Evening star., 1943-10-20
New Is Pei. Slash
In nNewsprint Urged
By WPB Official
By the Associated press

by tne ASsoClAted Press.
A new cut Of 16 per cent In
newsprint consumption in No
vember-a slash as great as all
three previous cuts this year
combined-was proposed to
newspaper publishers today by
H. M. Bitner, chief of the print
ing and publishing division Of
the War Production Board.
Mr. Bitner, WPB announced, has
advised the Newspaper Industry ADJ
visory committee to take the 16 per
cent curtailment instead Of the al
tentative - dipping into reserves
which would lower papers news
print inventories by 10 days supply.
This would cut publishers inven-
tories from 40 to 80 days In the
Northeast and Central States and
from IS to SIS days in the South and
West.
The committee, which met in
formally. this morning to discuss
the problem posed by Mr.. Bitner,
was expected to reconvene in form
al session this afternoon and emerge
with recommendation before the
end of the day.
May Couple Reduction.
The possibility remained that its
decision would be to temper the
cuTtailment by taking a lesser slash
both in permitted use and in irven-
tories-possibly an approximate 10
peg cent curtailment of use and q
hve-day drop in inventory.
Mr.. Bitner advised taking the full
consumption cut. declaring that fur
tfler dipping into inventories would
be dangerous, as it would create a
serious situation for the newspaper
Industry in 1914"
Matthew Sullivan, head Of WPB's
newspaper section, echoed the opin-
ion that a Today cut in inventories
would be perilous and would work
hardship on many smaller newspa-
pers."
Harold Boeschenstein, director of
the new WPB Forest Products Bu-
reeu, told the committee at its
closed session yesterday that "WPB
has no intention of imposing a cut
on the users of newsprint alone"
viii Affect All Users.
rPublishers of books, magazines
and commercial printers will also be
cWtailed," he said, adding that con-
slderable paper could be saved by
trimming its use in publishing elab-
crate bulletins, advertising bro
chures and much direct mail mat
ter' He said he is writing advertis-
ing agencies to seek their voluntary
cooperation in paper economies.
WPB plans to restrict nonessential
paper uses when data is available" 5"
ME- Boeschenstein said, explaining
that any increases which can be
made in pulpwood production would
not be felt for about year because
OF the lag between cutting wood and
Its manufacture into paper.
Cuts Will Total 80 Per Cent.
The first cut in newsprint con-
sumption, on January /, was esti-
mated to have accomplished less
than 5 per cent reduction from
then current use. 1t was followed
by cuts on July l and October !
amounting to per cent each for
larger papers. Thus, if the proposed
further l6 per cent curtailment were
ordered by WPB it would total
slightly more than all curtailments
10 date and would bring the total
curtailment to approximately 80 per
cent under the consumption rate at
the end of 1942.
Mr. Bitner said that when the Ad-
visory Committee met last Septem-
ber the estimated gap between de-
livery orders and newsprint supply
was around IA per cent. The COM
mittee recommended a per cent |
cut for the fourth quarter and this
was put into effect.
The discrepancy has now in
creased to at least 16 per cent Mr..
Bitner told the group. IF this trend
continues no one can predict what
the in 1914 will be-"