Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 170, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1920 — Old Rome Has Paper Shortage. [ARTICLE]

Old Rome Has Paper Shortage.

Le Figaro of Paris has unearthed for Its readers what It believes is the world’s first recorded paper shortage. It quotes from the “Causerles du Lundi” where Sainte-Beuve, translating from Pliny, says that under Tiberius there was such a scarcity of paper in the Roman empire that it was necessary to appoint senators to regulate distribution; In other words, a congressional board of control. Sainte-Beuve, grown cynical in his day of excessive erudition, books, ink and paper, added: "How welcome such a shortage would be now! But such things happened only under Tiberius., We cannot hope for like happiness today.” Le Figaro finds • Sainte-Beuve refreshing reading, but in view of the situation in 1020, unduly appreciative of Tiberius.