The Topeka state journal., 1916-12-22
THE PAPER CRISIS
The High Prices Ruling for
White Paper
Threaten the Very Existence
of Many Dailies.
EIGHT HUNDRED SUSPEND
Twenty-Eight Have Quit in
Oklahoma.
Big Dailies and Small Ones to
Wits Ends.

The news dispatches make reports
of the committees representing the
daily newspapers of the country VINO
are in Washington appearing betore
the federal trade commission to see
what relief can be secured in the
resent white paper crisis.
The situation was probably never SO
critical in the newspaper business
George w. Marble of Fort Scott. rep
resenting twenty five daily newspapers
of Kansas, was one of the witnesses
before the commission. He repre-
sents the Kansas Daily league. winch
is taking steps looking to. an assur"
ance of supply of white paper at
2 ices at which it will be possible for
them to continue publication The
league regards the situation so crlt1-
cal that the very existence or the
papers is threatened by their inability
to secure white print paper, except at
prohibitive prices.
Twentv-eight papers have already
suspended business in Oklahoma be
cause they were unable to pay the
high prices demanded for their raw
materials.
H. L. Rogers president OF the amer
lean Newspaper Publishers associa-
ton and business manager of the
Chicago News says: 'Some publishers
come to their office each day without
knowing whether they Will nave
enough paper or hand to issue an
edition the following day"
Mr. c. L. Day, in an address before
the California Press association,
SAYS: Eight hundred country town
newspapers in TIE United States nave
su pended publ alton since the price
of news print paper began advancing"
Globe
nounces that it has increased its sub
scription price from SO to Sc per year
and has reduced its volume of reading
matter Is per cent and increased It's
advertising rates, eliminating all free
reading notices.
Papers Will Be Smaller.
The newspaper reader pays 90, little
for his paper as a rule-1 or cents
a copy, or 10 cents a week-that he
has apparently given himself little
concern about the price and does not
realize what a struggle is going on in
the newspaper offices all over the
country to meet the new conditions,
per cent and over.
For the last year, all sorts of prices
for all sorts of commodities and serv-
ices have been constantly advancing
and, as a rule, where the public has
thought these advanced prices were
the new prices without particular op-
position. When a merchant has been
obliged to pay more for his goods he
is expected to charge more to his Gus
toners, otherwise he must cease doing
business.
The newspapers have been meeting,
for more than a year. numerous ad-
vances in the cost of labor and raw
material. A year ago an advance was
made to those employed in the print
ing offices and, on the first of January
another advance goes into effect un-
der the contract
This past year the newspapers have
paid increased prices for everything
that has gone into the production of
paper; wrapping paper has doubled;
ink prices have increased; twine has
doubled; stereOtyping metal has dou-
bled, white paper is doubling Be
ginning with next year, newspapers
will be required to pay from so to
over 100 per cent advance in the price
of white paper above the cost on con-
tracts made a year ago.
This expense will have to be met
and papers are sure to cost more and
subscription prices will be advanced
these things are inevitable Some of,
this expense may be met by reducing
the size of papers; setting the news in
smaller type; reducing the number of
pages printed-but indications point
to the fact that an increased price is
necessary too.
Many daily papers have already ad-
vanced their rates, some 100 per cent
The papers of Sioux City, Ia, have
advanced from l to cents per COPY;
the Lincoln papers have done the
same thing, all the Pittsburg evening
papers have advanced from 1 to
cents per copy; the Des Moines papers
nave doubled their prices. The To-
peka reader may, therefore, expect.
IN view of these conditions, that he
Will nave to pay more for his papers;
PROBABLY an advance of from cents
per copy to 8 cents or even 5 cents