PRICE OF PAPER.

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 68, 7 February 1918, Page 2

PRICE OF PAPER.

WHEN the Matamata “ Record ” was first introduced by the proprietors about fifteen mouths ago —after the great war had been in progress for over two years —it was recognised by ,many that difficulties Jay in the path of the new journal. However, owing to the excellent support given by advertisers and the local people, the venture has proved mere successful than was thought possible at the time, mainly through the general prosperity of the district. But, during the period mentioned, some of the difficulties expected have been encountered, and the chief of these has been the great rise in the cost of paper. In all countries of the world —New Zealand included —the larger journals have had to be reduced in size, while the publication of many small journals has been suspended through the great scarcity of paper. New Zealand has been more fortunate than most countries, having been in a position to pay the increased price of paper. In southern districts the proprieters a year ago were compelled to ask the public to shoulder some of the burden, but the proprietors of the Auckland province looked for an improvement in conditions, and were prepared to remain at the old price for an extended period. Matters regarding the supply of paper have not improved, and now it has been reluctantly decided to increase the price by about fifty per cent. This decision has been come to as a result of several meetings of the newspaper proprietors of the province, where it'was stated that newspaper had risen in cost in some instances by over three hundred per cent, since the pre-war period. We feel sure that the residents of this prosperous district will readily assist us under the difficult conditions, and recognise that in adopting the following new scale of charges we would not put it forward unless the conditions compelled. We thank you for past support and recognise that you are pleased with the only newspaper war-baby in New Zealand. The new charges which will come into operation on February 11th will be as follows : —•

Twelve months (in advance) 6s ; twelve months, posted (in advance) 8s; single copies 2d per copy. Even under the increased charges casual sales are not sought, and we would ask agents to kindly endeavor to secure their customers as regular subscribers and thus bring waste of paper to a minimumr