Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-03-02
ANEWSPAPER FAMINE
SCARCITY OF PRINT PAPER
MAY BRING 1T ON.
Great Shortage of the Material from
Which 1t Is Made-CsnsdIan Supply
OF Wood Pulp Shut on Entirely for
the Present.

or Wood Pulp Shut on Entirely for
the Present.
| (From the Chicago Daily Inter-Ocean.)
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 ether ordinary
grades is unprecedented
The conditions led TO a secret meet
| Ing OF the leading paper manufacturers
OF the United States yesterday az the
Great Northern hotel, TO consider what
| could be done TO avert the famine
threatened by the shortage in wood
pulp, which, If il is not relieved. viii
cause the vast paper mills Of the coun-
| try 10 shut down and cripple seriously
every industry which depends upon the
| product OF the mills Nearly all or
the leading paper manufacturers OF the
country were present, and the principal
| topic OF interest WAS q new fioer for
the manufacture of paper, TO take the
| place of the wood fibre now In
such universal use. What the new
fiber Is, the paper manufacturers would
not say. They averred that at present
the process by which IL is manufactur-
cred is In crude stage but they dis
cussed 1t as the only visible solution
OF present difficulties.
Great Lack of Material
| Not for twenty years has such a
| CPrlOnC
facturers of paper, and there is great
danger that we may be forced to close
our mills for lack OF material" said A
ID. Schaeffer of the Hartford City Pa
per company, who presided over the
meeting. Various causes are respon-
siOle 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 con-
slant scramble for material. Recent
| inquiry OF the pulp mills at Sault Ste
Marie, the largest pulp mills in the
world develops the fact that there Is
not pound for sale there. and other
mills are as hard pressed. The rapid
cutting of the forests OF the Eastern
and middle Western states. and the
stopping of the supply from Canada
Is largely responsible for the threaten
ed famine. Added to the scarcity or
timber is the recent mild weather.
which has made ii impossible to bring
the pulp wood which has been cut TO
market. a large part of the seasons
cut of the forests of Wisconsin and
srIs
Western states depend for pulp wood.
is now lying on the bare ground and
cannot be moved until snow comes.
Another great danger comes in tho
| possibility of a heavy fall of snow fol-
lowing this long dry season. A fall or
eighteen inches of snow would cover
up the pulp wood already cut stt that
it would be next 10 impossible 60 dig
it out and float ii down the river 10 the
mills.
| Labor Also Scarce.
| "a great scarcity OF labor in the pin
cries has also made the movement OF
pulp wood to the mills slow. Com
panies cutting pulp wood have spent
thousands of dollars importing men
into the pineries to cut pulp wood
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 cut
| off as the cutting of timber on crown
| lands has been prohibited and the
| province of Quebec makes the importer
pay $3.50 per cord duty, which makes
| the material too expensive. The only
| solution we can see is To adopt new
| fiber rs a substitute for wood fiber.
That is the subject OF discussion. We
have one in view, but do not care TO
| talk OF that now.
| Another difficulty which confronts
Eastern manufacturers is lack OF
water upon which they depend for
power. That. too, Is the result of the
| cutting away of the forests. The mills
| of the middle West are not embarrass-
ed In this respect to the same extent
| as the Eastern mills.
I'VE have not come together TO form
any combination or to raise prices
The demand naturally governs prices.
The sole object is 10 avert a famine IL
| possible, for a famine would hurt the
producer as much as the consumer"
| ]. C. Brockelbank. vice president and
Western manager of the Manufactur-
ers' Paper company of New York. with
offices in the Rookery building. con-
| firmed the statements made by William
| Schaeffer concerning the trade.
Condition Il Serious.
IF present conditions in the pinerles
continue. there will be serious short
age of pulp wood in the West until
next fall he said. 1T has been sim
ply impossible to get the spruce. from
which wood pulp is made. to market.
1t grows in the swamps of the pineries.
and the winter has been so open that
it has been impossible to haul 1t to the
! rivers, down which 1t is floated to the
| mills. as wagons would sink TO the
hubs In mud and water. Only contin-
ned cold weather can relieve the condi-
| ton
The stock of paper now on hand Ia
extremely short. The export trade.
which was large, has been abandoned
entirely. and the jobbers have very
little free paper on hand. The mills
have no free paper and will see that
! thev are in condition to meet contracts