The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-19
Committee Investigating Pulp
and Paper Industry.
Files Its Report With House Of
Representatives.
TAKE 81 A TON
From the Present Tariff Duty
on News Print
And Place Ground Wood on Free
List.

Washington, Feb. ia reduction in
the duty on newsprint paper from Sc a
ton to 50 a ton, the placing of ground
wood on the free list and the establish
ment of duty of one-twelfth cent per
pound on mechanically ground wood
pulp are the Recommendations of the
select committee on pulp and paper in
vestigation which reported to the house
today The report states that it pre-
sents the unanimous opinion of the en-
tire committee.
The committee is made up as fol-
lows: James r. Mann. Illinois. chair
man: James NJ. Miller, Kansas; Henry
T. Bannon Ohio; william Fl. STAFFORD.
Wisconsin,; Thetus w. Sims. Tennes-
see William H. Ryan, New York.
There are three processes generally
used in this country in the production
of the pulp or fibre from wood" said
the report.
These are the ground wood process
sulphite process and the soda process
The cheaper grades of paper are usually
| produced by mechanically mixing
| ground wood pulp with other kinds OK
| pulp in different degrees of percentages.
| The ordinary news print paper is gem
| eralIy produced by the use of about 80
per cent ground wood and about 20 per
| cent of sulphite fibre. Whether other
| kind of wood besides spruce can be
used profitably for the production OF
cheap print paper is a matter concern
ing which there is some difference OF
opinion
Consumption of Spruce.
The committee report says 1t would
seem that the production OF news PRINT
paper or the other very cheap grades
of paper are today dependent upon the
continuation of cheap ground wood pro
duced from spruce trees ana that lnat tIal
condition is likely to prevail in the
future The amount Of spruce con-
surned in the United States in 1907. ac-
cording to the report. was about l.
26O 600 cords for ground wood, about 1,
100000 cords for sulphite fibre and
. about 345O 600 cords for lumber The
amount of standing spruce Is variously
estimated but is roughly guessed TO pc
about 70,000,0OO cords east OF the
| Rockies.
An appeal is made for the conserva-
ton of the forests, the committee urg-
ing that an organized fire department.
should be maintained to fight fire in
every considerable forest in the coun-
try and that young trees should be eX-
enpted by the various states IN Ihs
| ordinary rate of taxation 1t is also
suggested that the national government
start large tracts of young spruce
forests.
Duty ON Print Paper.
The paragraph recommended Tor
insertion in the tariff bill placing =
duty of one-twelfth of a cent per
Ipound on mechanically ground WOOD
pulp provides that this article shall
be admitted free. of duty from any
country dependency or other subdivi-
sion of a government which does not
; forbid or restrict the expectation OF
or does not impose an export duty or
charge upon mechanically ground
wood or wood for use in the manufac-
ture of wood pulp. The duties recon-
mended for print paper are:
, On print paper valued at not over
> two and one-quarter cents per pound
= one cent a pound. and on paper val.
ued at over two and one-quarter cent
, Mound and not over two and one
half cents a pound two tenths OF a
? cent per pound i,
! The committee also recommends
: the bureau of plant industry make in,
i yestigations in the procurement anu
breeding of annual and perennial
i plants in the endeavor, to fnd some some
! plant which through breeding to thar
n end can be used profitahly Tor tho
+ commercial manufacture of paper,
IT also recommends that the fores-
trv bureau investigate the question OF
the producing of wood pulp and sui
phite fibre from other kinds OF WOOD
fhnSe uSpd.