Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-30
TEN THOUSAND TONS A DAY.
The Enormous Quantity of Paper
Turned Ont by American Mills.

The Enormous Quantity of Paper
Turned Ont by American Mills.
From the Philadelphia Times
1t is a curious and rather startling fact
that. next to the articles entering into food
and clothing. paper is the most universally
used commodity In the world. 1t would be
an almost impossible task to find in any
civilized community a person or business
concern that does not to a greater or less
degree. make use OF paper in some Of its
various forms. Some philosopher has said
that the civilization and prosperity Of a
country may be measured by Its consump-
ton Of paper.
IL this is as fair an index as seems upon
reflection to be reasonable. statistics prove
the United States to have distanced all the
other nations OF the world In the race OF
true development. Perhaps no line Of bus
mess has had a more remarkable growth
In the United States the past ten years
than the paper-making industry. This Is
true in all branches, but especially 80 In
the line of book and rews print papers. The
American people are a nation OF readers,
and the rapidly decreasing prices OF books
and newspapers have greatly increased the
consumption OF paper In these two lines.
one or = cents will purchase a mass OF
reading matter In the form Of our great
dailies, consisting Of from eight to sixteen
pages. while u to 20 cents will purchase
handsomely bound and attractive books OF
standard and popular authors. The daily
output OF news print paper In the United
States Is about 200 to 1.5O0 tons. Just
think OF 125 or 159 carloads of newspapers
mentally devoured each day In this coun-
try! The production of news print is
larger than any other grade. That Of book
paper is probably as much as loo tons.
and of writing $50 tons each daily.
1t Will be interesting here TO quote some
OF the figures OF the paper industry In the
United States. The gross daily capacity OF
the paper mills of the United States in
operation during 1928 for all kinds and
grades OF paper was estimated at about
10000 tons. OF this amount nearly 25o
tons represented news print and book
paper l,Soo tons wrapping paper $50 tons
strawboard, 40 tons writing paper and al
most 400 tons Of the various other kinds
and grades.
The states which rank first in the produc-
ton of paper are New York, Maine. Mass
achusetts. Wisconsin. Pennsylvania, Ohio
and Illinois. From these seven states
comes nearly three-fourths of the entire
paper supply OF the country. BY far the
greater part Of the vast output is consumed
in the United States. the greatest paper
using country in the world. In foreign
markets. however, American paper is gain
ing a firm footing. TIE greatest consump-
ton OF printing paper Is In the Sunday edi-
tons Of the metropolitan dailies which
often require from 60 to 100 tons for a
single issue.
With the rapidly increasing output prices
have as rapidly declined, until today a
grade OF news print paper worth twenty
five years ago IL cents or IA cents per
pound Is now sold at l-2 cents or 3 cents
"A decline In price uneQualed In the history
Of any other Industry. This enormous de-
crease In the cost OF paper is due especially
to the introduction OF wood as a paper
stock. Today II is the principal material
used In the manufacture of paper for all
but the highest grades Of book and writing
News print and not only ordinary but
even very attractive qualities OF book paper
are made entirely OF wood. Another means
conducive TO this phenomenal reduction of
cost has been the improvement in methods
OF making wood pulp. The perfection and
greater efficiency attained In paper-making
machinery. rendering much larger produc-
ton easily possible In a given time. have
added materially IN this downward trend
OF price.