The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1908-01-02
WOOD FOR PAPER, $4,000, 900
The Publisher Pays Much More for
Stock Than He Did Last Year

per Is constantly growing uoafeI :
In the middle west many local
papers are raising their subscrip
lion price 80 per cent in order to
pay for the paper. From the time
when Gutenberg first used movable
type, made of wood, to the present
day of metropolitan papers, some
of which consume acres OF spruce
in single edition, printing has In
very large degree depended upon
the forest.
In the face OF threatened short
age of timber, the amount OF wood
consumed each year for pulp has
increased since 1899 from 1000, 600
to 8, 100000 cords. The year 1906
marked an increase of $4,000 cords
in the imports of pulpwood, the
highest average value per cord for
all kinds, and consumption
greater bv 469,053 cords than that
of any previous year.
Spruce, the wood from which In
1899 three-fourths of the pulp was
manufactured, is still the leading
wood, but it now produces a little
less than 70 per cent of the total.
How we'll spruce is suited to the
manufacture of pulp is shown by
the fact that during a period IN
in which the total quantity OF wood
used has doubled and many new
woods have been introduced, the
proportion of spruce pulpwood has
remained nearly constant in spite
of the drains upon the spruce for
ests 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 1899 poplar, which for
wears was used in connection with
spruce to the exclusion OF all other
naper woods, has increased in total
quantity less than 100000 Cords
and is now outranked by hemlock'
Pine. balsam and cottonwood are
used in much smaller amounts.
New York alone consumes each
year over million and a quarter
cords of wood in the manufacture
Of pulp or more than twice as much
as Maine, which ranks next. Wis
consin, New Hampshire, Pennsyl'
vania 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 sc
the supply appears to be waning
since the total consumption for the
state shows a small decrease since
1905, whereas the other states
named have all increased theil
consumption. Other states i'm
portant in the production OF pull
are: Massachusetts,, Minnesota
Ohio, Oregon, Vermont, Virglnlf
and West Virginia.
The average cost OF pulp deliv
cred at the mill was 1921. Tit
total value of the wood consumed
in 1906 was $26, 100000. The chic
item determining the price OF pa
DER is the cost of pulp. An exam
pie of the increased price of pape
Is found in the case of the publish
or of a daily in the middle west
who recently paid $1,000 for a car
load of paper. The same quantit.
and grade OF paper cost year ag'
but $500.
The chemical processes OF paper
making, which better preserv
the wood fiber. are gainlnI
over the mechanical process. IL
1899, 65 per cent of the wood wa
reduced by the mechanical process
in 1906, less than SO per cent
All importations of wood pull
are from Canada, and comprised
in 1906, $4,000 cords, nearly al
Of which was spruce. -Four and
half million dollars worth OF pull
was imported in 1906, Sigh