Evening star., 1943-04-02

total Of 20 per
cent in all, is David Lawrence.
practically assured.
This means that the American
people have been luckier than the
peoples of allied nations, where
drastic cuts in the size and con-
tent of publications have had to
be applied. Hence any irritations
over changes made in favorite news
papers or magazines must be COM
pared with the actual hardships
suffered by the reading public
abroad.
The other countries have been
affected by shortage of shipping as
we'll as materials. On the North
American continent there is today
shortage of manpower needed in
cutting the logs out OF which wood
pulp is made and a shortage also
Of certain chemicals used in making
paper for books, newspapers and
magazines.
LWClentIy H2n0led.
The problem has been handled in
. very efficient and cooperative
way by the various elements of the
printing and paper industry and by
a special division in the War Pro-
duction Board which is stated by
practical men who come from the
publishing and printing business.
Each group-the newspapers, the
magazines and the commercial print
ing companies+has a section in the
WPB devoted to the particular cate
gories. There are industry advisory
committees, composed of competi-
tors, who are vigilant in observing
what the governmental stats do
in allocating the paper to the users
1t is an excellent example of in
dustry and Government co-opera-
ton: There have been, of course,
difflculties and embarrassment in
getting the curtailment program
under way. Thus when the first
cut Of 10 per cent became effective
January l it was assumed that there
would. be another cut OF 10 per cent
for, the second quarter, but at the
last moment the Canadian producers
Of wood pulp were able to complete
their survey and show that second
cut could be held in allegiance for a
while; It.. a>...>.- ..-...
Statistics Elusive.
The facts and statistics with re-
s0eet to consumption requirements
IN America and the manpower and
materials available in Canada and
the United States for the main in
gradients used in making paper have
not been easy to gather. Not until
a canvass was ordered through lists
made available by the Census Bu-
reau was it possible to get scien-
tific measurement OF what the
various amounts of tonnage really
were in the different categories OF
use
Likewise, the big user OF paper
the Government-has not been re-
quired until recently to put its own
facts and figures and needs on
record SO that the degree of essen
tiality could be ascertained with
respect to Government agencies. 1t
is obvious that in the Army and
Navy the need for paper for maps
and field work is abnormal during
war time and that rationing routine
and necessary steps in carrying on
production Of war weapons all re-
quire an amount OF paper not ordin-
narily figured In the Nations con-
sumption.
Minimum Needs Explored.
The WPBs division on printing
and paper is delving into the figures
and endeavoring to keep govern
mental consumption down to the
minimum. Efforts also are being
made to prevent the paper mills
from losing too many of their en-
ployes, some of whom are being
drawn away by other war indus
tries through failure of the War
Manpower Commission promptly to
classify the paper business as essen
tial.
But. based on the facts thus far
available, it appears that second
cut is coming and that the only
thing uncertain is when 1t will be
ordered, the general impression
being that 1t may be possible to
defer the cut until the autumn and
perhaps to the first of the year.
Readers Of newspapers and maga-
zines will find that changes are
being made gradually and that in
the main the service given them
will approximate that which they
have been receiving. Where they
are In for surprises, however, Is in
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