NEWSPRINT SITUATION

Hokitika Guardian, 4 March 1920, Page 4

NEWSPRINT SITUATION

The seriousness of the crisis facing publishers all over the world was dealt with at a recent meeting of the Ameri' can Newspaper Publishers’ Association when the following resolutions were adopted:— “Paper manufacturers have told us that there is a world-wide shortage of paper. At the present rate of consumption the newspapers are using about 10 per cent more paper than is being produced. This means an annual shortage on the present basis of approximately 210,000 tons. Your committee therefore recommends : “ ‘That the regulations of the War Industries Board for the conservation of newsprint be strictly adhered to, anl that the full text of all these regulations be sent to all the daily and Sunday newspapers of the United States, whether or not they are members of the A.N.P.A. “ ‘That publishers everywhere be urged to materially increase advertising and subscription rates, and at the same time limit the size of. their issues. “ ‘That no newspapers enter into a yearly contract for advertising at a fixed rate, but make rates adjustable monthly or quarterly.’ ” At a mass meeting of newspaper proprietors from Missouri and Kansas, bold in December, the following resolution was adopted : “In view of tile present abnormal condition of tile newsprint market, in which more print is being used than can now be produced, immediately threatening the suspension of the small town newspapers. “Be it resolved, by a mass meeting of Missouri and Kansas publishers, held at Kansas City, December 4th, 1919, that the Government, either by legislation or executive order of tho Post Office Department, revive the war-time newsprint conservation rules; arbitrarily forbid the issuance of comic supplements, magazine sections, and miscellaneous feature sections of all .newspapers, as a means of conserving the newsprint supply of the country.”