The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-14
ALL ABOUT RAGS.
Where the Supply of the American
Paper Makers Comes From.

Where the supply or the American
Paper Makers Comes From.
TIcoNDKRoGA, N. Y, Oct 12-The sub
iect of rags has occupied more than an or
binary amount of public attention the last
few weeks. It is a pretty hard subject to
write about. for the simple reason that the
statistics bearing on this subject are more
OF a general than detailed character. The
rag business, as the paper maker knows is
lust as accurately graded, 80 far as quail
ity of stock is concerned, as any
other branch of business. The United
States absorbs paper stock Of various kinds
from all parts of the world. We get linens
very largely from Russia, colored cottons
OF lower grades from Egypt, and a great
many linens from Italy and France. Very
la rge quantities Of cotton rags used in this
country come from Germany, Belgium and
Japan, and large share Of the new colored
rags from England and Scotland. Calcutta
AID that district contribute large portion
of the jute stock used in wrapping
papers. Besides rags and Jute,
we import into this country
large quantities Of gunny and jute bagging.
paper sbavings and old printed books, and
of late years enormous quantities Of sulphite
and chemical hbers have been sent here,
principally from Sweden and parts Of the
German empire. We also import all the
bleaching powder used by the paper mills
These items are classed in the
custom house returns under three
heads, and quantities received here
In 1891 were as follows: Bleaching powder,
Ill, 100000 pounds; wood pulps, 97.0O0,OOO
pounds; rags, 121, 000, 900 pounds; and under
the latter head were included all the new
calico cuttings waste papers and snaVlngs.
To get down to a more recent period,
paper stock rags received during the month
Of July just passed weighed 6,lOO,O0
pounds, and for the months ending
July 81 20, 73S. 900 pounds gain Of over
1000. 900 pounds as compared with the same
months in 1891. Under the head OF wood
pulp the importations for the same month,
July. 1892, were 1900 ton, and 1874 tons
July, 1891. aud for the months ending
July 81, 1892, %, 300 tons. and for the Z
months ending July 81, 1891, 27,30O tons
From the above is will be seen that the i'm
portation of paper stocks will represent a
very large amount OF pounds, and
that rags and similar stocks seem
to have increased III quantity, and that
little. The latter fact can posi-
bly, be explained by stating that large
number Of American wood pulp mills have
come on the market during the present
year, and they have supplied the increased
demand and have also deprived some of the
importers Of their trade. There is no way
that we know OF Of securing the amount Of
stock collected IN the United States In the
way Of rags, etc., but 1t is necessarily very
large. The channels through which these
rags are secured are practically two-the
city rag picker and the country tin peddler.
Of late years the city rag pickers seem
to have increased IN number, and
from observation the tin peddler
is gradually disappearing. The fouuda-
ton OF many fortunes in this country has
been laid by means of the tin peddler's cart
There is practically no other way of coll
Io1A9 49,
possible for the domestic supply to be in
creased unless the tin peddlsr resumes his
vocation, and, of course, this is not possible
under moments notioe. think it would
tax the memory of any Of US pretty severely
TO state when we have seen as many as one
tin peddler month during recent years,
while eight or ten years ago it was the
most common thing in the world to meet one
OF them. The best informed men on the sub
Ject state that the rag collector Is part and
parcel OF the tin shop, and TO once more re-
sume the collection of rags throug this
means would contemplate the re-establish-
men6 OF tin shops, from which it will be
plainly seen that with foreign rags placed
under restrictions by the customsand health
officers IL would be quite while before the
old method of collecting could be resumed
The health authorities Of the larger cities
have prohibited the collection of rags from
ash barrels and garbage dumps where
most of them are found by the city pickers.
The same officials have undertaken to state
that blrlap wrapping around wood pulps
must be classed the same as rags il from
infected districts, Just how far they will
enforce this restriction we are unable to
state. The whole subject is one of extreme
uncertainty and the frosty winter weather
may have more effect on rules and re-
strictions than people imagine 1t would
seem from all information we can gather
that the importation of old rags from such
places as Hamburg, Egypt a'.d Japan will
be prohibited for some time to come, ex-
ceptlng possibly under some rigid policy OF
dlsinfection which, OF course, means a
large addition to the cost OF the rags, as no
system of disinfection can be instituted and
carried out without somebody being put to
the expense OF the same. Assuming, there
fore, that prices of rags will rule higher,
the paper maker will be driven to use more
sulphite aud soda fibers. AS the market be-
fore the cholera was taking up all that was
made, these articles will ue sure to advance
In sympathy, as they have already. 1t is
fair to assume, therefore, that while prices
OF paper may be not materially advanced,
there Is every likelihood of there being
quite percentage Of advance, and that the
advance will be maintained for some time
70 come. An effort to restrict the proiuc.
ton OF paper may hold the price of paper
stock IN check, but it will not prevent the
price o. paper advancing if the supply is
decreased. G. b. HANEORD