The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-09-22
PRINT PAPER SITUATION
Statement Made to Patrons by E. r. Adler Publisher of
the Davenport Times, After a Personal Visit to
the Mills.

on the American side walked out,
shutting down the mill. The men on
the Canadian side did not so out, be
cause Of law In Canada which does
not admit of strikes but compels ar
bitration of differences. just what Mr..
Backus will be able TO do is a Qucs-
ton. Labor is very scarce. For
lumber jacks" and men who work In
the woods. who are now being sent
into the timber for the winter, they
are paying $50 and $55 per month and
keep" while the normal price has
been from SIS to $25 per month for
this labor.
As in every other line of business,
everything which goes into the manu-
facture Of paper has jumped in price,
and we were notified by the mill that
in addition to the $500 or more in
crease which must be met immediate
iy to take care of the increased labor
cost, we would be compelled to pay
another increase OF $40 per ton on
January first or before to take care
!of their increases III other directions,
including their increased cost OF get
ting the wood out this winter for the
paper to be made next year.
In this connection it should be
per ton, which the Times must pay
beginning January first, is much lower
than most of the mills, both east and
west, are now charging their GUS
toners Many papers. large and
small, are already paying $500 and
100000 per ton.
You will see by the above figures
that at the present time the Times
i Is paying $11.O0 per ton more than the
normal price, which on a consumption
/ of 100 tons per month means an in
crease in white paper expense or
| 81 10000 per month. Add to this the
$1,000 more per ton which we will pay
after January first makes our paper
cost an increase OF $4,000 per month,
or a total of SEE, 200 per year.
! It is absolutely impossible for the
Times to stand this increased ex-
pense, any more than it would be for
any ordinary business to take an in
crease Of this kind and absorb 1t.
There must be a raise in subscription
price, both city and country, and pos
sibly a raise in advertising rates, II
there is not some change IN the situa-
ton by January first. which there is
no prospect Of at the present time,
am making this frank statement
to the patrons of the Times so that
they will understand the situation
thoroughly and appreciate the condi-
ton which confronts us. If we are
compelled to raise our prices little
later on in order to remain in bust
mess / trust you will understand that
it is simply matter Of self-preserva-
ton, and that whatever small increase
we make, it will not begin to absorb
the increased cost which we will be
lup against.
The famine In print paper is the
most serious situation the newspapers
iof the country have ever had to face,
and just now if the strike continues,
there is no telling what will happen
to the newspapers who are customers
OF this mill The Times has a three
weeks supply of print paper on hand.
Whether we can get any more is very
lproblematical.
! trust you will appreciate this
frank statement and accept it in the
spirit in which 1t is given to you.
Respectfully,
e. P. ADLER, Publisher.