Evening star., 1950-06-19
Newsprint Probers
Told Demand Runs
Ahead Of Supply

AHCuu VI SuPPy
A spokesman for the American
Newspaper Publishers Association
said today American newspaper
are using UP newsprint faster tina.
they can get it. with no sign of
slackening demand.
Cranston Williams, genera
manager of the ANPA, said il
testimony prepared for Hous
monopoly investigators tha
while there have been no in
stances reported of United State
newspapers having to suspen'
publication because of a lack o
newsprint, the available supply
. becoming increasingly tight.
"At the end of May, stocks o
newsprint in the hands of pub
fishers reporting to our associa
ton were down to an average of 81
days supply. The average at tn
end of May for the past 10 year
was 40 days supply"
Celler Heads Committee.
Mr.. Williams was called fol
testimony by a House Judiciar.
subcommittee headed by Repre-.
sentative Celler, Democrat. of New
York. The Celler group, seeking
signs of monopolistic actor
among industries in this anc
other countries, recently com.
pleted a series of hearings into
the steel situation.
Mr.. Williams said nothing In his
prepared testimony to bear Out
Mr.. Celler's contention that Ca
madam officials and manufac-
turer are working toghether tc
hold down supplies of the paper
while keeping prices high. Of
ficials in Canada-which supplies
most of the newsprint used by
United States newspaper-have
denied this.
The ANPA official said Cana
dian newsprint production has
increased substantially each year
since the end of World War H."
He said that while 1891 ,901 tons
were produced by Canada in 1945
when United States newspapers
used 3,481 1902 tons, productions
has risen steadily to total of s.
176,000 tons last year. But by
then newspapers in this country
were using up newsprint at S.
$4,000 tons year year rate.
Production Speeded Up.
Canada has been able up tc
row to take care of United States
Cemand by energetic speedup o1
production without new mills,
Mr.. Williams said.
I'VE are now close to the limit
of production with existing facili-
ties, in my opinion, although
am told by some Canadians they
can still get considerable addi-
tional production out of existing
facilities without more machines
and more mills"
He said new Alabama news
print mill, producing a minimum
of 100000 tons a year, is ex-
pected to help the situation, and
added that two additional United
States and two new Canadian
projects are under consideration
But Mr.. Williams said there
still Is an urgent need for more
mills.
Less than two years ago." he
said. IAN estimate was made that
United States consumption, under
certain conditions, would be
5,629, 900 tons in 1850 and 6,201,-
600 tons in 1860.
THAT estimate for 1860 will
almost be reached in 1850.
Y Newspaper Demand Grows.
There are no indications of a
slackening in the public demand
for newspapers. Newspaper cir
culations and newspaper adver-
tising continue to grow. April
newsprint consumption was the
largest consumption of any one
month in history"
Earlier, the Newsprint Associa-
tion of Canada was accused of de-
liberatly limiting the manufacture
of newsprint so as to keep prices
up.
That charge was made by John
H. Perry, president of the Western
Newspaper Union, an organiza-
tion that provides news and fea-
ture material for several thousand
small newspapers throughout the
United States.
Mr.. Celler declared in an open
ing statement that the sole pur-
pose of the investigation was ito