The weekly true Democrat., 1908-01-03

HN|NALH
o0clock D. m. In the front room. second story. OF
TIE building east Of the pOsto6ioe. This room Il
S = opsS s ay saosp, sS5Ssy ras @.5 %
invited -
Wood for Paper.
Today 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 so 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 pa
pars, some of which consume the
product Of acres I'm a single edition,
printing has In very large degree de-
pended upon the forest.
In the face Of threatened shortage
Of timber, the amount OF wood con-
sumed each year for pulp has in
creased since 1899 from 2 million to
S1-2 million cords. The year 1906
marked an increase of $4,000 cords in
the imports Of pulpwood, the highest
Average value per cord of ali kinds,
and consumption greater by 469,05
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 1t now produces a little
less than 20 per cent of the total. How
veil spruce is suited TO the manufac-
ture of pulp is shown by the fact that
during the period in which the total
quantity of wood used has doubled
and many new ones have been intro
duced, the proportion of spruce pulp
wood has remained nearly constant
in spite OF the drains upon 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 1899 poplar, which for years
was used in connection with spruce
to the exclusion of all other paper
woods. has increased in total quantity
leas than 100000 cords, and is now
Oukganlxed by homlOck. Pine. balsam
and cottonwood are used In much
smaller amounts.
New York alone consumes each
year over a million and a quarter
coeda Of wood In the manufacture OF
pu1p, or more than twice as much as
Name, which ranks next. Wisconsin,
New Hampshere. Pennsylvania and
Michleun follow in the order given. |
sixty per cent Of the wood used in
New York was imported from else
where, and even 80 the supply appears |
to 'be waning, since the total con-
sumption for the State shows a small |
decrease since 1905, whereas the 9th
er States named have all increased
their consumption. other States I'M |
porfa1.t in the production OF pulp are |
Massachusetts,, Minnesota, Ohio, Ore
gon, Vermont, Virginia and West Wiz
ginia.
The average cost OF pulp delivered |
at the mill was 3721. The total value |
of the wood consumed in 1906 was
S26, 400 900. The chief item determin.
ing 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 daily In the Middle |
West, who recently paid $1,000 for a |
carload OF paper. The same quantity
and grade of paper cost year ago |
but $500.
The chemical processes of paper
making, which, better preserve the
wood fiber. are gaining over the me-
chanical process; in 1906 less than
so per cent.
All lmportations Of Wood pulp are
from Canada, and comprised, In 1906,
73S 900 cords, nearly all of which was
spruce. Foul and half million dol
Iars' worth OF pulp was imported IN
9O6, a slight falling of from 1905.
Circular 120 of the Forest Service
contains discussion OF the consump-
ion of pulpwoOd in 1906. based on
|tatistics gathered by the Bureau OF
he Census and the Forest Service.
the pamphlet can he had upon apph'
y tion n the Forester. United states
lIeDartment Of Agriculture washing
L. q