The Ordway new era., 1920-02-27
Cure Print Paper
Famine Is Plea
WILLIAM RANDoLP HEARST

WILLIAM RANDOLP HEARST
The smaller papers thruout the
country are in dire distress because
OF the scarcity of print paper and the
high prices that are charged them for
such print paper as they can get
These smaller papers are calling up-
on Congress, and Congress is under
obligation to these smaller papers
and to their clientele to consideH
their case carefully and to act ju-
diciously but positively in their be-
half.
The larger papers in the big cities
have, to a certain extent, the same
difiiculties as the small papers thru
out the country. But the large
metropolitan newspapers have the re-
sources to overcome these difficulties
and to get paper at whatever price
may be asked.
Unfortunately it may he said
OF most of these large metropolitan
newspapers that they are in no way
concerned at the difficulties of the
smaller country brethren, and that
they go ahead recklessly using all
the print paper they want, and very
much more than they need. without
regard to the hardships which their
-
pers thruout the country.
The Hearst papers are of course
the largest publishing institution in
the country and use, because of
their number and because of their
dominant circulation, a great deal
of print paper.
But the Hearst papers have been
very conservative in the use of this
paper. They have drastically re-
duced the size of tieir daily issues
and OF their Sunday issues, even
when their metropolitan competitors
were recklessly using all the paper
they could get their hands on.
Is 1t not just and fair, then, to the
country papers to have certain met
ropolitan papers reckless reckless in
tbe use of print paper, and it is not
even fair to those metropolitan dali
les VINO are conservative in the use of
PRINT paper and anxious not to i'm
PoSe unnecessary difficulties on the
smaller papers to have no restrictions
upon these Goal Oil Jobnnies" nj
journalism who are not burning I'm
paper without reason and for that
matter, without result.
The Hearst papers therefore. ad-
wise the Congress, onal committee
ueallng with this subject to proceed
poluiy TO put some proper Limitation
upon the size of newspapers until
thls print paper shortage is overt
possibly for the period of one pear
congress, OF course, should pro-
ceed cautiously, SO as not to in lure
any newspapers, but it can rest AS.
sured that what some metropoliton n
newspapers have done in the wav of
conserving print paper other metro
polltan newspapers can easily do.
congress should not attempt to
determine what goes into a news-
paper. 1t should not decide wheth-
er the space that newspaper is al
iowed should be devoted to adver-
Using or to editorial or to news or
to special features or to what.
But 1t could very properly decide
what size of paper should be sent
thru the mails-in other words. how
many pages shold be permitted in,
each issue.
1t would be no hardship at all up-
on metropolitan Newspapers to con-
1ine them to twenty-four pages on
week-days and seventy-two pages on
Suhday-giving them. as is right.
ahree times as many pages for the
sunday periodical as they are allow
ed for their daily newspaper.
Congress should have no consti-
tutional authority to limit the size of
newspapers except In SO far as thew
are carried thru the mails.
But the Postoffice Department
undoubtedly could refuse to accent
newspapers whose regular editions
contain more than twenty-four pages
In the weekday editions and seventy
two pages in the Sunday editions,
allowing the owners of the news;
papers to devote those pages to what.
ever matter they pleased-want ad-
vertisements, display advertisements.
news articles. pictures, special arti,
cles or what not. ut restricting tho
papers to given numer of pages.
This would undoubtedly reduce
the consumption of print paper con-
siderably and relieve the stress on
smaller papers thruout the country.
But II 1t did not sufficiently re-
lieve the situation. then Congress,
could proceed later further to limit
the number of pages.
When we hear of papers suspend
ing all over the codntry and when,
there is possibly railroad strike