New-York tribune., 1918-01-19
Printing Ink Shortage
Bureaucratic Indifference Threatens
End of All Publicity

TO the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: We arc inclosing copy Of letter which
we have written to many Congressman ana
Senators, and the substance of this letter
has also been sent at various times during
the last two months to every department III
Washington We have begged for relief not
only once, but have repeated it many times
ever, to be met with the most Indifferent at
ttudc regarding the situation.
No doubt, one or more of our ASSOCIATION
plants are under contract to supply your
publication with news ink. but it will be
absolutely impossible for them, or any one
of them to fulfil contracts and to keep up
your supply unless can get the necessary
raw materials. 1t requires about 4O,ooo'
pounds daily for Now York City papers
alone.
The situation j.; so serious and critical
that we believe it would &c wise for you to
bring it to the attention Of the public, ana
add the weight OF your editorial influence to
the demand that printing ink makers be ac-
corded some consideration, and that we be
allowed to secure the necessary raw ma
terials with which to manufacture ink for
you and other publishers.
The Federal Trade Commission is giving
great deal Of time to the print paper situa-
ton, but Of what use will be paper without
ink? This is condition which menaces
yours we'll every ether publication in
the country, and we are bringing It, IN tins
manner to the editorial attention of every
leading newspaper in the East and through
out the Middle West. There must be some
immediate action crisis will be precipi-
tatcd which will spell disaster to every in
dustry and to every war activity in the
United States. Obviously, no industry can
be successfully conducted without printing
or without publicity. DAVID E. GOE,
Secretary National Assoc iation Printing Ink
Makers.
New York. Jan. II, 1915
L. S.If this five day closing order is en-
forced against us we cannot supply your INK.
My Dear Sir: grave crisis faces the
country because of the failure of the Pr-
ority Board to grant cars for carbon black
and other absolutely essential materials
for the manufacture Of printing ink. Neither
Judge Lovctt nor the car commission condo
scends to answer letters and kilograms beg
eing for relief. We have also put this mat
ter up to Mr.. McAdoo but have received only
very cursory acknowledgment.
Unless the sixty factories, where every
pound Of printing ink used in America is
made get an immediate supply of materials,
and especially carbon black from the gas
wells in West Virginia. the supply Of ink
to newspapers and publishers and printers
for railroads, express and other common
carriers must necessarily fail.
We have been shifting small lots of sup
plies remaining on hand from plant to
the other in the effort to cqualzc the ten
sion and the production at various points.
We are, however, at the end Of our resources
in that direction. We have between twenty
five and fifty of material blockadcd
between West Virginia points and New York
City. and have been unable to get any orders
from Washington officials which will enable
US the railroads to move these cars. We
are even anxious to snip material by express
and pay the excessive cost
We fully realize that war Materials coal
and .oodstutts must be moved. We also real
ize that continual supply OF print paper,
now under consideration with the Federal
Trade Commission, is necessary But of
what avail will be print paper without print
ing ink? And how will public utilities, such
as railroads, telegraph and telephone COM
panes, do business without the necessary
printed blank form? How will the various
departments of government transmit orders
and intelligence without the necessary
printed formso
We DO not know how to make the stua-
tion any plaincr or how to point out any
more urgently the serious and menacing CON
dition because of the vanishing supply of
printing ink. 1t requires nearly 10000
pounds daily for New York City papers
clone.
As a group Of manufacturers we have in
the last three years invested many millions
IN increased plants for the production of
materials dyes, chemicals, etc-formerly
imported from abroad. Printing ink makers
on Liberty Bond Day subscribed for over one
million dollars of Liberty bonds.
We are willing to accept our duo proper
tion of emergency conditions and restric-
tions, but we insist that we arc entitled to
at least courteous consideration from Wash
ington officials; and also insist that we
must have some relief immediatcly or the
wheels OF industry and of all war activities
Will come to sudden standstill We have
exhausted not only our matcrial but wc
arc short on patience and forbcarancc with
bureaucratic Indifference to our needs
DAVID T.. GOE
New York. Jan. l6, 1918
Exit Spluroe'