The Toilers of the Press.

Otago Witness, Issue 1813, 20 August 1886, Page 14

The Toilers of the Press.

Dean Alford once wrote a book called " The Queen's English." It is deservedly out of repute, inasmuch as the Dean proved himself to be more faulty as a critic of Queen's English than those whose Queen's English he affected to criticise. The worthy gentleman, however, even had he been competent to undertake the task, evidently knew little of the circumstances under which the laches of the press in respect of Queen's English are ordinarily perpetrated. He could have known nothing of the extraordinary stress and worry, and strained attention which are called into action, from editor to printer's devil, in the production of a single number of a daily broadsheet. Had he been better informed he would have hesitated to sneer at occasional slips of syntax which, even as mistakes in the best regulated families, occur in the columns of the great newspapers of the world. He would, on the contrary, have expressed his astonishment that under the circumstances such strong, incisive, simple, and direct English marked the literary work of the journals in question. It is a common matter — but nevertheless exasperating to the pressman — to hear some would-be dilletante ass point out a simple slip of grammatical construction in a mere paragraph. Probably if that man were set down to write the said paragraph under the conditions which attended its composition, he would fail altogether to render himself intelligible — the first essential, after all, of journalistic writing. But in truth, these captious critics may be excused. Few understand the terrible labour of presswork ; the pressman sometimes — as, for instance, when Parliament is sitting — works twenty hours out of the twenty-four, and this too, for little more, and frequently for less money than the artisan gains. Yet the pressman never strikes, never gives in until the labour he undertakes so manfully overburdens him and King Death marches him off to make room for another aspirant. The following narrative will serve to give an idea of what journalists do and suffer:—" Melbourne, March 30, 1886. Some time since, after over twenty years of newspaper employment, the latter decade of which term has been spent in work of sedentary character, I discovered that constant sitting, want of exercise, night work, and at times irregularity of meals, were developing most unpleasant symptoms of illness. It needed very little medical knowledge to convince tHat the trouble arose from the liver and kidneys, and, with a wholesome regard for the American notion that up to thirty-five years of age a man is engaged in breaking down these organs, and for the next thirty-five of his allotted span in arranging for their repair, I determined to grapple with disease in its incipient stages. I have not had much faith in proprietary medicines hitherto, although the constant testimony to the value of some of such remedies places them beyond doubt and criticism. I intended to seek medical advice when the question was asked by a fellow pressman, ' Why not try Warner's Safe Cure ? has tried it, and believes it is doing him a great deal of good/ Acting from motives of curiosity I obtained some ©f the Safe Cure, and find the merits of the remedy not a whit overrated. It speedily relieved me of the unpleasant symptoms of disease which had become apparent. It remedied the dyspepsia to which I was at times a victim, gave me a better appetite, and has generally increased my enjoyment of living and pleasure in work. The medicine, judging by its effects upon myself, is a most valuable one, and I have no hesitation in recommending it to the numerous class in Australia, of those who, from various causes, suffer from liver and kidney complaints. — (Signed) G. A. Bicknell, Daily Telegraph, Melbourne." Mr Bicknell, as a pressman, is not at all likely to be led away by enthusiasm. It is an essential of his calling that all evidence must be weighed, and all truths confirmed, ere publicity is given to them. All the more valuable then is testimony from such a source ; and all the more confounded must be those captious simpletons who decline to believe in the virtues oi any remedy which has not received the hall-mark of a doctor's prescription.

Sly Grog-selling on tlie Otago Central. Three cases of sly grog-selling were heard at the City Police CourtOn Thursday, before Mr E. H. Carew, Resident Magistrate, and in each case convictions were recorded. The first case was against William Downes, who was charged with having on the 25th July last, at the Deep Stream, sold liquor — to wit, ■whidky — without being duly licensed to sell the same. Mr Macdonald appeared for the accused. Wm. Maloney, a,labourer, residing at the Deep Stream, said that on the day mentioned he "went with Thomas Gorman and William Low (since dead) to accused's place. Witness had four drinks of whisky there, and Low also had some. Downes served them with the drink. Witness paid for two drinks. There were some other people in the house at the time.Constable M'Carthy stated that accused kept an accomodation house at Deep Stream, and also took contracts. The man Low was found dead the next morning, he having fallen over a precipice. This was the case for the prosecution. Victor Klee said he was in the house when Maloney was there on Sunday, the 25th July. He did not see Maloney pay for the drinks. It was hard to say whether he might have done so or not. Witness was not in the habit of watching! what people did. To Mr Weldon : I shouted, and took a cigar. I could not say whether Mr Gorman took a cigar or a drink. Two others took cigars. Wm. Downes (the defendant) said that he did not take any money for drinks. When people paid their accounts to him he generally "shouted." When Klee "shouted" the people had cigars. To Mr Weldon : I "shouted " twice or three times for men paying their accounts. Gorman had a drink at my expense. Low was drunk when he came. He had to travel three miles i from up the line* to my place. I gave him peppermint and limejuice. I would not give him anything stronger, as he was a friend of mine, and I thought it would do him good. Mr Weldon said he would call Gorman to give rebutting evidence. His said there was no necessity. The evidence given by Klee amounted to nothing; and Maloney was not there in the character of an informer. He (Mr Carew) knew the circumstances of the case, as he had heard them at the inquest on Low's body. Accused would be fined £20 and costs (£2 ss) ; in default, one month's imprisonment. •

The same accused was further charged with illegally selling whisky to Thomas Gorman on the same day. His Worship asked if the previous conviction would not bo a sufficient punishment seeing that the sales were made just about the same

time. It appeared, however, that accused had been previously convicted in May last, and fined £2 10s, so it was decided to go on with the case. Thomas Gorman was called, and deposed to having been supplied with whisky on the day in question. Accused said the drinks had not been paid for Victor Klee gave similar evidence to that given by him in the othfer case. His Worship said he could not place much value on Downes' evidence. He had no doubt the liquor bad been sold. The police had made very strong efforts to put a stop to sly grog-selling at the Nenthorn, and there could be no doubt that it existed to a very large extent. The consequence was that there had been several deaths there through drink. Different Justices who had dealt with such cases had different ideas as to penalties. He had taken their decisions somewhat into consideration in inflicting penalties in former cases, but if persons came before him time after time for the same offence he would certainly inflict a very heavy penalty. Before stating the fine in this case we would just tell Mr Downes what he was liable to in the event of his coming before the bench again. For the first offence he was liable to a fine of not exceeding £50, in default one month's imprisonment with or without hard labour ; on a second conviction to a fine not exceeding £100 or three months' imprisonment ; and on a third conviction to a fine not exceeding £100, in default six months' imprisonment, in addition to which he was liable by the order of the court to be disqualified for any term of years or for ever from holding any license for the sale of liquor. With regard to this offence *.t was really a continuation of what he had previously been charged with. He did not wish to inflict a crushing penalty this time. He thought if the fine of £10 in addition to what the accussed had been fined under the first information, it would meet the case ; but if the accused was brought before him again he would inflict a very heavy penalty. He would see if he could not inflict such a one as would stop him frdm doing it again. In this case he would be fined £10 and costs £2 3s, in default one month's imprisonment with hard labour ; cumulative on the last sentence. Mr Macdonald asked to be allowed time to pay the fines. Mr Weldon objected. He said the accused had been at the Deep Stream for the last 18 months as a sub-contractor. He would ask that the fines be forthwith inflicted. Mr Carew said he would leave the matter with Mr Weldon. If the fines were not paid he could apply for a warrant. , Mr Weldon : I wfll apply at once, your worship, if he does not pay. Mary Ann Rutherford was charged with having on the 25th July last sold beer without being licensed so to do. Mr Macdonald appeared for the accused, and pleaded Not guilty. Wm. Maloney said he knew the accused. On Sunday, July 25, he went to her house in company with Thos. Gorman and William Low. They had beer to drink — two glasses each. Mrs Rutherford served them. He did not know who called for the drinks or who paid for them. They had two glasses each. It was between 4 and 5 o'clock. Thos. Gorman said he was in company with the last witness at the time mentioned. They had beer while in the house. Witness paid for the drinks. He did not know who served them. He could not say how much drink they had, and he did not remember whether he saw Mrs Rutherford there. ' To Mr Weldon : The reason lam so hazy about the matter is because I afterward heard about Low being killed, and the news upset me. Constable McCarthy said that accused's' husband kept an accommodation house at the Deep Stream. It was not a licensed house : it was g. sort of aboarding-house. The nearest licensed house was at Hindon, three miles away. This closed the case for the police. Accused said the remembered Gorman and Maloney getting beer in her house on the day in question. The beer was not paid for. They just came over and witness asked them if they would have a glass of beer. George Reid said he was a miner, and lived at the Deep Stream. He knew Mrs Rutherford. He was in her house on the Sunday when Gorman and Maloney came in. He saw them having a glass of beer, but he did not see anybody pay for it. He heard Mrs Rutherford ask them to have a drink. To Mr Weldon: I live at Rutherford's. I have been living there for six or seven months . lam a miner at Hindon. That is about three miles away. I also have been engaged contracting. lam not mining now and lam not a contractor. lam at present working for Rutherford. I have been with him for the last three months. His Worship said the defence was the usual one. All he could say was that ho did not believe the defence. He asked if the defendant had been previously convicted. Mr Weldon : Yes, your Worship ; on the 25th of May she was,fined £5 and costs. His Worship : If I recollect, her husband was fined £20 on the same day. Mr Weldon: Yes; her husband and she were fined on the same day. His Worship said he was of opinion that it would have been better to have inflicted the full penalty on the first occasion. If that had boen done there would not have been so much likelihood of a second offence being committed. He would not make any distraction in the fine in this case, but he would just tell Mrs Rutherford that if she came before him again he would inflict a much severer punishment than he had done that day. Mr Weldon : I ask for an immediate settlement, i His Worship : In default, on.c month's imprisonment.