STRONG CRITICISM OF BRITAIN’S CUT IN NEWSPRINT SUPPLY

Evening Star, Issue 26154, 16 July 1947, Page 5

STRONG CRITICISM OF BRITAIN’S CUT IN NEWSPRINT SUPPLY

iN’.Z.B.A Special Ooriuapumlent.l (Rec. 9,30 a.m.) LONDON, July 15, British newspapers will return next week to their war-time stan-

dards. This decision has been forced on them as a result of the Government decision to cut, imports of newsprint during the next 12 months with the intention of saving between 1,000,000 and 3,000,000 dollars. Strong protests have been made against the Government’s'action by the Rationing Committee of the Newsprint Supply Company, and every newspaper is voicing its discontent; and uneasiness. It is declared that the Government singled out the newspapers to be the sole sufferers from the cut iff dollar expenditure. , The present supplies of newsprint to newspapers are already one-third of the pre-war figure, and they have to cut a further one-quarter. Newspapers are apparently the only users of the Baper whose ration is to he deduced, hough commercial and general printers, wrapping, and other industrial users aye consuming 60 per cent, of their pre-war - consumption, publishers 85 per cent., and Government .departments 177 per cent; ■ _ * The newspapers have ,to . decide whether tovreduc.e;.their issues to .the. equivalent of six pages weakly, or by cutting circulation. Some b'avo announced that they will return to fourpage papers daily and keep up /circulation, ; though their sales will not bq allowed to exceed the ; June figures, while others have decided, that - they wills retain v the number, of .pages, and reduce circulation.• is

Among thegrave consequehces-of the reduction is . the fact that'it'involves a second breach in two year? of, a con* tract guaranteed by the .GpypgAinent with the Canadians, Last’ year the Government gave a written assurance that Britain could, enter long-term contracts, with Canada for newsprint, These were regarded a? necessary, due to the possibility of insatiable, American demands excluding Britain from access to the market, Now it js declared, despite its written word, that tfie Government wants to cancel these contracts,‘ deprive British newspaper? of forward newsprint supplies, and put them at the mercy of Scandinavian pulp. . ' The newspapers contefhl that, instead of the contracts fifeing broken, supplies. should b’e permitted to come in. They' should be .used’.to build UP stocks and thus bev'availahle as a sound dollar asset for use in an emergency. Other consequences aye the fact that, a number of skilled man will be thrown out of work, while information already inadequate will he further curtailed. All the newspapers are loud Ip their criticisms of the Government aetjqn, not only because of the dislocation that will result to the , newspaper industry, but because, as the ' Manchester Guardian ’ says: “There also seem, it must be said with regret, to be political motives foreign to the spirit of a truly democratic party behind the Government’s discrimination against.the newspapers,”

Lord Layton, in an article in the ' News Chronicle,’ declares that the Government has made a grave mistake, Criticising its action, he says: “ It is undue discrimination against this particular industry, It is impossible for the Press to fulfil its proper function in the existing conditions in four-page papers. Advertisement rates will have to be increased. If the Canadian contracts are broken, it will produce an impression of British bad faith in the Dominion and will deprive the Press of its most reliable source of material and endanger the normal expansion, of the British Press in years to come, The proposed restrictions, Combined with much higher prices of newsprint, will Ifft most hardly, those independent and small newspapers whose continued existence is vital to- the freedom of the Press. It will create unemployment among workers who, because of the specialised nature of newspaper .work, may find it difficult to get other jobs, The saving of dollars involved is qu(te imagnificent, compared with the damage done," 1 Other comments include a statement by the ' Daily Express 1 that the additional cost entailed in production by curtailment of the Canadian contract, coupled with the -heavy increase »n price 1 of home newsprint (from £33 5s fo £39 ?? Sd per tpn) will be £I.OOO daily or’ £3fis,Qoo yearly, It adds; “Stringent arid sweeping economic will also have to be made in many directions," ; The ’ Daily Mirror,' which next-to the * Daily Express ' has the greatest circulation in Britain; declares; " That great and good newspaper, the * Manchester Guardian.’ fears that this Government is breaking faith .'with "the Empire and is making this ridiculous cut in newsprint because it hates the newspapers and resents criticism. We do not share this fear. We do not want to share this fear, But we do insist that Empire agreements must be honoured. The 1 Daily Mirror' will Dover agree to any other course, So wo say to the Cabinet that the first privilege of being alive is to he able to change one’s mind. Do that. Do it speedily and gracefully. Reverse a derision that damages the nations’ pur]x)se and damages Great' Britain’s good name.”