page-proof_ _wave-length_
_cross-section_ _pay-roll_ _well-being_
_death-rate_ _poor-law_ _well-nigh_
_folk-song_ _post-office_ _will-power_
_fountain-head_

These rules are the consensus of opinion of a considerable number of
good authorities from DeVinne (1901) to Manly and Powell (1913). The
great practical difficulty is that authorities differ as to their
application. DeVinne uses the dieresis instead of the hyphen in such
cases as _co-operate_ or _pre-eminent_, writing _cooeperate_,
_preeminent_. Many of the rules have exceptions and authorities differ
as to the extent of the exceptions. There are many differences in the
great number of unclassified compounds. For example, Manly and Powell
write _coat-of-arms_, while Orcutt writes _coat of arms_. Common usage
omits the hyphen from post office except when used as an adjective, e. g.,
_post-office accounts_.

A strict adherence to the rules given would probably result, not in bad
composition, but in a much greater use of hyphens than would be found on
the pages of many recent books from the presses of some of the best
publishers. This is due partly to the fact that usage has never been
strictly uniform and partly to the constant progressive change noted at
the beginning of this study. We are gradually discontinuing the use of
the hyphen just as we are diminishing our use of capital letters,
punctuation marks, and italics.

The compositor should ground himself thoroughly in the principles and
rules. He should learn the best usage with regard to special words and
phrases. He should master the office style. He should follow copy if the
author has distinct and definite ideas which are not absolutely wrong
and would not introduce inconsistencies in magazines and the like by
violating the office style which is followed in other parts of the same
publication. If it is clear that the author knows what he wants, the
compositor should follow copy. Questions of correctness and conformity
to style belong not to him but to the copy editor and proofreader.

SUPPLEMENTARY READING

English Compound Words and Phrases. By Francis Horace Teall. Funk &
Wagnalls, New York.

The Compounding of English Words, When and Why Joining or Separation
is Preferable. By Francis Horace Teall. J. Ireland, New York.

Correct Composition. By Theodore L. De Vinne. The Oswald Publishing Co.,
New York.

A Manual fo