The Ordway new era., 1908-01-03
WOOD ron PAPER COSTS TWENTY
SIX MILLIONS.
The Publisher Pays Much More
For His Stock Than He
Did Last Year.

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 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 the product
OF acres OF spruce in a single edition,
printing has in very large degree de-
pended upon the forest.
In the face Of a threatened shortage
OF timber. the amount Of wood con-
sumed each year for pulp has Increased
since 1899 from million to 81 million
cords. The year 1875 marked an in
crease OF 5000 cords in the imports
OF pulpwUod, the highest average val
ue per cord for all kinds, and a con-
sumption greater by 1895 cords
than that Of any previous wear.
Spruce, the wood from which In 1899
three-fourths OF the pulp was manu-
factured, is still the leading wood,
but it now produces a little less than
20 per cent OF the total. How well
spruce IS suited TO the manufacture
OF pulp is shown by the fact that dur
ing a period in which the total guam
tity 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 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 ia total quantity less
than 10000 cords, and Is now out
ranked by hemlock. Pine. balsam.
and cottonwood are used In much
smaller amounts.
New York alone consumes each
year over a million and 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 Michi-
gan follow in the order 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 u small decrease
since 1905, whereas the other States
named have all increased their con
sumption. Other states important Ia
the production OF pulp are: Massachu
setts, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Yer
mont, Virginia and West Virginia.
The average cost al pulp delivered
at the mill was s7.2l. The tolal valu,
OF the wood consumed In 1905 was
s26, 400, 900. The chief item determin
Ing the price OF paper is the cost ot
pulp. An example OF the increased
price OF paper is found in the case OF q
publisher OF daily in the Middle
West, who recently paid 81, 200 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
mechanical process. In 1899, 65 per
cent Of the wood was reduced by the
mechanical process; in 1906, less than
80 per cent.
All importations OF wood for pulp
are from Canada, and comprised, in
1896, $4,000 cords, nearly all OF which
was spruce. -Four and a half million
dollars worth OF pulp was imported in
1906, a slight falling of from 1906.