It is often said that publishers have no legitimate grievance
since they already receive a more generous paper ration than that accorded to newspapers and periodicals. Yet it is a far easier thing to reduce the size and shape of a newspaper than the size of a novel or biography ; nor do newspapers have to reprint past numbers or to replace stock which has been destroyed. The fact remains that the book trade is threatened with a serious decline in both the quantity and quality of their production. There are certain remedial measures which the Government could take. They could be more drastic in their insistence upon greater economy in the use of paper by Government departments. They could be less exacting in the demands made upon printers and binders in the publication of books and pamphlets issued under the auspices of the Stationery Office. They could take steps, through the printing trade, to curtail the publication of cata- logues or company reports. And they could recognise that the publication of books is an important national industry, and, therefore, classify the binding and the book-printing trades under the heading of " essential works," and reserve and release sufficient labour to maintain these essential services in continued operation.
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