PROGRESS OF PRINTING

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10898, 12 May 1921, Page 6

PROGRESS OF PRINTING

HUT YEARS REiffi Hwnaiv. ADDRESS BY MR CHAS. FRANCIS. There was a large audience at the xmdtti iff alia Christen uroli, Inst pri<hy evening, to listen to a lecture entitled Fifty Years of Printing," by Mr Charles Francis, who „is» described as the Dean of the American, printing trade, and Commissioner in the United States Department of labour. . MP P. Seiig occupied the chair, onu introduced the speaker. fie mentioned that Mr Francis had been a printer in Dunedin in the early days—taring published the first "Otago Punch*" in the sixties —bat he had gone to America after a short stay in -New ZealandMr Francis said priming was the greatest business in the world to-day, ana ever since he had been a youngster he had been in love with it. Printing was the preservation and foundation of all lit and all business. Modern inventions, such as the electric telegraph and the telephone could never have been accomplished without printing, because without printing there could have been none of the progress in education which had made each inventions possible. During the last fifty years printing had made more progress than since the time of Gothenburg up to half a century ago. and at the present day it was the third largest and one of the most important industries in the whole of America, which country provided one-twelfth of the world's commercial printing. At this stage the illustrated portion of .the address was commenced, but its interest was somewhat marred by the extremely erratic behaviour of the lantern, the operation of which was not very successful. A very large number ol pictures was shown, however, and they fhirly well covered the lest halfcentury of progress in the mechanical side of the trade. The series of frliiVti dealing with presses commenced with the old hand-press, and ranged right through the main types until the present day. The same thing was done wtih [ the type and type-setting section, and |it was of considerable interest to the tradesmen present to compare the early type-setting machines of the 'seventies and 'eighties with the latest linotypes and monotypes. At one point in his address Mr Francia spoke at acme length on the formation of the sobool for printers’ apprentices, which in doing work in somewhat similar lines to the more advanced technical rlnrar■ hereAt this school." of which he was one of the founders, young printers were assisted to keep “out of the rut.” They were put to all kinds of work, instead of staying in a groove and when they had gone through the whole course they could flatter themselves that they were real printers. Shortly before be came to New Zealand he hud had tide pleasure of making up a 25,000 dollar budget tor tbe school. Ten thousand dollars or this was subscribed by the employers, a similar sum by the unions, and five thousand by tbe boys themselves, _ vte said they felt they would like to give it some practical support. (Applause.) This proved. She thought, that the work done by the school was appreciated. Continuing, Mr Francis touched on the growth of the printing trades union in America, a union with many branches, which Had grown in numbers from a total of about 20.000 in 1886 to over 200.001 at the present day. A number of interesting old union tickets were dnvo, and tbe lecture was concluded by th* screening of a “movie** picture of tbs great Charles Francis printing plant in New York. Though the pictures flickered rather badly at times, it was easy to see that this enormous organisation— l of which Mr Francis is justly proud—i( about the lasr word in efficient factory practice and most of the latest labour, saving devices are seen in action, and one could not help being struck by tbs apparent method and orderliness in all the multifarious operations of the factory At the conclusion of the lecture Me Fmneis was accorded a very hearty vaM of thanks. An endeavour is being made in Wellington to arrange for an address from Mr Francis before he leaves the Dominion.