The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-05-04
Nation Is Facing Paper Famine
Prices Double Within Past
Few Months.

The following article taken from
the st. Louis Republic of last Sunday
will enlighten our readers as to the
situation this nation is facing in re-
gard to print paper. 1t will be noted
that the speaker, Mr. Collins, vice
president of the largest paper house
in the world, says that in some in
stances newspapers have had to sus-
pend publication. We reprint this
article with the hopes that every
subscriber Of The Reporter will read
it and better understand the serious
situation that confrOnts the publish
e..
"The United States is facing pa
per shortage that is being felt in
every line, and prices of paper have
doubled and trebled within the last
few months.
print paper that is manufactured
from weed pulp has scared in price
until many newspapers in smaller
cities have had to reduce the size of
their papers, and in some instances
have been compelled to cease publ
cation.
'"rhe situation in the paper trade,
said Col. Martin J. Collins, vice presi-
dent OF the Graham Paper company,
is directly attributed to the European
war.
''Thc wood pulp that formerly en-
tered into the manufacture of paper
is now being manufactured into OK
plosives," he declared. Every
branch of the paper trade is effected,
and the large dealers cannot see the
end of the trouble
I'VE are supplying our customers
who lad long time contracts with us
at loss, and could sell ten times the
amount of stock we now do at fabu-
lous price.
"Just a few days ago we received
$4,000 in gold from Japan. They
wanted paper for gold and did not
ask the price. We will merely return
the money to them. We have not ex-
ported pound of paper since the
shortage became apparent, and we
do not expect to.
Much of the wood pulp that went
into our paper came from the Russian
forests. The wood was sent to
this country, where it was made by
the mills into paper. This supply is
now withdrawn.
eve formerly drew an enormous
supply of the wood pulp from Canada.
The British government is now using
all of the output in the manufacture
of cordite and other explosives and
we are getting none from Canada.
This country manufactures large
amount of wood pulp but our forests
have not been conserved as they
have been elsewhere. In other coun-
tries when tree was cut down two
were planted in its place. That rule
was never followed in America and
the supply is in danger of exhaustion.
South America, Japan and Aus
tralia formerly drew their paper and
wood pulp supplies from Germany
and Sweden. Now they are looking
to the United States for their supply
and they are looking in vain. We
cannot supply our own customers.
There is no telling when the end
will be- England is experiencing a
paper famine. Many publications
that are not considered necessary are
forbidden by parliament to continue
issuing, and the censOrs will not per-
nit the use of paper unless it is con-
sidered necessary.
Newspapers in the country form
erly bought their white paper for 2 n
to 21s cents a pound. Now the best
prices obtainable are from 4 to 5
cents pound, or just double the reg
ular price Jobbers are taking their
off the road. Mail orders
flow in largely in excess of the sup
ply. No paper house is quoting prices
for instant purchase. Even while
kilograms are being exchanged the
price may advance. One Of the lead
ing newspapers of Houston, Texas,
has advanced it's price from 2 to 5
cents per copy