SHORTAGE OF NEWSPRINT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 21, 28 April 1947, Page 3

SHORTAGE OF NEWSPRINT

EFFFECT ON SIZE OF PAPERS WHOLE WORLD RELIES ON CANADA | The acute shortage of newsprint in New Zealand is likely to be intensified before the end of the year, according to recent cables received from Canada by the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association. At the beginning of the year Canada allowed New Zealand sufficient paper to maintain newspapers at their present size, but cables re-, ceived from the Newsprint Associa-

;ion of Canada last week intimated

that it was highly probable that the full 1947 tonnage originally allocated would not be shipped. It is only with the most rigid | economy that newspapers in New Zealand can maintain their present size and then only if the full 1947 tonnage is received. Any reduction in the tonnage originally promised would mean the introduction of further economies. The only other source of supply to New Zealand is Newfoundland. There the position is worse than it is in Canada. Newfoundland had to reduce their 1947 New Zealand tonnage to a figure below that received in 1946.

During the war, in order to conserve available supplies, a rationing scheme was instituted by the newspapers in New Zealand and that scheme is still in force. After the war some newspapers increased their size with the belief* that news- | print supplies would be more plentiful in 1947. They are now faced with diminishing stocks and to ensure continuity of publication they will, in many cases, have to reduce the number of their pages to conform with the restricted tonnage that will be received during the year. N

A hope of increased supplies was raised by a recent cable from Canberra which quoted Mr C. M. Croft, Senior Canadian Trade Commissioner in Australia as. saying that New Zealand, Australia and Britain were likely to receive increased supplies this year. v . When confirmation of this was sought from Canada, the reply stated there would be no increase for New Zealand on the tohnage already allotted and that there was every possibility of a decrease. The record output from the Canadian mills as outlined by Mr Croft, besides maintaining existing Canadian markets at approximately their present levels, is going to Britain and other European countries to enable them to produce skeleton papers.

Before the war these countries were drawing, the bulk of their newsprint supplies from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Germany, but it will be several years yet before those mills are in a position to meet the requirements of their old customers. The chief drawback to their operation is the lack of coal in Europe and a shortage of labour. At the present time almost the full weight of the world’s newsprint demand has fallen on Canada and until that position is eased, the rationing of newsprint in New Zealand will continue.