The Washington herald., 1907-12-27
PAPER PRICE RISING
Wood Pulp Supply Growing
Scarcer Each Year.
PUBLISHERS IN A DIFFICULTY
Department Issues Cir
cnIar Describing Situation Con-
fronting Newspaper and Magazine
Makers of Country - Threatened
Shortage Of Timber,

Under the heading, Wood for Paper
Costs Twenty-six Millions-The Publisher
Pays Much More for His Stock Than He
Did Last Year" the forest service Of the
Department Of Agriculture has issued a
circular giving the following facts:
To-day there Is general complaint
among publishers that printing paper is
constantly growing dearer. In the Middle
west many local papers are raising their
subscription price % per cent in order TO
pay for the paper. From the time when
Gutenberg first used movable type. made
OF wood, 20 the present day Of metropoIi-
tan papers, some Of which consume the
product Of acres OF spruce in a single
edition. printing has in very large degree
depended upon the forest.
Shortage OF Timber.
In the face Of a threatened shortage
OF timber, the amount OF wood consumed
each year for pulp has increased since
1893 from two million 10 three and one
half million cords The year 1906 marked
an increase OF 5000 cords in the imports
Of pulpwOod. the highest average value
per cord for ali kinds, and a consunlp-
ton greater by IS. 055 cords than that OF
any previous year.
Spruce, the wood from which in 1888
three-fourths OF tie pulp was manufac-
tured, is stiu the leading wood, but It
now produces a little less than 70 per
cent Of the total How well spruce is
suited 70 the manufacture Of pulp IS
shown by the fact that during the period
in which the total quantity OF wood used
has doubled and many new woods have
been introduced, the proportion Of spruce
DulpWOOd has remained nearly constant
in spite or the drains uoon the spruce
forests for other purposes. During this
time three different woods, from widely
separated regions, have in turn held the
rank Of leader IN the lumber supply.
Since 1893 poplar. which for years was
used in connection with spruce 10 the ex-
clusiOn OF ali other paper woods. has in
creased In total quantity less than 10000
cord. and is now outraHked by hemlock
Pine, balsam. and cottonwood are used
In much smaller amounts.
Great New York Consumption.
New York alone consumes each year
over a million and a quarter cords OF
wood in the manufacture Of pulp. or
more thP twice as much as Maine.
which ranks next Wisconsin. New
Hampshire. Pennsylvania. and Michigan
follow in the order given Sixty per cent
OF the wood used IN New York was i'm
ported from elsewhere. and. even so. the
supply appears 20 be waning. since the
total consumption for the state shows
small decrease since 1895. whereas the
other States named nave all increased
their consumption Other States impor-
tant in the production Of pulp are Mas
sachusetts. Minnesota. Ohio. Oregon.
Vermont. Virginia, and West Virginia.
The average cost of pulp delivered al
the mill was S.Z The total value OF the
wood consumed in 1876 was So so, 900.
The chief item determining the price OF
paper is the cost Of pulp. An example
OF the increased price Of paper is found
in the case Of a publisher Of a daily in
the Middle West, who recently paid ST.
200 for carload Of paper. The same
quantity and grade OF paper cost year
ago but SS0C.
The chemical processes Of paper
making, which better preserve the wood
fiber. are gaining over the mechanical
process In 1S99. s. Per cent OF the wood
was reduced by mechanical process; in
1906 less than 50 per cent
''An importations Of wood for pulp
are from Canada, and comprised in 1906.
1900 cords, nearly ali OF which was
spruce Four and half million dollars
worth OF pulp was imported IN 1906 a
slight falling of from 1906"