Evening star., 1916-05-07
BY I. A. FLEMING.

At the recent meeting of the share
holders of the Lanston Monotype Com
pany tho president of the corporation.
]. Maury Dove, made the following re-
port:
The business for the past year
showed considerable improvement over
the year previous, notwithstanding the
fact that the year previous we had only
six months of war conditions and the
past year we had to confront conditions
| due to the war for the full twelve
months.
| The increase in business was due
mainly to the greater demand for our
machines at home. there being prac-
tically no foreign sales of our ma
chimes. This business cut very small
| figure in our total sales.
while we had orders aggregating
seven or eight hundred thousand dol
lars for outside work. owing to delays
occasioned by non-delivery OF mate
rial and by the on-arrival OF inspec-
tors for this work-neither cause. now.
were able to finish and ship only a
small part Of these outside orders,
amounting practically to about 20 per
cent. The balance will be completed
during the present year.
| our profits for the year ending Fen,
| ruary Is, 1915. were S3S1.2s6.11. and
| for the year ending February ~, 1916,
were $42s,ss470.
March and April, the first two
months of the current fiscal year, snow
a decided Improvement in our domestic
business over the corresponding
months Of the previous year, and un-
| less adverse conditions arise. which are
not looked for at the present time. we
should have a very satisfactory year.
| I'VE have had to overcome many
| obstacles during the year; a new or
| eanization practically had to be built
mn. owing to the fact that during the
wear following the declaration OF war
we were compelled to reduce our labor,
skilled and clerical organaza.aoSh gam nS s.a 10 a
| very small force; we also had great
difficulty in obtaining material Steel
copper. brass. forgings. etc.
| 1.-THE break in our organization due
to loss of skilled labor and the break
| ing in of new men, referred to above.
has caused the factory to be consider
ably behind in its deliveries OF mono
| type machines and accessories.
Working in South America.
with the view of opening up new
field for our machines we have taken
over the South American countries
which were formerly controlled by the
English corporation. We have acquired
the services OF a most competent rep
resentative, a man thoroughly familiar
with business conditions in those coun-
tries, who speaks Spanish. French and
English He is now travelling in these
! countries with a view OF studying care
fully the printing conditions and the
extent of the field for monotypes. We
believe that eventually we will build
up a very large business in South
| America
THE introduction by the company Of
| the system known as non distribution
has been most successful in newspaper
| offices and the number of these Offices
| using monotypes is increasing every
| month This system of non-distribu-
tion is going to prove Of as great ad-
vantage to the book and job field as 1t
). has to the newspaper field, and should
add greatly to the demand for mono
| type casting machines, matrices, mQlds.
'It was with much pleasure that
your directors were enabled to an
| nounce to you the declaration of a divi-
| dend payable May 81. and 1t is hoped
that nothing will happen to interfere
with the continuation of these pay
ments. Your board feels that you will
| indorse their action as a part of wis
dom and good business in not disburs-
ing dividends in times of great busi-
| ness depression or financial stress.
There has sprung up between the
| two slug machine companies very
sharp competition and prices of their
| machines and accessories have been re-
| duced. but your management feel that
| it will not become necessary for us to
follow this competition either in re-
spect of our prices or in our selling
| methods. The monotype has become
| standard machine, and its value as the
most efficient and versatile type-cast-
| ing and composing machine is so we'll
established as to place it in a field
| by itself. The many advantages pecu-
| liar to the monotype are becoming more
appreciated by the job offices and the
| printers of books and newspapers each
year"
Local Securities.
The only feature of the local security
market worthy Of especial comment is
the scarcity of certain bond issues, es-
pecially Washington Gas and Capital
Traction SIS. Potomac Electric Con-
soldated IS and Railway Is are in
good demand. but not scarce. an eighth
| or a quarter of a point standing be-
tween many trades.
There's millions of money In Wash
lington seeking investment, but very
little Of 1t will 20 into stocks. pending
lar nf n n 1laneR that