SERIOUS PAPER SHORTAGE

Chronicle (Levin), 17 January 1947, Page 2

SERIOUS PAPER SHORTAGE

-Press Association

By Telegraph—

AFUKLAND, Jan.- 1(5. l A serious sliortage in tlie .supply oi I paper for tlie printing iinlustry, the | prodiH'tioii of periodicals, manufavtare j of slationery and other eonnnereia] uses . i will be experieneed this vear. Alloea j tions 1) v the Uanadian mills xvhich are 1 J still the prineipal souree of supply for export to Xew Zealand in 1947 and the ; small and uncertain export quota i allowed by tlie Fnited Kingdom Board of -Trade represent, according ttiithoritative esliniates, not more than two-thirds of the Dominion 's r-equire-ments. This survey does not refer to news print, the supply of whieli has already been restrieted by Canadian mills to ihe preci.se tonnage consumption by newspapers and is lieiug kept witliin that limit by a continuation of tluvoluntary rationing plan which wa.introdnced in 19-10. Wupplies of all other kinds of print ; ing papers will now 1 >e so restrieteii j that every c'onunercial activity will In confronted with the uecessity fo' I rigorous oepaoiny in 1915. 1 niportation')f printing papers amounted to only 7' [irr'cont. of the quanlity iniportcd in 19.4S. 'fhe latest statistics sliow tlnp during the first nine 'nionths of 19-10 ; tmporlulions were slightly less than m ! the corres])onding period of 1945 and u is unlikely that the total for 1910 w.il! ! be equal to tiial for the previous year. Tiie prospect s for 1947 are that sup iplies uili be at the besl eijual to de . liveries in l!)l(i. Stocks held in Ihe jcounlry by mendiauts, lnanufacturers and printers are low owing to tlieir j deplot ion duriug the war period so thnt Itlie total available siqiply will not l>e i sullicient to satisfy the deniaiuls which have been greally increasml by the growlh of 1 1 1 - po[)iila(ion and expansion ! of jnduslrial and other coni:nerci;i. aclivilies. Tlie sitnatinn will be examined with in the next few weeks by represeiita tives of Ihe interest s ' iniiiiediatel;. lconeerned iu eoiisullation with tlie - Depart nient of Industries and Coin merce which is fully jnformed of th" position. .As no stibslantial increase in tlie prospeclive supjily can be obtaiiied Ihe silualion can be met only. b.v re serving available paper for essoiilial , re(|uirciuents and in tliis coiniectioii Ihe ef'fetd iqion einployinent will have to bcarefully considered aud any lendeiicv jloward extravngaiice in the use of : paper will have to be sevorely re jiressed. „ ■