United States journal.
In the Composing Rooms.
But como with me into the composing
rooms and see how Chinese newspaper
a maAA Thu nrintArs work In mems made