The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-04-06
Paper Shortage Causing
Many Newspapers to Reduce
Size and Others to Suspend
From The Columbus Enquirer-Sun

The white paper shortage which the news
paper publishers of the country are now
facing is growing more and more serious.
The larger papers of the country are con-
fronted by this problem no less than the
smaller ones. Only short time ago William
R. Hearst, publisher of several of the largest
newspapers in the United States, in signed
article appearing in his papers, called upon
congress to take action that would compel
reduction in the size of newspapers. Mr.
Hearst declared that while congress might
not have authority to enact a law bearing
upon newspapers not passing through the
mails, law barring from the mails papers
containing more than a specified number OF
pages could be enacted and would hold good
Mr. Hearst, being one of the largest pub
fishers in the country, understands and ap-
preciates the seriousness of the paper short
age and seeks to solve the problem.
This shortage has already caused the an
nouncement to appear in number of news
papers that their size would necessarily be
reduced until there is some relief And 1T
is not altogether improbable that in some
instances papers will have to suspend publ
cation. Of course, publishers are doing all
thew can to prevent the situation from reach
ing such stage as to necessltate suspen-
sion of publication, but it is well for the
public to be Informed of the extreme serious
ness of the problem. 1t is true that some
DuDllSn6rS, nave DSeu ulOIS 1OI Cu1IetGC IMAM
others and have a supply of paper on hand
but the vast majority of them have not. The
following from the Macon News explains the
! shortage in white paper:
"The immediate cause of the white paper
shortage is the series Of storms in New York
and New England, from which the supply
| is obtained. The weather has been such
that shipments have been delayed for weeks
en- route, and in some cases all trace Of car
load lots has been lost. But there is a short
age of white paper due to causes that lie
| much deeper than those which have brought
the immediate crisis, and the newspapers
are now on a hand-to-mouth basis. 1t is
| in part due to the same causes which have
| rought about a shortage of practically all
| other commodities; but, in addition, there
| has been a deplorable waste of paper-not
newsprint paper, be it understood, but the
| kind of paper used in the letters and circulars
that flood the mails daily, and the raw ma
terials which might go into newsprlnt paper
are being used by various agencies that
overweight the mails. 1t is only fair for
the public to know that the shortage Of
white paper and the steadily mounting cost
of it is imposing great burden on American
newspapers. Paper which cost $1.81 hum
bred pounds at the mills before the war now
costs $10.75, and the indications are that
it will go higher Advertising and subscrip-
ton rates have by no means been advanced
to anything like the same degree"
In order to conserve its supply of white
paper The Enquirer-Sun has been issuing
paper smaller in size than it desired for
some time past. 1t has been hoped that
the situation would be relieved so that we
could give our patrons larger paper but
there is no immediate relief in sight. AS
announced yesterday morning, we have been
compelled to reduce the size of the paper
still further 1t is necessary for US to issue
smaller paper for the present, because
our supply of large paper has become ex-
hausted and will not be replenished until
shipment which has been ordered for quite
a while, reaches us.
We make this statement because the pa
irons of the paper and the public generally
are entitled to know the facts.