PAPER SALVAGE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 260, 1 August 1942, Page 8

PAPER SALVAGE

Reply To Critic Of System FORESIGHT LACK DENIED

The statement criticizing the present system of waste paper collection in New Zealand, issued on Thursday by Mr. E. W. Clarkson, secretary of the joint committee of the commercial printing industry and printers supply houses set up for the purpose of dealing with paper supplies, was replied to by Mr. C. Todd, chairman of the National Council for the Reclamation of Waste Materials, yesterday. “The concern of the trade at the Insufficient quantity of processed paper being received from the Mataura mill is well understood,” said Mr. Todd, “but the conclusion arrived at that the failure to supply the trade’s requirements is due to lack of planning and foresight by the National Council for the Reclamation of Waste Materials is entirely unwarranted in the face of the facts.” ■ Mr. Todd stated that as a matter of fact, the council completed its organization throughout New Zealand two years ago, and two months before the gazetting of the order prohibiting the destruction of paper the council had made provision for new depots and the appointment of new subcommittees to deal with waste paper alone in order to handle the greatly-increased" tonnages required at the Mataura mill. Up to April of this year the council had met the full requirements of both mills and had shipped the surplus to Australia. The national council, having received word that all storage space for waste paper at the Whakatane mill was full to its capacity was now shipping paper in considerable quantities to Mataura from Auckland, Wellington, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Napier and Gisborne, so that the supply position would continue to show progressive improvement over the deliveries made during the past two months. He felt -sure the substantially increased quantities needed at Mataura would be supplied, ' The suggested co-operation of _ the uovernment with the local authorities had -been long established in nearly all areas throughout New Zealand. Indeed, the boards and committees associated with the national council were generally headed by the mayor or a representative councillor, while, town or county clerks or city engineers acted in a managerial capacity. The order gazetted recently preventing the destruction of paper was, he understood, issued because of the extreme necessity of conserving all supplies for industrial use and he felt the public response and respect, for the 'regulation would be immediate. All citizens should have the sense of duty to save all paper possible and help the State in its endeavours to get paper to the mills without recourse to penalties. Referring to the suggestion made by Mr. Clarkson that the work was of such national importance as to warrant it being dealt with as a commercial undertaking or public service. Mr. Todd commented that had the labour for handling paper to be paid for at award rates, as against the wide voluntary labour now engaged, the cost of the waste to the mills would be prohibitive. _____