ENLARGEMENT OF THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6567, 4 December 1882, Page 4 (Supplement)

ENLARGEMENT OF THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD.

INTRODUCTION OF "WEB" PRINTING MACHINERY. ERECTION OF ADDITIONAL PREMISES. Again' for the third time within the past Sve years tlie llek'.ui printing establishment lin« been enlarged, and oil the present occasion the addition is a very extensive 0!: c, comprising a three-storey brick build7fee: in length aDd SO feet in width, which .stand.-; at the rear of the main builuiugs in Wyiidhain-strect ami runs through to Milis'-latie. A contract for this work ■was let to Mr. Philcox, builder, about nine months ago, and the work has now been completed, and the premises will be fully occupied during next week. We have much pleasure in .nuking this announcement, because the expenditure of fresh capital ill large extensions of premises and improved and new machinery, is undertaken with a view of meeting the requirements of a rapidiv expanding business in a!! clashes of printing as well as of enlr.rging the Nkw Zealand Herald newspaper in order to meet the exigencies of the times and the commercial growth and requirements of the community. The Hei'.ai.i> haa ever endeavoured to keep abreast of the times, if not ahead of them, in the matter of news, in improvements in printing, and in providing ample space not only for advertisements, but for the constantly increasing news of the day, and the very large expenditure which is now going On will, the proprietors believe, hilly meet all requirements and necessities of the public. NEW PREMISES. The newly erected premises arc, as we have stated, situate at the rear of the present ledger-making and bookbinding department, in Wyudham-strect. The lower room has a solid "concrete floor, one foot in thickness, and in it has been erected the largest gas engine yet exported to the colonics —one ot Ottos silent 16 horse power. It has been successfully worked for several days, whilst the steam engine and boiler were under repair, but is only i'.-.tendc.. as reserve power to be used as necessity may require. Here also is accommodation for 15 printing machines of various ink grinding, and other new machinery connected with the lithographic and general printing departments of the establishment, but not any of the newspaper machines. The first iioor is to be occupied by the ledger and account - book manufactory, wood and copperplate engravintr, and the manufacture of printed stationery. The upper room is to provide for the book-folders, paper-! s, embossing machines, and some lieu- branches which are to be introduce.;. J;y these largo extensions room will he secured in the main (or old premises) for tii? growth of the newspaper, lithographic, genera'. printing, stereotyping, and electroiyping ile; artmont-;, where additional hands have :;l:va.:y fuiiuii employment, and which is r. :',v nearly double tlic size ot any similar (,;ia< ii\h:ne:i: ir, iisc colony. ENLARGEMENT OF THE HERALD. On Nov. 2-1 the Heiulu was permanently enlarged, and will remain the same size throughout the week, instead of being reduced iu length and breadth as heretofore. This enlargement will make it the premier newspaper in the colony in point of size, as i: will be issued as an eiuht-page paper every day, whilst a Supplement will be given regularly 0:1 Saturdays, and with the Monthly Miiumary. 15y this advance step the proprietors will be able to meet the increasing claims of the public, not cr.lv fo. advertising, but lor giving the fullest ai:d ivost complete reports of «.verything of interest relating to the mercantile, maritime, and agricultural interests of the provincial district, and its social and political progress. Improvements in many ways will now be possible, and by the erection of the best maehiuc-ry that can be pre-cured, increased faeilities for the publication and distribution of the paper will be carried into etfect in the early part of the new year. It may be interesting in this connection to note, as showing the past and present of the colony iu the way of progress, that the founder of the Heualij, Mr. W. C. Wilson, as the managing co-proprietor of the New Zealauder, introduced in:o the colony iu November, lSoti, the first newspaper printing machine —the "Caxton," by Myers, of Southampton —and which was the first news machine i,y steam-power. A rew years later be erected the first gasometer, and introduced gas into the colony by lightiug the New Zealander offiee with gas manufactured on the premises. That, however, was "the day of small things" as compared with the preseut, though a marvel of progress aud enterprise at the time. WEB-PRINTING MACHINERY. The rapid growth and expansion of the New Zkai.anp Hfrai.ii during the past six years ha=, however, necessitated the expenditure of considerable capital in premises and plant. About four years since new machinery was procured, which is now found quite inadequate for the steadily expanding circulation, and the growth in size of the paper; and as we have already stated, the buildings have been three times added to or enlarged during five years. Ab..ut eighteen months ago the propr:etni- .-."solved to provide for all possible contingencies in point of machinery, and after careful inquiry they ordered tlie best and quickest "web" printing machine that is made. The order for the new machinery v.-;ls given about a year ago to Messr?. u. Hoe -.r.-l Co., of London aud N';v,- j'crk; ariU the machine is expected to be in operation iu printing the Hkuai.o and Wkkki.y Nmvs early next year. It prints from a reel of paper, about 6000 yards in length, and can print, cut, fold, and count the papers into dozens, ready for delivery to the runners and agents, at the rate of 15.000 per hour of an eight-page paper, or 30,000 of a four-page paper, without any attendance but that of one man. This machinery is automatic in every way, and iR now used in most of the leading English and American offices, also by the Sydney Morning Herald in Australia, and is just about to be introduced into the office ot the Melbourne Argus. There is no "web" printing machinery in New Zealand yet—the cost being a very serious item—and it is only suited to the larger papers. No "feeding" of the machine is required, and the folding is all done before the papers leave the machine. The advantages of such machinery are manifold, where going to press at a late hour iu the morning, with cable and telegraphic messages coming to hand at the last moment, is an absolute necessity. There have been complaints recently of the late delivery of the Hkiialu in the morning, for which there lias been some justification, but, with the new machinery about to be introduced, this inconvenience will be removed. When the various changes that we have outlined have been effected, with the erection of the new premises mentioned above, aud the introduction of new machinery into the newspaper and manufacturing departments, the outlay of fresh capital iu the improvements will be between £0000 and £10,000.