Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-20
FAvORs LOWERING PULP DUTY
Special Committee Makes Unanimous
Report TO COnEreas.

Special CommIttee Make URanimOus
Report TO Congress
WASHINGTON, Feb. ia reduction in
the duty on news print paper from IS a
ton to 81 a ton, the placing of round wood
on the free list and the establishment OF a
duty OF one-twelfth OF l cent per pound on
mechanically ground wood pulp are the
recommendations of the select COMMITTEES
on pulp and paper investigation, which re-
ported to the house today. The report
states that IL presents the unanimous re-
port of the entire committee.
There are three processes generally used
In this country In the production of. the
pulp or fiber from wood" says the report,
These are the ground wood process. sui
phite process and the soda process. The
cheaper grades OF paper are usually pro-
duced by mechanically mixing ground
wood pulp with other kinds of pulp in diff
ferent degrees of percentage. The ordinary
news print paper is generally produced by
the use OF about so per cent Of ground
wood n about 20 per cent of sulphite
fiber. Whether other kind OF wood besides
spruce can be profitably used for the pro-
duction OF cheap print paper is a matter
concerning which there is some difference
of opinion
The committees report says II would
seem that the production Of news print
paper or the other very cheap grades OF
paper are today dependent upon the con-
tinuation of cheap ground wood produced
from spruce trees and that that condition
Is likely to prevail in the future. The
amount of spruce consumed In the United
States In 1901, according to the report, was
about 100000 cords for ground wood. about
I Ao0 40 on~1a FAr a-lnhiA. 49, -. -
S,4eo,00o cords for lumber. The amoumt+of
standing spruce is v~ariously estimated, But
is roughly guessed to be about 10000 900
cords east Of the Rockies.
An appeal IL made for the conservation OF
the forests, the committee urging that an
organized fire department should be main
tanned to fight fires in every considerable
forest In the country and that the young
trees should be exempted by the various
states In the ordinary rate of taxation. 1t
Is also suggested that the national govern
ment start tracts Of young spruce forests.
Thu paragraph commended for inser-
ton In the tariff bill placing a duty OF one.
twelfth of l cent per pound on mechanically
ground wood pulp provides that this article
shall be admitted free of duty from any
country, dependency or other subdivision
of a government which does not forbid or
restrict the expectation of or does not inn
pose an export duty or charge upon me-
chemically ground wood or pulp for use in
the manufacture OF wood pulp. The duties
recommended for print paper are:
On print paper valued at not over ~
cents per pound, 1 cent a pound. and on
paper valued at over "a cents a pound and
not over "a cents a pound two-tenths of 1
cent per pound.
The committee also that the
bureau Of plant industry make investIga-
lions In the procurement and breeding OF
annual and perennial plants in the endeavor
to find some plant which through breeding
to that end can besused profitably for the
commercial manufacturer of paper.
1t also recommends forestry investigation