The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-12-10
OUR PAPER BUSINESS.
What Cincinnati Has Been Dong.


From the forthcoming annual report of
Col. Sidney D. Maxwell Superintendent of
the Chamber Of Commerce, We take the fol-
lowing interesting extracts:
The year has been mainly an active one
among the paper mills tributary to this
city, the returns, published elsewhere,
showing that the aggregate production has
been larger than al any time since an at
TEMPT was made to collect the statistics |
pertaining to paper.
The total quantity of paper made was
Al, ,347 Ais pounds, compared with 42,977,-
| O6S pounds in the preceding year, and AZ,
| 89S, ,271 pounds in 1876. Notwithsl and
| ing this increase over 1876-77, reaching a,
$40, ,347 pounds the aggregate value on ac-
count OF lower prices, falls slightly below
the preceding year, having been So, O65, $40,
in comparison with $3,OS9O21 in lo76-T7,
and $3, 231 1877 in 1876.
There has been marked increase in the
production of book paper. Manila and
roofing papers also show an enlarged pro-
duction, while news, wrapping and writing
papers have slightly fallen off.
The mills, generally. have been running
on full time, with an exception in the case
of straw paper, the manufacturers of which
during the year wisely arranged for dimin-
ished production, for the purpose of reiev-
ing the market from the stocks with which
it is constantly crowded. The result has
been an advance, since the lowest point
within the year, of about twenty-five per
cent on common straw paper, and no extra
stock of that kind on the market at the
close of the year.
This was exceptional, for in other kinds
of paper the market was crowded. This
state of things which has continued
through series of years, the manufacture
ers of the country sought to remedy at a
Convention, held by the representative
manufacturers of the whole country at
Saratoga, in August, 1878. The conclusion
arrived at was to reduce the production of
book, news, writing and manila papers
one-sixth, in the belief that this would suf-
fciently relieve the market to enable the
+, manufacturers to receive fair remunera-
ton for their capital and labor, which the
! past few years have by no means brought 10
:. them. This arrangement though not yet
carried out, it is believed will be consum-
:, mated, and problem solved to which moth
: ing apparently, was equal, save better
y understanding between manufacturers. The
! excessive amount of machinery, however,
&C has not been unmixed with good. The
:. quantity of paper made has depressed the
; market, but this, in turn, has urged upon
4 the manufacturer the importance OF reduc
n Ing the cost OF producing MORE eCoIonll'
, cal administration has been inaugurated
- Diligent search for cheaper processes has
been made, and the world ransacked fol
new products at lower prices, or substitute!
E. which would cost less than the usual ma
=; terials entering into the composition of pa
IL per. These have all had their Legitimate
le results and have permanently cheapenet
OF production. Thus, the substitutes which
as have been discovered, combining
Is with other causes, haXe reduced th'
prices of cotton rags to almost unprecedent
ed edly low rates. Wood, which few year
he ago was not thought of as susceptible o
ch general use in the manufacture of paper
now comprises, in some kinds of paper
or from 25 to 80 per cent. of the whole mate
he rial. This has been still further promotes
he by supplementing the usual mechanca
operations by chemical processes, whicl
ed have rendered the use of wooden fiber still
es more desirable. Wood now enters into tn
d. production of book, news, MANILA and som
ot kinds of writing papers, with results as in
he teresting as surprising. To meet the de
X mand for this growing substitute for rag
two establishments in the Miami Valley ar
We now preparing for the manufacture of WOO
of pulp as specially.
to 1t was thought by many, some years age
er- that prices had touched their lowest poin
but the past year has been marked by ful
zee ther reduction in value.
'ly The manufacturers of paper bags show a
increase over the preceding year, the whol