hi suburban worrier,
how are you scripting your document?
by tweaking the .sla or by using a python script inside of scribus?
the second one is the preferred way and should not have the issue you're pointing to (which lets met think you're using the first one :-)
if you want to stick to an external solution, IIRC you will have to tweak OWNPAGE, which references the page that defines the start coordinates.
have fun
a.l.e