The Washington herald., 1916-10-19

raw materials is kept down then the
shortage will be greater than ever
before, whether the publisher econo-
mizes in paper or not.
The American mills are faced with
the demand for more paper than they
can supply at present. When asked
why they didn't foresee that more
white print would be needed, the man
ufacturers are wont to say that the
domestic supply in the past has been
held down by injurious legislation.
Manufacturers Don't Explain.
On the other hand, the manufac ctur-
ers have yet to explain why II the
war munitions factories have been ex-
panded and additional machinery in
stalled the paper mills have not been
developed in proportion to the increas-
ed demand for their products.
While this argument is going on
the supply Of paper is shrinking and
publishers are hard put to it to find
the necessary rolls. The largest an
nual consumption of news print re-
ported to the American Newspaper
Publishers Association is $4,000 tons,
although the figure would be higher
If special issues were put out.
The publisher has tried owning his
own mills. signing long term contracts
and buying for spot cash" In the
Street"
None of these methods has been
entirely satisfactory. The publisher
who controls a mill has difficulty in
getting any emergency supply from
outside because he is told others with
out mills must be protected first. The
cash system has resulted in one of
the largest newspapers in the country
buying news print at double the rates
of contract.
Smaller Customers Threatened.
Most of the mill owners realize that
excessive prices will wipe out the
smaller customers by the score, espe-
cially in the rural districts, and they
are moderate in their demands, but
the A. n. P. A. officials believe there
are other manufacturers who are seek
Ing all the traffic will bear, regardless
/ of future Developments
In behalf of the manufacturers II is
pointed out that little new production
| is provided for because of the cost of
installing new machinery, not to men
tion the fact that 1t takes approx
mately two years to develop water
power for a new plant. Whatever the
reasons for. the shortage, and the pro-
ducers and consumers will advance
! hundreds of conflicting reasons, the
supply is dwindling and publishers are
cutting down their papers.
| Many publishers did not awaken to
the facts of the situation until a few
weeks ago. Heretofore the market for
news print has been dull in the sum
mer. The newspapers have not been
| in the habit of getting out SO many
pages as in winter and a smaller
quantity of paper has been used.
That permitted the mills to accumu-
! late a reserve store which in past
years has been sufficient to tide them
over when the demand becomes brisk
in autumn. This year the publishers
expected the same thing to happen.
but the manufacturers reported that
the surplus stock no longer was on
hand.
Various reasons were given for this.
one being that the newspapers used
more white print this summer than
ever before. AS C. F. Moore. of the
Book Paper Manufacturers Associa-
tion, has pointed out, more paper is
being used than ever before. The
market reports indicate also that deal
| ing stocks of raw material. and this
does not conduce to a normal supply.
much less help to wipe out an abnor-
NAL demand.
The selling price of wood pulp In
Canada is 10 per cent higher than 1t
was a year ago, and adding that item
to the larger budget caused by in
creased wages across the border the
cost Of raw materials is worrying the
manufacturers.
They are at a loss how to make up
their contracts with the larger news
papers many of which must renew
their agreements with the mills in a
couple Of months or by the first of the
year.
Advising n Pro Rata scheme.
The manufacturers associations in
this particular trade are advising the
publishers to get together and adopt
pro rata scheme. Unless all the
publishers agree to something like this
there will be trouble for all, say the
manufacturers.
Meanwhile with the domestic con-
| sumers paying more for their news
print and not getting enough the for
eign buyers are offering fancy prices
for stocks and unsettling the market.
The exports have increased for the
first seven months of 1916, in spite
of the diminished supply.
! 1t was on account of this growing
export business that Mr.. Mcintyre, the
A. N. P. A. expert, Counselled the man
ufacturers yesterday to devote their
entire attention to the domestic sItua-
tion, look out after old customers and
build enough new mills to cope with
the normal increased demand.
Mr.. Mcintyre also asserted that all
publishers should adopt the non-re-
turnable system of selling newspapers
| Purifying the air by chemical
means, a German inventor claims to
have perfected a diving suit which
permits man to remain under water