GOLDEN PAPER.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1920, Page 3

GOLDEN PAPER.

A WORLD SHORTAGE.

It is quite possible that those of our readers who noticed the message at all thought it an unnecessary waste of cable-power to proclaim to the world that Canada has just held back seven car-loads of paper consigned to the United States says the Christchurch “Sun.!'’ In ordinary circumstances they would be right. But matters arc so far from ordinary in the paper-world at present that everyone should know what the position is. In a vague way the public: realised during the war that they were getting unusually generous treatment in supremely difficult times. Until a few months ago no one was asked to pay more for his newspaper than had been considered a fair thing before the war—when paper was about one-third of the present price. What our readers do not realise is that shortage and high prices did not end magically with ' the Armistice but are causing more anxiety to-day than ever. Broadly the position still is that paper is being consumed over the whole world about 10 per cent, fastei than it is being produced. Even in America, which is easily the largest paper manufacturing area - anywhere two thousand newspapers are threatened with extinction because they cannot he supplied. It is estimated indeed, that if the newspaper fatalities were compiled for the last twelve months over the whole world, they would be not fewer than 20,000-all of them, or nearly all victims of famine. That is a misfortune that affects countless thousands of people. Nor is it a question merely of price. If supplies were absolutely assured means would be found to adjust the burden of increased cost equitably lor everybody; but months, and possibly years must pass before supplies catch up with demand. Of the thousands ot Canadian and American timber-cutters who kept the mills supplied before the war only a. proportion have returned to their original occupations. Thousands will never return. In Scandinavia the paper mills not only had to go slow during the submarine menace, but are going slow still owing to a shortage ot •Welsh coal. The groat forests of Finland must continue at half-yield as long as the war lasts between Reds and Whites on the borders. Germany, will I not overtake local requirements for another twelve months-nnd probably not then France denends on Britain and America. And in Britain and America unfortunately—in fact, everywhere in the world the endless discussions and. schemes for reconstruction, added to the new popular-reaction against short supplies in anything, compel a general increase in the size of newspapers. Y e are thus burning the candle at both ends, while maritime and other transport’strikes flicked us further into the darkness tof n paperless world. Like the German ex-Clinncellor, our readers should begin at once to reassess the value of a scrap of pnpei,