The sun., 1916-11-29
POSITION or PAPER IN THE MARKETS OF THE WORM
Of Present. Widespread DNRhhsw with Regard to supply and. Demand Of Materials and n.
Method. Of Manufacture and the Remedial Measures Applied In Different Countries.

viz hhhh hSte o'S>
raw materials. wood pulps. esparto,
rags, coal, chemicals and dyes. For
merry England imported all her wood
pulp. and America, which now comes
first as a paper making country, has
found IL difficult to supply all foreign
demands. chiefly owing to high ~freights.
which make the shipping OF pulp and
cheap grades Of paper very expensive.
Prices are hardening in all markets.
and manufacturers are not ready to
renew their confidence In the situation
and their contracts on the old terms.
The di~slocation Of supply is increased
by other causes. Mills which for
merly satisfied newspaper publishers
requirements are now taking over the
manufacture of papers usually classed
as foreign, g~rcaseproofs, krafts, gold
and silver foils. thin papers, wrap
ping paper, vegetable parchments and
telegraph tapes. 1t would be well II
the trade would sum up its position In
as clear and precise a manner as pos
sible. In the first place II IN not at all
plain why prices in the United States
should be 30 high. England, for In
stance. imported far less news print
paper in 1916 than in 1915. Lam
cashire mills are making up the bal
ance. which surely should be in favor
Of America.
In the second place there are the
new British restrictions upon imports.
The prohibition OF the importation OF
wood pulp has for its object the saving
Of tonnage and space in British ships.
but the effect is also a saving Of the
American paper supply. In the third
place the manufacture OF news Is
immensely popular in the manufacture
ing centres of England. What becomes
Of the news print paper that formerly
went to England? The gain to the
United States cannot be trifiing, but
where does it appear? 1t is true that
the United States exported to England
so per cent. more news" In 1915 than
in 1914. but the absolute quantity is
very small. According to Mr.. Phillips's
figures 1t was only ~ per cent, a
figure which included some writing
papers. Yet the United States Is the
chief producer OF the worlds supply.
In fact in the figures published by
G.. II, Snellman of Helsingfors, the
worlds production Of paper and boards
in 1912 was approximately nine and a
half millions of tons. OF which about
81 per cent. was produced BY the
United States. Canada. too. is in
creasing its output OF paper and as
regards chemical and mechanical pulp.
the situation in England is described
as satisfactory so that We cannot
suppose that the American markets
are unduly depleted in this way. The
explanation Of the high price OF paper
in the United States is clearly not IA
simple me-. Canada has, perhaps,
been OF assistance. but not to the ex-
tent that might he supposed. In
Canada conditions resulting from the
war. especially the shortage Of coal.
high freights and the high and fiuc-
tuating price OF chemicals and other
supplies. have had a depressing infiu-
ence. In the first half Of 1915 the out
put OF pulp and cheap paper was
about IS per cent. less thar full
capacity. Canadian mills are also TAX
ing up the production Of certain new
specialties formerly coming from Ger
many. Imperial trade correspondent
in the Chemical Trade Journal, 1916, /
pagc 224)
At the beginning OF the war. says
MIR. Phillips. the import Of news and
printing paper in England was huge"
Much Of this paper came from New
%foundland. At present there is "A great
scarcity. and economy in paper is
urgently desired. Stocks were fairly
good at the beginning. but these too
are getting short. News, which sold
at one penny a pound. now reaches
az go, Doc Ia, LsrA,a MANI, =
facturers and publishers are Loyalty
trying Ia find the remedy. The pivots
on which this movement turns are
scientific as well as commercial. The
paper industry is. or should be, q
scientific one. that *. arranged on
scientific principles. Such is the case
in Europe under the conditions OF the
war. This ~fieXibil!ty OF a trade before
changing circumstances is an effect
that u manufacturers of paper
rarely attempt To study. But II would
he impossible TO find in Europe an in
dustry in which more attention is
given To n careful study of the botani-
cal sources of paper. II with such
marked success. as in the recent in
restigat!ons of fibre and waste prod
uCts Of manufacture. The most insig-
nitiCant tree or plant IL examined, and
Is often found to contain subject mat
ter for analysis n subsequent use
in paper making. Phillips. The En-
pres Resources in Paper Making Ma
terials." Journal Of the Royal Society
Of Arts. May 81. 1850
As this article chiefly concerns the
manufacture Of news il is of the
- rautaSf lpnhnpt. NnA 10 /. sYNn tho '