Tombstone epitaph., 1919-10-19
PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION

The process by which the Literary Digest will pro
dce its issue of October lS without the aid of printers,
Is very likely to revOutiOnZe the publication of maya
zines and all monthly publications, such technical
journals when time is not pressing element 1t may be
applied also to the publication of books.
The process, that is, photoengraved plates from
copy cannot IN ITS present stage equal in mechanical
perfection the work of the printers yet the publishers
as well their readers would probably prefer put up
with such inperfections may appear than be sub
Jet to the interruptions imposed by sudden strikes and
walkOuts or alleged vacations such the New York
magazine workers had agreed to take.
For the last two months the publishers have been
embarrassed 1t is stated that the November editions of
several of the large magazines will appear all Thus
the business of the publishers has been rendered
carous that something has to be done and the photocn
craving process points the way Doubtless under the
spur of necessity will be improved that many
mperfections which may first appear will be avoided
The process may be made applicable to weekly news
papers as well as to monthly and quarterly publications.
1t cannot though far be applied the daily
newspaper for there the element Of time nterfcrcs For
the piotoengravng process. the copy' must be per
feet nearly possible for there be sub
sequent proof reading and correction. 1t will have to
90 it lays The copy Of the daily newspaper is
necessarily hurl'edy prepared. 1t frequently abounGs
in nterneations and erasrleS which would look bad
the printed page; Newspaper editors and reporters,
though they be rapid operators of typcwritcIs.
as rule VIGOROUSLY inaccurate. spshod operators 1t
would be necessary that their work should be
would include the recopyinS Of telegraph matter There
would then have to be greater margin of time between
the preparation of the copy and the press:
What may of it is hard to say The greatly
lcssened expense and the freedom of publishers from III,
iterTuptlOn would be incentive the wealthy
publishers of the great dacS make searching
Inquiry the aaptability the process their uses
No doubt if they should become interested some
ling improvements would follow Among them. should
IeXpect marvellous changes in the of photoen-
igraylng and might expect the production of type
writer which would nearly counterfeit printed mat
ter and in which the difficulty OF bringing the ends
iof lines flush would be 1t might be that this
process i'll time would become the limo
TYPE is
1t was printers strike that introduced the linotype
Otto Mergenthcr had long been experimenting with the
machine and convinced Of its ultimate capabilities
But he lacked the money to proceed He could not inter
est the publishers the extent of nvcstiga
ton his device There had been several tylsetng
chimes. but of them had proved practical. Finally
there strike against the New York Tribune. White
law Reid sent for Mcrgenthalcr and after thorough in
specon Of his device. advanced him the capital
airy for its perfection.
SO out Of this strike vacation may come a rcvou-
ton of the 'art preventative sweeping than any
since Gutenberg invented movable types.
1t should be stated that the strike which has driven
the Literary Digest to this process has the sanction
Cf the International Union and the printing craft
ally New Work has always been hot bed of dssatis-
faction in the craft naled crafts. And before the
experiment of the Digest announced the publishers
Of the Cosmopoltan and other magazines consider
ing the removal of the of publication to other parts
Of the country