The Washington herald., 1916-10-19
PAPER SHORTAGE
REACHES CRISIS
Publishers Agree that Conservation Is
Necessary.

Special to The Washington Herald.
New York, Oct. 1s-Whlte paper Is be-
coming more and more a scarce commod-
ity. The shortage noted early IN the
year has increased rather than dimin-
ished, as hoped
1t has reached the point where news
papers will be forced to curtail large
issues or demand an increase in rates for
daily sales that will not meet with pop
ular approval. Smaller newspapers are
due. This Is the best and only answer
for the situation which the newspaper
reading public faces.
The situation has become so serious
that a dozen different remedies have
been advocated and adopted recently.
Cutting down the size OF the paper or the
advertising is only one OF these. Raising
the price of the newspaper and watching
to detect the smallest waste OF space are
other devices adopted.
A. Gordon Mcintyre, a retired official Of
the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association
and an authority in the paper trade,
has been chosen by the American News
paper Publishers Association to start a
new department. He will confer with the
publishers and act as their representative
in negotiations with the paper manufac-
turers. To some of those in the news
paper publishers ranks it looks as
though the country dailies and weeklies,
which cannot or will not contract for
their print paper in quantity. will be
forced to suspend.
Wood Pulp Imports Decrease.
| A significant fact is that the imports
of wood pulp, used in making white
paper. have dropped in the last year
despite the fact that there is a normal
Increase OF six per cent in consump-
tion every year.
In 1914 the imports amounted tc
, 5OS.3 tons. The next year $4,000
more tons were brought in. This year
the tonnage was 1000 less than ir
1914 and $1,000 less than in 1915
| These figures were for the year ended
June 80.
Not only on the other side were
trade conditions upset, but also here
AS the result Of increased wages In
| Canada and other Industrial factors
| the mechanical pulp that used to come
over the border in great quantities
now dribbles through. A dispatch
| from Toronto contained an intimatior
by the Canadian minister OF finance
that an embargo on exports of news
print might be ordered II the price
in the domestic market were found
| to be excessive. On the other side OF
the border as in this country. the cry
has been raised that the manufactur-
ers have been holding up the consum-
ers. but here at least investigation has
! shown that there is real shortage.
Publishers Facing a Crisis.
1t is estimated that 100000 tons OF
news print will have been used In
this country by December of this year
The normal increase of six per cent q
year would bring the 1918 consump.
tion to more than 100000 tons, which
calls for an additional daily produc-
tion OF from 500 to 800 tons. But ex-
perts interested in the newspapers
side of the situation can only see 10C
tons daily increase in 1918 over 1915
That brings the publisher face to face
with the question of curtailing his
consumption, pruning space in his
paper and dropping a few pages.
The duration OF the war enters into
the problem, Of course. II hostlllties
+ cease within a year exports from
Scandinavian countries may be resum-
ed in volume and the pressure upon
the publishers relieved. II the war
keeps up and the foreign supply OF