The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-11-20
NEWSPRINT SHORTAGE.
Amount Available Far Below the Needs
of Newspapers.

There is no exaggeration in the as.
sertions made by manufacturers and
by publishers in attendance upon the
special meeting of the American News.
paper Publishers association, held in
this city on Wednesday, that the sup.
ply OF newsprint in sight falls far short
OF the actual need as measured bv pres
day demands. 1t is significant that
representatives of the publishers, who
have conducted an exhaustive investi-
cation into the situation, agree that
the responsibility for this shortage does
not lie with the manufacturers of news.
print The manufacturers assert that
they are working their plants to full
capacity. What has happened is that
an unprecedented flow Of advertising
has swamped the newspapers. large
and small, while publishers have failed
to apply the checks necessary for their
own protection if disaster is to be
avested.
In their resolutions, unanimously
adopted. the members Of the 4. n. p. A.
urge that publishers in all parts Of the
country the publishers of small city.
town and country newspapers, as well
as those of the large cities mate
rally increase advertising and subscrip-
tion rates, and at the same time limit
the size of their isshes." The limita-
tion of the size # the newspapers IS
the chief desideratum. since that alone
will contribute to the reduction in pa
per consumption which must be brought
about ii hundreds Of the smaller paners
in the country are not to find them
selves unable to publish because of
lack of raw material for their finished
product
The daily newspaper at two cents
and the Sunday newspaper at five cents
are to-day the cheapest commodities
which the public can purchase. Taking
into account not only the high cost of
newsprint but also the very heavy in
creases in the cost Of mechanical pro-
duction which publishers have TO meet
the price OF newspapers is ridicuIously
low Unless the radical reforms recon.
mended by the A. n. p A. are adopted
by all newspaper publishers it is only
question Of time whom the public win
be compelled to pay 10 cents for the
large Sunday issues and perhaps five
certainly three-cents for the daily is
sues This situation was predicted by
The Herald some months ago
The A, ~ r. A. urges an increase in
the selling price Of newspapers all along
the line, but makes no specific recon-
mendations in relation TO the price Of
advertising 1t advises against the
practice Of making yearly contracts for
advertising at fixed rate, proposing
instead that all advertising rates be
adjustable monthly or quarterly And
in urging that publishers limit the size
of their issues It in effect advocates
placing a limit upon the quantity Of
advertising to be carried and upon the
size of individual advertisements.
In his address TO the association
President Glass said that newspaper
advertising rates "haye always been too
low and are still too low 1t is clear
that to these low rates is due the vol
ume OF advertising that has necessitat-
ed large issues and has brought about
the present inordinate drain upon the
newsprint supply which has proved so
costly to publishers and is responsible
for the impending newsprint shortage.
In view Of this shortage it is of vital
Importance that all publishers take to
heart and put into immediate effect the
businesslike recommendations of the
American Newspaper Publishers asso-
citation New York Herald.