| Description | Present at the meeting: Professor S Zukerman in the chair; Professor T A A Broadbent; Mr Brooke Crutchley; Mr G G Eastwood; Dr G M Findlay; Mr J Fletcher; Mr Rolf Unwin; Mr H Wheen
Matters discussed;
1. Chairman's opening remarks
' The Committee had been constituted by the Council of the Royal Society following a recommendation of the Royal Society's Scientific Information Conference held in July 1948. The terms of reference were accepted as follows (Paper PO/1 (49) )
i. To advise on means of facilitating and improving the printing of scientific communications through the co-operation of representative printing organisations and scientific societies and other institutions publishing scientific material.
ii. To report to the British Federation of Master Printers, the Printing and Kindred Trades Federation and the Council of the Royal Society.
It was agreed that as the Council of the Royal Society has asked the Society's Information Services Committee to advise on the implementation of the Royal Society Scientific Information Conference recommendations, from which the present Committee originates, the Committee should keep the Information Services Committee informed of its activities.
The membership of the Committee was noted as follows;
Profesor S Zuckerman, CB, FRS Chairman
Nominated by the Federation of Master Printers; Mr Brooke Crutchley, Mr Rolf Unwin, Mr H Wheen
Nominated by the Printing and Kindred Trades Federation; Mr H Riding, Mr J Fletcher, Mr G G eastwood
Nominated by the Royal Society ; Dr G M Findlay CBE, Professor W V D Hodge, FRS
Also noted that as Professor Hodge will be absent in America from January to September 1950 it has been agreed that during his absence Professor Broadbent will deputise for him.
The Chairman said that the present situation of the printing of scientific papers, representative opinions of which were given in Paper PO/1 (50), especially those containing mathematical type, left much to be desired. The volume of scientific publication would increase in the future as more trained scientists became available and thus the present situation was but a foretaste of the great difficulties which would ensue in the future if present conditions were not improved. In view of this the Committee must, while trying to remove difficulties which existed at present, adopt a long-term policy so that in ten years time, when the volume of scientific publication had much increased, the printing trade would be able to deal with the work without there being undud delay.
After a general discussion the Committee agreed to consider carefully the following points;
i. The problem of shortage of labour, particularly compositors
ii. The policy of individual firms with respect to the priorities given by printers to scientific printing.
iii a The possibility of cutting down the time taken by the printers using their present capacity
iii b The possibility of increasing the capacity of the trade so that the present arrears of work might be overcome and the future increase of work dealt with.
iv. The possible reduction of stages in publication and the suggestion that the time spent in the first stage could be shortened by providing better copy.
v. Tha availability of copy in relation to delays especially with respect to publications which appeared at short irregular intervals.
2. Standardisation of Copy - The Committee discussed the advantages and possibilities of standardisation . It was pointed out that with the increased complexity of mathematical symbols the time now taken to set copy at the printers was almost fifty percent longer than it was fifty years ago. The Committee discussed how, in this field, the use of new and peculiar symbols might cause delays up to 7 or 8 months for example, by the time taken to cut a new punch for a new symbol. The desirability of standardising type faces and format, particularly with respect to contents pages, was considered and it was suggested that such standardisation might enable more sub-contracts to be intered into.
It was received;
i. that Mr Unwin, with the co-operation of Mr Crutchley should prepare a paper on the standardisation printing of scientific journals, for example, standardising print sizes and type faces pointing out the advantages to scientific societies which would be a consequence of such standardisation.
ii. that Professor Broadbent should prepare a paper on the standardisation of mathematical symbols from the mathematician's point of view.
iii. that the Royal Society Information Services Committee should be informed that the Committee was of the opinnion that printing delays might be reduced if printers were provided with better copy and if the general lines of presentation were standardised as between journals.
3. The shortage of labour - The problem of the shortage of labour in the printing industry was discussed by the Committee. It was felt that the greatest difficulty lay in the supply of skilled compsitors, particularly for hand setting.
The need for more skilled labour in houses printing scientific material thereby increasing capacity was stressed, prticularly in view of the likely increase in the future in the volume of scientific printing.
The possibility, suggested by the Chairman, of more universities allying themselves to a printing house in the University city, thereby increasing the number of University Presses, was discussed. It was considered that this should be encouraged and that Mr Crutchley be invited to propose a note on the development of scientific printing through association with Universities. The problem of incentives for compositors was also discussed and the Committee felt that the compositors should be encouraged to have a pride in the job of setting scientific papers as this work was of so great an improtance to science. It was agreed to defer the question of the intake of new personnel to specialised scientific printing to a later meeting but the view was expressed that some arrangement whereby firms engaged on this work might have the opportunity of training more apprentices would be helpful.
It was resolved;
i. that Mr Eastwood and Mr Fletcher should investigate -
a with Professor Broadbent, the causes of delay in the printing of the London Mathematical Society's publications.
b. the cause of the difficulties which were being experienced by the Royal Society of Edinburgh with their printing. '
4. Date of next meeting - 11.00 am, on 16 February 1950 |