The Price of Paper
Certain figures in a Board of Trade announcement published on Monday constitute a further grave menace to the freedom of the Press in the fullest sense. There is, of course, no deliberate threat. The process is purely economic. But the further increases in the price of paper now notified—of £13 16s. 3d. a ton for newsprint (over 20 per cent.), of £12 2s. 6d. to £22 2s. 6d. for other types of paper—have an almost crippling effect on daily and weekly publications of all kinds. Under this stress manY British publications have already had to ,raise their price, and others will inevitably be compelled to, though all will naturally have to put off the evil day as long as possible. But every rise in price means some reduction in circulation, i.e., that fewer people read the paper, which is to be deplored on quite other than economic grounds. The causes of the present situation are numerous and complex, but one is outstanding. The United States has enormously increased its demand for newsprint, and now consumes close on 60 per cent. of the world's production. Great Britain consumes just over 7 per cent.;---all that it c'sn get. There is surely room for some friendly adjustment here.
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