Companionships

For many years past, a system has been adopted in the composing Departments of large Book-printing offices—particularly in London—of giving out the work to Companionships. The great advantage attending this plan is, that while all the pages are made up in an uniform style by the Clicker—which was seldom the case when each man made up his own matter—works of considerable extent are printed with greater despatch, and at the same time it is found to produce a saving in the cost of production. This benefit is equally shared by Journeymen and Employers; for while the former are enabled to earn more wages, the latter, by the great facility in the execution of the work, can undertake larger orders, and thus obtain greater profits.

The Clicker, on receiving copy from the Overseer, calls the members of his Companionship together for a few moments, and informs them what cases to put up and what letter to distribute; at the same time, he gives them any general directions which he may deem expedient for their guidance in composing. While his Companions are “putting in their letter,” the Clicker proceeds to get together what leads and other matter he may require for the making-up. He then draws out a table in a simple form. In the first column he sets down the name of each Compositor as he takes copy; and in the second, the folio of the copy, so that he may be able to ascertain instantly in whose hands it lies. In the third column, he notes down the number of lines each man has composed, opposite to his name, as fast as the galleys are brought to him. In the fifth, he sets down such remarks respecting the copy as may be necessary; also any circumstance that occurs in the Companionship.

When the Companions are quite ready for their first taking of copy, the Clicker invariably doles it out in small quantities, giving the first two or three Compositors rather less than those that follow. This plan is adopted to prevent any delay in the “making-up” (q.v.). During the time the first taking of copy is in hand the Clicker sets the first-page heading, the folios and white-lines, signatures, notes, poetry, and any other extraneous matter. As soon as he discovers that the first two or three takings are completed (which he is soon informed of by a second application for copy), he proceeds to the making-up of the first sheet. As he takes each man’s galley he counts the lines and enters the number against the Compositor’s name in the before-mentioned table, which serves as a check against the man’s bill when he presents it at the end of the week. Having thus made up the first sheet, he lays down the pages on the stone, and immediately informs the “Quoin-drawer Overseer” (q.v.) of it, who provides chases and furniture. The Clicker then takes the cords off the pages, and locks up the forme ready for the proof-puller.

The Companions are thus kept busily engaged at their cases, while the Clicker goes regularly about the little odd jobs which so frequently take the Compositors’ attention off their work under the old system of each making-up and imposing his own pages. The start being made, it only requires a plentiful supply of letter, leads, &c., and he work will proceed rapidly.

If the Clicker finds that from any cause,—such as abundance of notes, poetry, or other peculiarities in the work,—that he cannot make up and impose the matter as fast as it is composed, he generally calls to his aid one of the Companions who, in his opinion, is best capable of assisting him. Should he not have finished his taking, either the person next to him takes it and sets up to himself; or, if there is a great deal to set, the man who took copy last finishes it for him. When this is the case, the Clicker sets down the number of lines he has composed, and takes notice of the number of hours he is engaged “on time,” which he enters in the form referred to.

As soon as the proofs are read, they are forwarded to the Clicker, who immediately tells the person whose name appears at the beginning to lay up the sheet and correct his matter. The proof is then passed on regularly from one to the other until all have corrected, the last one locking-up the forme and carrying it to the proof-press. This is the only instance in which the Companions are called from their frames, and proves at once that a great saving of time to the Compositor is effected thereby.

When the last taking of copy is given out, it is the duty of the Clicker to apply to the Overseer for other work, so that the Companions shall not be kept standing. Frequently, however, one Companionship will have three or four works going on at the same time; so that if there is a scanty supply of copy or letter of one work, the Clicker uses his judgment by employing his Companions on the others. But should it so happen that all the work is nearly finished, and there is no more copy to give out, then, so soon as one of the Companionship is out of copy, the lines of the whole are counted off, and set down in the table and every one does what he can for the general benefit, till all is completed.

At the end of the week, the Clicker makes out the bill in the following manner:—

He first ascertains what amount of work has been done during the week; he then counts how many lines each Companion has set, and divides them into hours. Having done this, he refers to his table to see how many “hours” of time-work has been charged, including his own time, which is generally about fifty or fifty-four hours per week, without overtime. He then adds the number of hours of “composition,” time-work, and his own together, which gives him the total number of hours to be paid for out of the bill. By reducing the sum total of the bill into pence and dividing it by the number of hours, he gets at the price per hour at which the bill pays; so that it is to his interest to work well, in order to make the bill pay as much as possible.

The “fat,” such as the title, blanks, short pages, folios, whites, and head-lines, are all made up by the Clicker, and thrown into the general bill, so that each man gets his fair proportion of it when the bill is made out; whereas, by the old system, a considerable space of time was literally wasted by the Compositors at the end of every work, gathering round the stone, “throwing quads” (q.v.) to decide who should have the title, who the blank, or any other fat matter, such as a piece of table-work, &c., often ending in disputes and angry feeling. Therefore he who picks up the largest number of stamps, in the cleanest manner, comes in for the largest share of the “fat.” This is how it should be. But by the old system, one man may have a happier knack than another of throwing the quads, and would get the largest share of fat, when, perhaps, he has actually done the least portion of the work.

Most Companionships work on the same principle, although they have a different mode of paying the Clicker. In some he is only paid for the time he is actually engaged at the work; another Companionship will equally, not proportionately, divide all the fat; while others will allow the Clicker to charge the same number of hours as the man who has composed the largest number of lines. The latter plan is bad on principle, as it affords ground for dishonesty; for it is very easy for a Clicker to give the best and fattest copy to the Compositor who can pick up the largest number of stamps.

One of the largest London Firms divides their work between three different classes of Companionships, and pays their Clickers establishment wages. The first-class Companionships have all the best kind of work, and the Companions are paid sevenpence or eightpence per hour (or thousand letters); the second-class Companionship take the medium work, and are paid sixpence per hour; while the third and lowest class have to be content with inferior work, for which they get fivepence per hour. Each of these Companionships receives the above prices irrespective of cuts, blanks, tables, or other “fat,” which is claimed by the Employers, as remuneration for the Clickers’ labour.

On being first employed, the Overseer generally places the Compositor in the third-class Companionship. His manner of working is closely watched, and if he proves to be a quick and clean Compositor, on the first opportunity he is drafted into the second-class; and if his abilities are still approved of and his conduct is good, he may ultimately be promoted to the first-class Companionship. Here he will have a double advantage over his previous situation; for not only will he be engaged on the best work, but he will be kept constantly employed; for if a slackness occurs, the inferior work is taken from the third-class “ship” (q.v.) and given to the second; while the best “ship” is kept doing with work from the others, rather than be suffered to stand still.

Perhaps, however, the fairest and most equitable method is to let the Companions choose their own Clicker, and pay him out of the general bill. If he does not work to their satisfaction, they will soon replace him by a more competent man: thus the Employer will have the satisfaction of knowing that his work is progressing with all the dispatch possible, and that he is only paying the actual worth of the labour performed. This feature in the economy of the composing-room has not been adopted in America to any great extent. It was originated, and still chiefly prevails, in English offices.