THE PAPER TRADE.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 August 1923, Page 4

THE PAPER TRADE.

r.OXDON. -IniK-

\| r A. A. lltiw'cs, of C hristeliurch. wilt: i- in Fughiud, '.ii business in eonnoeiimi i 1.1! the paper trade, stated it is his opinion that there is no prospect if cheapen piper. 1 ’;ii;er makers ctcc have been losing money for some tiine, bnt very Ini'ftd orders are pending nod prices :vo firming up considerably ami they w ill go higher. This must result. botli from general ronsidoiairinns nnd some special ottos. One is that pulp is now up to £l>o a ton. the price of eon I is up. wipes will not fall lower, and moreover, labour i> not ns oflicient ns it was. To the-e specific causes mu-t he added that it is most unlikely that prices will fall for a very lone time io pre-war level, if indeed, they ever will. The experience of former war periods has been against such a view. I here is every reason to believe that one-effect *f this war. as of other great wan- will tie a permanent increase of values. Mr Howes is. therefore, of the opinion that New Zealand journals were mistaken in their policy of reduction in tile 1 rice of papers. He cites the experience of the "limes. London, which some time ago reduced its price from 2d to ILL r.s did also the "Daily Telegraph." They have both now come back to the 2d figure. Those in control of those two great newspapers are evidently of opinion that there is no real hope of our seeing any fall in •price of paper. When to all these eiv.isiderations it has to he added that the world supply of pulp is decreasing the position of the paper market, nears no sen of prospect of a tail. Frame which used to import its paper largely fiom other sources, is now coming to F.ngland. Moreover, the consumption of paper per head of population i> in France greater than it ever was. Mr Hov.es. who leaves for Xew Zealand again on August 1. hopes to go to Norway before then, but owing to his having to get an earlier boat than he anticipated, he may have to cut that pai t of hi- itinerary out.