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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1917)
4 5 B Nonproductive Labor Problem Overcome by the Installation of Monotype in Bee Composing Room THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: MARCH 25, 1917. (TluftlnrM Efficiency tarles) The Monotype Type, Lead, Slug and Rule Caster Has More Than Solved the Nonproductive Labor Problem on The Bee; It Furnishes New Type vf or Every Paper Published, Insuring Our Readers Clearness of Print Not Obtainable Under Old Distribution Systerrr VTONPRODUCTIVE labor is the nightmare of every manufacturer. It has been one of the great problems in the manufacture of newspapers. After composition had been completed distribution followed as a matter of course, which distribution in every instance was non productive labor. Some of this had been partially over come in years gone by, but for the past two years, non distribution has been ah accomplished fact by use of the Monotype lead, slug, rule and type caster. This means real efficiency, not that of the theoretical kind. It means that a shop using the Monotype for making its spacing material and type is in position at all times to take care of business with new material complete, and each day the paper, as a whole, with very little exception, is bran, span new. In The Bee office the Monotype has proven itself time and again and made things possible that seemed impossible. It means that The Bee at all times is provided with an abundance of material, which after use is put in the melting pot to be cast over again to give more new ma " terial. Perhaps its value can best be explained by giving an account of what took place in The Bee composing room recently. The system as worked out in The Bee office pro vides a full case of type all the time, and new type at that. When a case is set down it is pulled out and a full ' one placed. Leads, slugs and rules are thrown away after using and a case of new material for spacing i always at the command of the compositor. Omaha had an automobile show. The exhibitors were very liberal in using space in The Bee, and day after day the strain increased until it reached its maxi mum on Saturday, on which day sixty-one columns of v ads were dumped on the composing room to put into type and to catch our earliest mail edition in the morn ing. The greater portion of this copy came after 3 o'clock in the afternoon and eleven columns of it were dumped at 7:30 in the evening. Our normal crew in the ad room took care of all of the business, got it out in time and had material left to duplicate the work per formed if necessary. This immense load of advertising was handled by our regular force in the regular hours and in a typographical manner which was most pleas ing to the advertisers and to The Bee. The machine has paid for itself, increased production, improved appear ance of the paper and left a profit over and above its cost of operation, to say nothing of the improved service which cannot be estimated in dollars and cents. The Bee is strong for the Monotype. THE OLD WAY OF DOING IT. After an advertisement ' had been set up and printed it became necessary to distribute it in order tc have material to set up another advertisement. Foundiy material was quite expensive, and no composing room had sufficient material to take care of its maximum business without distributing. When a composing room is busy setting ads it has no time to distribute. Time is lost when two men work out of the same rack or case. Then, too, distribution was monotonous work. It was merely a mechanical' process. No thought other than to put the proper letters and spaces in the proper boxes was necessary. Another thing about distribution dis liked by newspaper printers was the fact that type after going through the stereotyping process would stick together. In order to distribute it, it was necessary to loosen it by pounding it on a stone, and even after this had been done it still had a tendency to show brotherly love and many a printer has had the tips of his fingers . almost skinless from trying to divorce the different let ters and spaces. Then came the job of putting away the leads, slugs and rules. Of course, they were all thrown on a galley in almost any old way and it became the sad duty of some unfortunate printer to stack and sort them before putting them in the different racks and cases where they belonged. Yes, the day of the Monotypeless printer was a hard one, and the cause of many a printer's debauch was caused by none other than the fact that he had to distribute tomorrow. HOW IT IS DONE TODAY Copy for an advertisement is received in compos ing room. Foreman of department gives same to printer to set. If advertiser has requested any particular face of type the printer knows he can set the ad as desired, as there is always an abundance of type where you find a Monotype caster. The same is true of borders of all kinds. Another advantage of this machine is that it casts leads, slugs and rules in any desired length. This, of course, does away with piecing. There is no break noticeable where the pieces of border meet, such as was seen when material was bought from the foundry or was produced on a machine which could only cast a short length. There is no chance of leads slipping or binding. You can cut material to any desired length. Spaces and quads are always plentiful. The printer who works in an office where there is a Monotype type, lead, slug and rule caster has an " easy time compared to the printer who labors in an office where there is no ( : i I : I ki Bdn eg?" -J""Mn: w zmmmmm ..- r n mi m. ..jm Monotype. He doesn't have to worry about the material needed to complete the ad; his mind is concentrated alone upon the object of setting the composition, and you will find that quality of composition is superior to other where there is a machine of this kind. CLEANNESS OF PRINT Have you ever noticed some line or letter in print which was hardly noticeable? The chances are that it was foundry type which had been used time and time - again and had been through the stereotyping process, which is very hard on type, as great pressure is neces sary to make a mat from which a plate is cast to print from. Type is never used more than once when cast on this machine where nondistribution is in practice, as suring readers at all times of good, clear print which will not cause eye strain. We have received many com pliments upon the typographical appearance of our paper from readers as well as merchants who d vertise in The Bee, and we must admit that for si! 'this we owe thanks to this wonderful machine and its producers" who have revolutionized the print ing industry and which is bound to do more in the future, as its possibilities seem to be unlimited. If it increases in efficiency as it has in the past it will do more wonders for this industry than any other machine now being used. THE FACES OF TYPE UNLIMITED Almost any face of type manufactured by any type founders is available to users of the Monotype type, lead and rule caster. The matrices furnished are cut deep, the face of the type being as clear and sharp as that manufactured by any foundry. These matrices can be had outright if desired, or they can be loaned from the "library" system, just as you wish. The ad vantages of the "library" system are numerous. If you wish you can have a hundred or more dif ferent faces of type in your office, the number being unlimited, as you receive new matrices whenever you return those loaned to you. The same holds good regarding border and rule ser- can always give your customer some ' thing differ ent when he wants it and you have a Monotype. fit , ""MffflnrHij Monotype Type Caster on The Bee Which Calls Type, Leeds, Slugs, Borders and Rules EXPERTS AT OUR DEMAND The Lanston Monotype Co. of Philadelphia, which manufactures this machine, offers us the service of ex pert mechanics and advisers at all times. Regular visits are made by their efficiency men, who are anxious at all times to assist or, advise in bettering the output of their machine. A wonder ful statistical department, which has complete records of all machines now in use, is at our disposal. We know what the other fellow is doing and are' willing at all times to give them the benefit of any new "wrinkle" we may , learn. -