NEWSPRINT SUPPLIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26782, 27 May 1948, Page 4

NEWSPRINT SUPPLIES

POSITION GROWS WORSE REDUCTION IN SIZE OF PAPERS P.A. AUCKLAND, May 25. Reference to newsprint supplies as “ the lifeblood of the newspaper industry ” was made by the deputy chairman of New Zealand Newspapers, Ltd., Mr E. Anderson, in his address at the annual meeting of the company to-day. He remarked that, althougn the war had ended nearly three years ago, the newsprint supply situation had not improved, but had grown worse. “ Our newspapers in both Auckland and Christchurch have had to be reduced in size, and to maintain them even at their present sizes we are obliged to draw substantially on our reserves of newsprint,” he said. He 'did not complain of this situation, for it arose from the offer made by representatives of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association at the Aid for Britain Conference in August last to reduce their combined importations to approximately 17,000 tons for this year in order to save dollars. This offer was made in the hope that it would contribute towards a speedy ending of the difficulties abroad which occasioned the calling of the conference. The difficulties had since become greater, and the shortage of dollars had increased. This, he said, was especially unfortunate this year, because newspaper concerns were faced with the need for negotiating new contracts with their newsprint suppliers. The price of newsprint was rising, and there existed an apparently insatiable demand for it from the United States, which also depended mainly op Canadian supplies. The Minister of Finance was faced with requests for dollar allocations from many industries. There were not enough dollars to satisfy all, but Mr Anderson expressed the hope that in judging the case of newsprint, whether this year or in any future year, the Minister would not be under any misapprehension concerning the financial structure of the newspaper industry in New Zealand.