Norwich bulletin., 1916-08-28
NORWICH FEELING EFFECT
 OF PAPER SHORTAG
Local People Say Quality is Poor and
 Stock Hard to Get.

|. For some time past Norwich has felt the effect of the paper shortage. 4 number of local people have said in the past few days that the paper they are receiving at the present time is Of poor quality and hard to get at that. People are now beginning to realize that the warning sent out by the government to conserve the paper supply was timely given. The whole paper industry is gamble today. said a paper dealer a few days ago. In view of the threatened paper famine that hes alarmed the country and the many analysis of the national paper situation his remark hits the nail right on the head.
 Big paper dealers and the depart ment of commerce of the government say that paper stock is short, that dyes and bleach are short and that consequently all patriotic citizens Sh0UIS conserve waste paper with fru- ga1fty.
 Newspapers. printers and stationers have walled at the prices of paper. Paper mills have suppHcated the public to save old rags and old papers and have put up the price of finished paper because they say they did not have the stock or the bleach They have also complained of the advanced price Of labor and have begged up the price of paper a few more shezels.
 Industrial concerns. under the stimulus of the industrial prosperity that has reigned throughout the land during the year, have got in the same panic over paper that they have over other supplies and or dered ahead so far that the freight congestion all over the East was in creased. This increased the panic which increased the orders. which increased the shortage of raw ma teriaL as well as causing more freight congestion and so on ad in finitum until the whole house of cards tumbled. and concerns stopped ordering so far ahead.
 This afforded some relief. More relief was afforded by the huge ton mage of old rags and old paper that the spring housekeeping swept in to the eager hands of the rag men, This may be partly traced to the appeal of the department of com merCe, but more to the 25 per cent increase in the price of old rags and paper, which made it worth the while of patriotic citizens tS save them, and help the general stiua- tiOn at the same time. This exodus from the houses flooded the market with paper stock, and caused a great slump in the prices Of old rags and paper in the spring and early sum- mer. This buying of paper stock by
 
 mill supply dealers. and the sorting, bailing and reCOnsigning of the stock to paper mills has taken time But now. the paper mills of the country are better stocked than they have been for a year, according to supply deal CTS. They are consequently trying to force the high price of stock down This makes the supply dealers bitter as they bought from the rag peddIers at high prices.
 Of the old papers and rags, both of which are paper stock, there are several ways of disposal. They may be burned, as many of them are, in spite of the appeals of the nation and the dealers But this practice has on the whole dWindled, both on ac- count of the rpublicity that has been given to the paper shortage and the high prices that are now offered for such material.
 The second alternative is that paper stock may be thrown away in which case it finds it's way into the dumps if it not taken out of the barrels.
 The third alternative is that paper stock may be sold to peddIers, and 1t is clear {. from statements made by