Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-04

TVODAY there is general complaint
among publishers ~ print
ing papers is constantly grow
ing 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 present dav of
metropolitan papers, some of which
consume the product OF acres of spruce
in q single edition, printing has in very
large degree depended upon the forest.
In the face of a threatened short
age of timber, the amount OF wood con-
sumed each year for pulp has increased
since 1899 from two million to three
and half million cords The year 1905
marked an increase OF $4,000 cords in
the imports OF pulpwood the highest
average value per cord for all kinds,
and consumption greater by 469,Oo5
cords than that of any previous year.
Spruce the wood from which in 1889
three-fourths OF the pulp was manulac-
tured, is still the leading wood, but 1t
now produces a little less tnan 40 per
cent OF the total. How well spruce IS
suited to the manufacture OF pulp IL
shown by the tact that during period
in which the total quantity of wood
used has doubled and many new woods
have been introduced, the proportions
of spruce pulpwood has remained near
IN constant in spite of the drains upon
the spruce forests for other purposes.
During this time three different woods,
nom widely separated regions, have in
turn held the rank of leader in the lum-
Der 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 less
than 100000 CORDS. and is now outrank-
ed by hemlock. Pine. balsam and cot
tonwood are used in much smaller
amounts.
New York alone consumes each year
over a million and q quarter cords of
wood in the manufacture of pulp, or
more than twice as much as Maine,
which ranks next Wisconsin, New
Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Michl-
gan follow in the oder given. Sixty per
cent of the wood used in New York
was imported from elsewhere, and even
so the supply appears to be waning,
since the total consumption for the
state shows a small decrease since 1905,
whereas the other states named nave
all increased their consumption. Other
states important in the production of
pulp are; Massachusetts Minnesota,
Ohio, oregon, Vermont, Virginia ana
West Virginia.
The average cost of pulp delivered at
the mill was 1921. The total value of
the wood consumed in 1906 was $780,
5000. 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 pub
Usher OF daily in the middle west,
SSlo recently paid $1,000 for a carlo II
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 was reduced by the mechanical
process. In 1899, 65 per cent OF the
wood was reduced by the mechanical
process; in 1906. less than so per cent.
All importations Of wood for pulp
are from Canada, and comprised, in
1906, 739 900 cords, nearly all of which
WIS spruce. Four and half million
dollars worth of pulp was imported
In 1905. a slight falling off from 1905.
Circular 120 of the forest service con-
tains a discussion of the consumption
Of pulpwood In 1906, based on statis-
tics gathered by the bureau of the CEN
sus and the forest service. The pamph
let can be had upon application to the
forester, United States department OF
agriculture, Washington, d. c.