J.S. Folds, Publisher of "The Dublin Penny Journal" Refuses to Use Printing Machines in its Production

Opposition by publishers to the introduction of printing machinery does not appear to have been frequently recorded in print, mainly, perhaps because publishers, who controlled the content of their newspapers and magazines, were motivated to introduce the machinery to increase productivity and circulation. In Ireland publisher J. S. Folds emulated Charles Knight's The Penny Magazine in concept and format but not in printing technology, and it is evident from his reference to Knight's book in the quotation below, that Folds was well aware of the arguments supporting introduction of the new technologies. Nevertheless, Folds refused to employ steam-powered printing machines in the production of the Dublin Penny Magazine. The topic must have continued to concern him, as in the 28th issue of the magazine, published on January 5, 1833 Folds explained his refusal, and urged caution toward technical innovation, under the heading "MACHINERY", p. 222:

"No man capable of one moment's reflection can be prejudiced against MACHINERY. It has altered the entire structure of society. It has created a new world. It has brought the elements, as it were, under our subjugation, and given us a physical and a moral power which will yet bring another and another order of things, all tending to raise the condition of man to the highest possible point of social comfort which his nature will admit of.

"Yet wherever machines have been introduced, for the first time, the working people have in general combined to put them down, or endeavoured by various means to arrest their progress, or impede their exertions. Are we to attribute this to ignorance?... The opposition to machinery amongst workmen does not proceed form simple ignorance. No workman would say that it would be better for us that the old times were revived, when sailing vessels used to take a week and ten days in summer, and two or three weeks in winter, to cross from Dublin to Liverpool, instead of going over now in fourteen hours in a steam boat....

"The opposition, then, of workmen to machinery is to be traced to that conservative principle in our nature which seeks instinctively our self-preservation. The society for Propagating Useful Knowledge has published a very valuable little book called 'The Results of Machinery,' in which the author [Charles Knight] throughout proceeds on the principle that the opposition of the working classes to machinery springs solely from ignorance of its nature and results, and to remove it, we have just to give them information....

"Every printing press is, of course, a machine. Each press employs two individuals; and every thousand copies of the DUBLIN PENNY JOURNAL takes up four hours in printing, there being two presses and four men constantly employed upon it, frequently working day and night. When any thing delays the sending it to press ten days before the date of publication, severe extra labour is required to bring up the lost time, and produce the number of copies requisite; and frequently the delay has very serious interfered with the interests and circulation of the periodical. Here, then, is a case in point. The printer would be justified in the eye of common sense in procuring a machine, by which the Journal could be all printed off in a few days, and thus not only the annoyance, the loss of time, the extra expense be avoided, but the Journal enabled in every respect to compete with the English and Scotch periodicals. Yet from the fear of setting an example of reckless indifference to the interests of men, from the fear of awakening that spirit of avaricious emulation, which would indiscriminately introduce machinery, which would supersede manual labour, he has hitherto abstained. Doubtless, the case still stands, that it is but exchanging one machine for another. Yet as numbers of men depend for subsistence on their labour at the old machines, the printing presses, the new machines should not be recklessly introduced; and as Ireland is yet comparatively guiltless of machinery, let it be introduced cautiously and deliberately, least [sic] in breaking up the soil for her future improvement, we hastily and wantonly plough through the hopes, the prospects, and the interests of her working classes." 

Later in 1833 Folds sold the Dublin Penny Journal to poet, printer and publisher Philip Dixon Hardy. In 1833 Hardy installed the first steam-powered printing machines in Ireland, and wrote about them with pride in his issue of May 10, 1834.