PAPER SHORTAGE.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 January 1920, Page 1

PAPER SHORTAGE.

A Bill has been introduced into Congress prohibiting the export of print paper from the United States for one year from the date of the passage of the Act, ir for “such further period as t!ie President by proclamation may, in the public interest, determine.” A fine of 10,000 dollars is provided for violations of the Act, or imprisonment for not more than ton years, or both. The introduction of the Bill followed the complaint of many editors of small newspapers in South Dakota that they were unable to secure the necessary supplies of news print and their future was in jeopardy. A resolution providing for a sweeping investigation into the whole question of the news print shortage was introduced in Congress last month, says an American paper, by Mr E. D. Rickets, of Ohio. “News print paper be fore the war sold at I.SO dollars per

hundred at the mills,” Mr Rickets said. “During the winter of 1917 and 1918 the price of print paper increased as if by magic to 5.50 dollars and 0 dollars per hundred. In 1918 the price dropped to 3 dollars per hundred, but only the large newspapers of the country were given advantage of this price, although the,manufaeturers were making a handsome profit. They continued, however, to scalp the smaller daily and weekly papers of the country by their exorbitant and outrageous prices for print

paper. In the winter of 1918 and 1919 the price of print paper again suddenly increased, and to-day the publishers of small daily and weekly papers are required to pay 8.75 dollars to 10 dollars per hundred for print paper.”

During the last two months over 1200 tons of news print has been shipped by the Ocean Falls plant of the Pacific Mills to New York, Kansas City, and other points in the Eastern States. Previously much of the output of this plant had been consumed in the West. The Ocean Falls plant also produces much of the news print consumed in New Zealand.