Evening star., 1943-09-21
New 5 Per Cent Cut
In Newsprint Ordered
For Balance Of Year
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
Blaming manpower shortages In
the pulpwood industry, the War
Production Board has cut news
paper consumption of paper an
ether per cent for the last quarter
of this year and Chairman Donald
M. Nelson said greater curtailment
was inevitable next year.
Even with this new cut, the pub
fishers will be using newsprint at
rate exceeding production by $4,000
tons, Mr.. Nelson said yesterday
In a report to Chairman Boren of
the House subcommittee investigat-
ing newsprint, Mr. Nelson said WPB
has decided to hold the curtailment
to S per cent in accordance with
the newspaper industry's wish. But
he warned that by using up its re-
serve supplies now the industry must
run the risk of more drastic cuts
next year.
Mr.. Nelson said shortage Of
manpower for cutting Of pulpwood
both in Canada and the United
States underlies the newsprint sit
uation.
Sees Delay in Recovery.
Even If several remedies now
being applied or under study prove
successful-including the use of war
prisoners and the furloughing of
Canadian soldiers-no benefits can
be expected for 10 to IL months. Mr.
Nelson said, because that much
time is required to convert wood to
paper.
He indicated disbelief that the
remedies would be successful unless
efforts to increase the cutting of
pulpwood bring "unanticipated IA
vorable results"
The newspaper Industry Advisory
Committee recommended Septem-
Der that the curtailment be limit
ed to s. per cent on sliding scale
basis, with larger newspapers suf-
fering a proportionately greater
share of the curtailment. The
newsprint report to Mr.. Boren was
the first disclosure that WPB has
concurred.
Total Will Be Is Per Cent.
The new cut will bring total
reduction of Is per cent in news
print consumption since the first of
the year, WPB officials said The
original curtailment order effective
January was intended to reduce
quotas by approximately 10 per cent,
but actually cut consumption only
around S per cent. A second cut
of 5 per cent was ordered July /.
The new S per cent reduction will
be on sliding scale basis similar
to the July curtailment, but WPB
spokesmen said details had not
been completed.
Under the July curtailment,
small newspapers using Is tons or
less in any calendar quarter were not
affected. Cuts for larger papers
ranged from az per cent for pub
fishers using up to so tons a quarter,
to 5 per cent for those using 500 tons
or more quarter.
Situation Outlined.
ut is clear" Mr.. Nelson reported
that there will be less newsprint
| in 1914 than in 1943. With these
facts before them, newspaper pub
fishers had the alternative of (A)
budgeting their consumption imme-
| diately to provide for a gradual ad-
justment to the diminished supply
or (B) consuming their reserves
more quickly and facing a deeper
cut later on. They have recon-
mended the second alternative.
The WPB decided to accept the
recommendation because it
wishes to keep the operations of
American newspapers at the high
est possible levels consistent with
orderly and equitable distribution
We are hopeful that our efforts to
increase the supply of wood and
pulp and the efforts of the Cana
dians will improve the long-range
outlook
However, 1t should be clear. and
every one concerned should under