The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-07
TOPEKk'S NEAR
PAPER FAMINE
Prices of Commercial Stock
Have Increased Greatly.
An Advance of From 25 to 100
Per Cent.
MANY KINDS HARD TO GET
Ink Also Has Gone Up From
40 to 100 Per Cent.
Unusual Conditions Are Due to
the European War.

Topeka is near a paper famine as
a result of the European war, accord
ing to statements made today at the
Commercial club by S. ]. Hodg1ns OF
the Central-Topeka Paper company
and Charles L. Mitchell of Crane q
Co. Never before in the history of the
paper business have prices scared SO
high or the market been so uncertain
both of these men declared.
In fact, the increase in the price OIL
paper has become so alarming, and
affecting as it does, practically every
line of business in Topeka, Crane q
Co, has been obliged to print
pamphlet which gives a few reasons
for the increased prices on printing,
lithographing and office supplies.
Here are a few quotations found in
the pamphlet:
A Few Increases.
Bond papers-Increase in cost .
Ledger ' Observation-Disclosures in cost 49,,
Coiored papers-Increase in ,oo,r
f fo us s0.ie a'..... eVs 500
Printing inks-Increase in cost .oor
5Som ns coiors cannot be obtained at ail5
Statesmen for paper houses coming
to Topeka will not take an order in
the morning until after a telephone or
telegraph communication with their
houses regarding the morning mar
years before the prices of paper are
back to normal and apparently there
is no remedy, the paper houses hndlnS
it impossible to sell at the same prices
wi1h the paper mills increasing the
cost almost every day.
Worst in History.
Never before in the history OF the
paper business have we gone through
such an experience" said Mr. Mtt2n-
ell today.
Foreign countries will not ship pa
per into this country and the paper
mills are to a great extent shipping
their output to belligerent nations who
are willing to pay almost anything
for it.
For instance, Mr. Hodgins cited the
case of a customer of the Central-To-
peka Paper company who ordered
several carloads of paper from Can
ada. Canadian officials would not
permit the shipment to pass the Dor
der in order to keep it on the Cana
dian side in case of emergency. .--
Then, petric acid, used in aniline
colors. is demanding sky high prices
in belligerent nations. 1t forms L part
of explosives. The aniline colors used
to sell for 40 cents a pound and now
they are demanding $40 a ton.
Chlorine largely used in the manu-
facture of bleach, is pressed into serv-
ice by belligerent nations in the man
ufacture of gun cotton. And bleach
to 20 cents a pound, according TO Mr..
Hodginss figures.
From $3.50 to $25.
1t used to be that book binders sold
ledger paper scraps for $3.50 a ton.
On Monday, Crane & Company re-
ceived word from a st. Louis house
that it would pay SIS a ton for ledger
scraps. Rags have advanced enor-
mously in price and are being shipped
to Europe. the Swedish supply of pulp
is sold direct to Germany and cut off
from this country and nearly all other
articles used in the manufa cture OF
paper have increased along the same
lines.
No paper house will take new Gus
toners now if it can avoid it, nor will
any paper house guarantee the color
of yellow paper, and the price is
soaring so high that the ordinary per-
son can not afford to use it at all. II
o. is predicted that if the war continues
another year colored paper will be a
curiosity