“THE TIMES” EXPANDS

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27909, 5 March 1956, Page 11

“THE TIMES” EXPANDS

Unrationed Paper To Be Used (Rec 9.30 p.m.) LONDON. March 3. “The Times.” Britain's influential “old lady” of British journalism, will pick up her skirts on Monday and sprint away from her flightier rivals in a daring publishing venture. The 171-year-old newspaper will be abandoning the use of newsprint in favour of the more expensive mechanical printing paper. “The Times” will be using this type of paper—unrationed and normally favoured by magazines—in the first bid to break the fetters of newsprint rationing which have held the British press during 16 years of war or dollar shortages. By using the unrationed mechanical printing paper. “The Times” will be able to expand in size from its present average of 15 pages a day to an average 21 pages. On Monday morning, “The Times” will publish a 16-page edition, but after that 24 pages will be common for this widely-quoted, independent newspaper.

Twenty-four pages will still be smaller than the pre-war “Times,” but it will seem like a massive tome to British newspaper readers, who only a few years ago were accustomed to four and six page papers. The venture is a calculated gamble. In a period of rising costs the management has decided to use paper which costs at least one-third more than newsprint. In return, they hope for greater advertising revenue, if not a startling increase in sales. They also promise a wider news coverage for readers and a “smoother” page. “The Times.” selling at 4d, is Britain’s most expensive daily newspaper. The national popular press and most of the leading provincial dailies sell at 2d.

Elections In South Vietnam

(Rec. 8 p.m.) SAIGON, March 3. Six million South Vietnamese electors go to the polls tomorrow to choose an Assembly of 123 members who will have the task of deciding on a Constitution.

A handful of independents are the only rival candidates to the five Government parties, and the Roman Catholic President Ngo Dinh Diem’s supporters are expected to make almost a clean sweep. Four opposition groups have boycotted the election, declaring that the electoral laws are undemocratic, and that freedom of speech has been stifled.

Oxygen Making by Climbers.—The Japanese expedition to Manaslu peak in the Himalayas, will make its own oxygen as it goes. Mr Yako Maki, the expedition’s leader, said today that his party would carry special tools and chemicals to make oxygen at high altitudes for use in tents at night.— Katmandu, March 3.