DOCBOOK-APPS: Problem with page numbers

[Walter Joyce <wjoyce at bestweb dot net>]

When I produce an RTF document from [sgml] Docbook, something
strange happens with page numbers. I look at the result using MS
Word, which I use to print the document. It seems to always skip a
page number (that MS Words pays attention to) after the front matter
and before the first chapter, even though it is correctly starting
the first chapter on page 1 in terms of how the pages are labelled.
So if I look at the absolute page numbers at the bottom of the MS
Word window as I page-down through the pages, there is a number that
gets skipped just before the page labelled "1". For example, it
skips from absolute page 5 to 7 and there is no 6.

Here is why this is a problem: for two-sided printing, I need to
print odd numbered pages, put the output back in the paper tray, and
print the even numbered pages (in terms of absolute page numbers
rather than page labels).  MS Word screws up the printing and the
wrong pages are back-to-back.

I would guess Docbook wants to start the first page on an odd
numbered sheet (or side for 2-sided printing) but I'm not sure that
is the reason.  If that is the case, what is needed is a blank page
rather than a skipped page number.

Is this phenomenon managed in the style sheets or in Jade or what?
Is there a sensible way to get around this?

Please respond to both my email address as well as the mailing list.

TIA.

- Walt Joyce
wjoyce@bestweb.net