The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1900-03-01
A NEWSPAPER FAMINE
SCARCITY OF PRINT PAPER
MAY BRING 1T ON.
Great Shortage of the Material from
which Tt LIS AIade-CanzdIan Supply
of WOOD Pulp Shut on Entirely for
the Prenanf

,
A serious famine threatens the paper
industry of the United States Various
causes have conspired to lessen the
product of the mills, while the demand
for print paper and the other ordinary
grades is unprecedented
The conditions led to secret meet /
ing of the leading paper manufacturers
OF the United States yesterday at the /
Great Northern hotel, to consider what |
could be done to avert the famine |
threatened by the shortage in wood |
pulp. which, If 1t is not relieved, viii |
cause the vast paper mills of the coun- |
try to shut down and cripple seriously !
every industry which depends upon the
product of the mills. Nearly all OF
the leading paper manufacturers of the
country were present, and the principal
topic OF interest was a new dber for
the manufacture of paper, to take the
place of the wood fibre in
such universal use. What the new
hber is, the paper manufacturers would
| not say They averred that at present
the process by which 1T is manufacture
cred is in a crude stage. but they dis
cussed it as the only visible solution
OF present difficulties
/ Great Lack of Material.
| mot for twenty years has such
| serious condition confronted the manu-
| facturers of paper, and there is great
/ danger that we may be forced to close
our mills for lack of material said A
D. Schaefer of the Hartford City Pa
per company. who presided over the
meeting. Various causes respon-
sibIe for this condition. The principal
one is that wood pulp, from which the
lower grades of paper is manufactured
is SO hard to get that there is a con-
slant scramble for material. Recent
inquiry of the pulp mills at Sault Ste.
Marie, the largest pulp mills in the
I world, develops the fact that there is
not a pound for sale there, and other
mills are as hard pressed The rapid
cutting of the forests of the Eastern
q and middle Western states, and the
stopping OF the supply from Canada
is largely responsible for the threaten
ed famine. Added to the scarcity OF
: timber is the recent mild weather,
y which has made it impossible to bring
II the pulp wood which has been cut to
q market A large part of the season 8
cut of the forests of Wisconsin and
g Michigan, upon which the middle
q Western states depend for pulp wood
s is now lying on the bare ground and
u cannot be moved until snow comes.
Another great danger comes in the
| possibility of heavy fall of snow fol-
lowing this long dry season A fall OF
= eighteen inches of snow would cover
70 up the pulp wood already cut SO that
, it would be next to impossible to dig
g 1t out and float it down the river to the
u mills.
Labor Also Scarce.
d "a great scarcity of labor in the pin
l. cries has also made the movement O
$ pulp wood to the mills slow. Com
T. panies cutting pulp wood have spen
Il thousands of dollars importing mel
- into the pineries to cut pulp woot
e. only to lose them when they got there
Boys of eighteen and nineteen are be
= ing largely employed In the work.
Canada has been the source of sup
ply for many of the Eastern mills
but that source Of supply has been Gu
on as the cutting of timber on crow
lands has been prohibited and tn
province OF Quebec makes the fmporte
pay $40 per cord duty, which make
the material too expensive. The onl
solution see is to adopt neN
fiber a substitute for wood hbe1
That is the subject OF discussion w
have one in view, but do not care t
talk Of that now.
y Another difficulty which confront
Eastern manufacturers is a lack
water upon which they depend 10
power That, too, is the result OF tn
cutting away of the forests The mill
of the middle West are not embarrass
ed in this respect to the same exter
as the Eastern mills.
1--WE have not come together to for1
any combination or to raise price
The demand naturally governs price
The sole object is to avert famine
possible, for famine would hurt til
producer as much as the consumer
J. G. Brocke1bank, vice president an
Western manager of the Manufactul
ers' Paper company of New York, wit
offices in the Rookery building, col
firmed the statements made by william
Schaeffer concerning the trade
Condition Is Serious
eff present conditions in the pineri'
continue there will be serious shor
age of pulp wood in the West unit
next fall he said 'tIt has been sin
ply impossible to get the spruce, fro
which wood pulp is made, to marke
EN- 1t grows in the swamps OF the pinerie
vf1l and the winter has been so open tn
,ri- 1t has been impossible to haul 1t to II
ie- rivers, down which it Is fioated to Il
On mills as wagons would sink to Il
al hubs in mud and water. Only conti
the ued cold weather can relieve the cond
en- ton
md The stock of paper now hand
ian extremely short The export trad
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