THE MAKING OF A NEWSPAPER

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21147, 24 April 1934, Page 5

THE MAKING OF A NEWSPAPER

MUCH CAPITAL INVOLVED

ADDRESS TO INSTITUTE OF SECRETARIES

The production of a daily newspaper, from the point where an item of news reaches the sub-editor to the ultimate delivery of a copy of the newspaper to the subscribers, was described by Mr J. J. Staples, in an address to members of the Canterbury Chapter of the New Zealand Institute of Certified Secretaries at a luncheon yesterday. "Millions of pounds worth of equipment are used every day in the production of any up-to-date newspaper," said Mr Staples. "The newspaper itself costs so little to the reader, and is such an essential and regular feature in our lives, that we are apt to treat it as a commonplace and to overlook that the production of the daily newspaper involves the employment of thousands of persons in all parts of the world—correspondents, photographers, typefounders, machinery manufacturers, papermakers, and so on, to say nothing of the millions of pounds worth of submarine cables, cable stations, operators, and the constant service of steamers engaged in cable repairs. You go out on the front lawn for your newspaper, spend an hour or two with it, and usually declare 'There is nothing in it to-day.' Next time you feel inclined to be so unfair, just take paper and pencil and make a list of the news items, the countries, cities and towns from which the news has been gathered; then try to picture the tremendous organisation which resulted in the concentration of all this cabled, telegraphic and local news into a penny-halfpenny newspaper. "A Marvel of Civilisation." "The newspaper is one of the marvels of civilisation," said Mr Staples. "It is a triumph of organisation, industry and ingenuity. It is as indispensable as anything of the kind can be, and it is impossible to picture the modern world without its daily newspaper." The newspaper had three main functions. It collected and distributed news; It was a vehicle of opinion; it was the greatest single factor in the creation of business in the modern world. Mr Staples contrasted the handpiess of his apprenticeship days, with an output, of 381 copies an hour, printed on one side only, with the :!0,000 copies an hour of a'M page newspaper, printed, folded and counted, now a regular thing in Christchurch, and greatly exceeded in some of the newspaper ofiices of the world's greatest cities. He gave a description of the linotype, the machine which set type with uncanny precision and phenomenal speed. Without the typesetting machine and the introduction of machinery for producing paper by the mile there could be no modern daily newspaper as we know it, said Mr Staples.

After the copy had been set into type, and locked up into the pages, came the stereotyping process, consisting of making curved plates, bearing as a printed face the exact duplicate of a page of type. These plates were fixed to the rotary printing press. When all was ready a button was pressed by the'machinist and the machine roared as speed increased. The newspapers were then ready for delivery. Next day it all had to be done again. Mr J. H. Cunningham presided ovet the luncheon. Mr Staples was given a vote of thanks for his address.