Evening star., 1942-10-28
WpB Ready 10 Limit
Output Of Newsprint,
Officials Indicate
T.
ANPA Group Discusses
Proposed Limitotion
At Long Conference

manufacture may be first step OF
the War Production Board to con-
serve manpower and materials In
the printing industry, 1t was indi-
Gated today by E. w. Palmer, chief
OF the printing and publishing
branch of WPB.
Mr. Palmer presided at an all
day meeting yesterday OF the WPB-
appointed Newspaper Advisory Com
mittee and officials Of WPB to dis
cuss the wartime supply problems OF
the American press. The Advisory
Committee is composed OF IS prom
hent newspaper executives.
The freezing" Of production OF
all paper at the mills at a per-
centase Of the output during . Ger
tain base period was among the
proposals considered at the meeting,
the first the committee had held
with WPB officials since its appoint
ment. ,,..
Mr.. Palmer said the freezing pro-
posal already had been before WPB
and predicted its possible adoption
might be followed by an order cur
failing deliveries Of paper to pub
fishers.
Order May Come Quickly.
He said he hoped 1t would not
come until after the next meeting
of the committee, tentatively sched-
uled for some time next month.
But" he added, "the curtailment
of deliveries Of paper may come
overnight"
The advisory committee members
discussed with WPB officials vari-
GUS steps that might be taken to
conserve publishing materials dur
ing the war, after WPB Chairman
Donald Nelson had warned them
that curtailments are absolutely
necessary.
Mr.. Nelson was not specific about
plans he believes should be adopted,
but said he was confident news
papers would willingly accept cur
tailments when they know the
facts.
I'VE have got to tighten up on
domestic economy because we have
got war to fight" he declared.
I'VE can't do the job and carry on
as usual"
Many Problems Discussed.
Mr.. Palmer, who was WPB
spokesman at the protracted meet
ing, told reporters afterward, that
many other problems confronting
the newspaper industry were dis
cussed.
These included the newspapers
own plan to conserve newsprint,
transportation and labor, as set
forth in a bulletin of the American
Newspaper Publishers Association
last spring. This plan relies on
such steps as elimination Of sample
copies and a decrease in the num-
ber of editions to effect necessary
savings
There also was a discussion, Mr.
Palmer said, regarding the return
Of unsold copies, and the elimination
of special features such as travel
and book review sections.
These subjects, however, were
left for future determination by the
committee and WPB officials.
One of the chief operating prob
lens of the press, due to the war
impact, WPB officials were told, is
the lack of manpoWer. The "drags"
of the selective service, Mr.. Palmer
said, have alone taken away from
10 to 20 per cent of the personnel of
the newspapers
A. G. Wakeman, chief of the pulp
and paper branch of WPA. said he
anticipated a curtailment of the use
of news print, but said he would
leave it to committee members to
decide how this should be accom-
plished.
Necessity for the present so per
cent curtailment in the use of zinc,
vital product in the production Of
a newspaper, was outlined by George
Ickes, chief of the zinc branch of
WPB. Lawrence Brown, assistant
chief of the technical and coding
branch of WPB, expressed the opin-
ion the present ALLEGATION of photo
graphic film may be increased.