THE PRINTER’S WORK.

Thames Star, Volume LXII, Issue 17318, 5 January 1928, Page 5

THE PRINTER’S WORK.

CHARLES DICKENS’ TRIBUTE

UNREPORTED SPEECH OF 1864

FOUND IN LONDON. s. The MS of a hitherto unpublished speech by Charles Dickens appealing for help for printers, delivered sixtythree years ago, has just been found in Losdon.

The discovery was made by Mr Joseph Mortimer,- the secretary of the Printers’ Pension Almshouse and Orphan Asylum Corporation’s archives in connection with their centenary celebrations, who. came across the speech which Dickens made as chairman in 1864. Mr Mortimer said the speech “sets out eloquently the appeal we are at present making to the public by which we hope to raise £60,000 to enable us to elect. 100 addiional printers to our roll of pensioners.” Following are extracts from the speech:—•

“The printer is a faithful servant, nbt only for those connected with the ‘business but for the public aty large, and has, therefore, when labouring under infirmity and disease, an especial claim' on all for support. “Without claiming for him the whole merit of the work produced by his skill, labour, endurance, and intelligence, without him what would be the state of the world at large? Why, tyrants and humbugs in air countries would have everything their own way.

“I am certain there are not -in any branch of manual dexterity-so many remarkable men as might be found in the printing trade. For quickness of perception, amount of endurance, and willingness to oblige I have ever found the compositor pre-eminent. His labour is of a nature calling for the sympathy of all. . > , “The tyrants and humbugs would gladly pension off all the printers throughout the world and have done with them; but let the friends of education and progress unite in pension* ing off the worn and. afflicted printers, and the remainder would ultimately press the tyrants ancl huipbugs off the face of the earth, for, if ever they are to be ' pressed out, the printer s is the press that will do it. “The printer is the friend of intellience, of thought; ,he is«?the friend of liberty, of freedom, of law; indeed, the printer is the friend of every man who can read! .' ■ “Of all the inventions, of all the discoveries in science or art, of all the great results in the wonderful progress of mechanical energy and skill, the printer is the only product of civilisation necessary to the existence of free man.” .