The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-11-04
REPORT ON NEWS PRINT
Continued from First Page.


81 PER hundred pounds. and since July
l. l9!h. have run us high rs $3.50.
Most Of 1hr contracts now in operation
will expire within lhrec Or four
months.
'On current market purchases news
paper publishers have been paying
manufacturers and jobbers very much
higher prices. Before January !, 1915.
current market prices ranged generally
between 81 and So per hundred pounds,
delivered, dcpcnding on quantity,
freight and other circumstances; but
since ihat tim" they have gone up as
high as So or s. per hundred pounds,
for a cons siderable volume Of business
and even higher il exceptional in
stances.
Average Net Receipts.
THE average price received by do
mesIic manufacturers Of news print
did not advance in anything like the
degree that current market prices ad-
TanCcd, because most Oi the paper was
sold under contracts previously made.
On The average. III" actual net receipts
ri dureSiiC manufacturers for news
print paper We're less than So per hun
dred pounds during the first half Of
1916.
The average cost of manufacture Of
news print paper in domestic mills was
less than $50 per Ton. or $l.65 per hun
dred pounds during the first half Of
1916. as shown both by the manufac-
turprS' own cost sheets and by the
costs as revised by the accountants OF
the commission. Furthermore, these
average costs were slightly lower than
the average costs in any year from
1913 to 1915.
Though the average cost declined
in the first half Of 1916, the market
prices Of some uf the materials Of
manufacture advanced and were I'M
usually high.
1T should be noted that The most
important materials which advanced in
price Sulphite and ground wood. were
produced by most of The paper manu-
facturerS without an increase III cost,
and not bought at market prices, while
some other manufacturers were pro-
ttcted against the increase in prices
by contracts. Some of the other ma
trrials which were purchased 1T adj
vanCed prices were very small factors
in the total cost. Certain economies
were also practiced in tho use of en-
pcnsive materials.
1T is generally claimed in the trade
that costs in the future will increase
particularly on account Of the scarcity
of labor in the Canadian woods and the
consequent increase in labor cost Of
bringing logs to the mills. This Is
necessarily a matter Of prediction con-
corning which the commission eX-
presses no opinion.
The quantity OF news print paper
produced by domestic manufacturers
in the first half Of 1916 WAS somewhat
greater than in any preceding half
year since the middle of 1913. The in
crease in production was accomplished
by running mills TO full capacity. Re-
Gently most mills have been operated
81 hours per day for six days per
week.
Increased Imports.
The quantity Of newS-print paper
imported, which came chiefly from
Canada, eQualled about Onc.third Of
the domestic production and showed
d great increase i'll the first half OF
1916. The quantity exported also IN
creased during this period, though The
exports were small compared with i'm
ports. The prices. offered by foreign
buyers were high.
The stocks OF nnwS-print paper.
which are very small IN comparison
with the production. not only declined
during the first half vi 1915. but also
were lower than at any time during
! the year 1915.
AS there was 2 large increase in
production and imports. accompanied
BY decline in stocks, while there
was only I; small TONNAGE exported, Il
is evident that there was decided i'll
crease in consumption during line first
half of 1915.
An increase in The demand for
! news-print paper Is also indicated Gy
! the fact that the sworn statements
respecting their circulation OF news
papers made to the pO5tOitice depart
ment generally show larger issues Gy
he leading newspapers ana by the
fact that the number Of pages Of the
larger newspapers nave verJ generally
increased on account Of large increas-
rs in advertising and news matter.
Showed Higher Profits
Before the recent price advance,
certain other grades of paper we're
showing higher profits per ton Than
ncws-print paper and there was a ten
drncv 10 change from this grade 10
other grades. This movement seems
20 have been checked for the present
by the high prices of news-print pa
per Furthermore. ii is stated that
before the end Of this year. four nc%
machines. two in this country and TWO
in Canada with an aggregate daily ca
pacity Of about 100 tons will begin 0p'
eratiOns on news-print paper. Other
projected or pending Developments
will apparently require a somewhat
longer time TO become available.
at ie not intended in this statement
10 make any prediction about the IN
ture course of news-print paper prices
but merely to Indicate some important
facts TO those interested in the buying
and selling of paper in order that they
may act more adviscdly in making
new contracts. Moreover, the facts
shown here are confined to matters OF
statistical character and do not COW
or other phases Of the situation in
Guiding various trade activities Of he
news-print paper manufacturers. job
bers and newspaper publishers. These
questions will be subject of further
consideration by the commission and
some Of them will be covered by The
public hearings which, as already stat
ed. the commission intends to hold in