Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star FRIDAY, July 20th. 1917 THE PAPER PROBLEM.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star FRIDAY, July 20th. 1917 THE PAPER PROBLEM.

The real menace to the Press tin one danger that imperils its existence to-day is the shortage of paper, is a pungent statement, appearing in tho course of an nrtielo in the 72nd. Annum Newspaper Press Directory. The* article goes on to say that the situation was totally unforseen ■ by newspaper men at tho beginning of tho war, and was the only danger for which they cannot budget. It eamo suddenly upon us during tlie year, and the shortage grew tighter as the year advanced. The reasons for the shortage are complex but they all arise out of the wai. The success of the German submarine campaign and the destruction of shipping.; the Governmemt’s need for more and more transport facilities for purely military and naval purposes, have all attended to reduce our carrying capacity in dealing with what in war tinio must ho called unessentials. Tho restraint had to bo put on all oceangoing goods, and paper-making material, or paper itself, ono of tho biggest and bulkiest classes of goods crossing tho seas—felt the pinch first. A Dig reduction of imports was forced by the Government early in 1916, miu a further reduction is expected in 1917. This, then is the chief danger that has grown out of the war, and anticipating a continuance of the European struggle it is a danger that cannot b 0 minimised. The cost? of paper has soared up, but, at the end of the year 1916, tho cost had ceased to be as important as;_ the quantity likely to bo available. Otther contingent difficulties have also arisen to make the newspaper proprietors’ position difficult. The drain by the army on the skilled and technical workers engaged in work associated directly or indirectly with' newspaper production has been very great. The tale of depleted staffs was being told everywhere long before the end of the year, and the camhing-out process still further reduced the man-power of the Press during, the Autumn. The abnormal rise in tho cost of living hue also played its part- There is scarcely a branch of labour in the printing trad* that has not ©ecured a considerably advance in wages. In addition everything used in newspaper production ' and printing went up alarmingly in ' 1916, and the outlook for 1917 is distinctly gloomy, Thor© are critic*? wfco

dn hot think the situation, can -.grow ■ easier un/til some tame after peace has been declared. As a consequence most of tho leaders in newspaper circles have’ no guidance to give and have adopted a ‘wait-and-see’ policy, while lesser J men look forward to tho future with I visible perturbation. " Tho crisis in the j paper trade has had visible physical effects. The first result of tho 'shortage was of course an all-round reduction in the use of paper. The biggoi corporations made every efforts to buy luige quantities in advance, as a protection against soaring prices, and the possibility of partial failure of a minimum supply. Whether or not they hold paper in advance of their needs most, papers have reduced. The reduction did not mean much at first, or alter the appearance of many papers. In the higher competitive field of newspaper production there is a. limitbeyond which voluntary reduction canhut go owing to the difficulty of getting papers competing directly against each other to take common action. Then the difficulty of pi-ice cropped up. Apart from tho shortage, the increase in the cost of production made the prevailing price of newspapers difficult to maintain. Tho great daily newspapers went on their course, economising in ithe use of paper and selling at the usual price. How the matter of tho price of newspapers will work out if paper grows still mor<, scarce and expensive, tho year 1917 will show us. In. the meantime tho gloomier experts ar« not so much concerned about the price as they are about the actual paper supplies. They aro wondering whether newspapers will come put at all, save in such attenuated forms that they may become little more than single sheets, that were the parents of the modern newspapers as we know it to-day.