Pai n g ;i competitive civil service examination conducted by the Department of Commerce, and standing first out of class of thirty-one. Robert S. Barrett, editor of the Alexandria Gazette, and president of the Virginia Press Association, has been selected by the Department of Commerce to make the paper investigation for markets in South America. Mr. Barrett is now in New York conferring with manufacturers and officials of the House of Representatives, and will return Virginia in time to attend the meeting of the Virginia Press Association in Stanton on Tuesday next. He will sail in August on a tour of the markets of South America, which will require from nine months to one year to complete.

The paper situation has become very serious, and has received the attention of all organizations pertaining to the printing and publishing business, which have met this year. The National Publishing Association, at a recent meeting in New York, urged all members to trim all unnecessary space. This accounts for many of the smaller papers throughout the country being deprived of their metropolitan exchanges.

The annual report of President Kirtett, which will be made at the Staunton meeting next week, shows that the paper is in a state of uncertainty, with many of the smaller papers being deprived of their metropolitan exchanges.  will deal with
The Paper Situation, and publisher:
will hear it with a great deal of interest. 