The Washington herald., 1916-09-04
PAPER DEMAND IS FAR
IN EXCESS OF SUPPLY
Eastern Mills Now More Than Three
Months Behind Their Orders.

Demand for paper now is 30 per cent
higher than production and mills
throughout New York, Pennsylvania and
Ohio now are ninety-fve days behind In
orders, on tho average. according TO Ross
P. Andrews. head Of the r. P. Andrews
Paper Company, with local stores at 627
Louisiana avenue and 727-73l Thirteenth
street northwest.
Mr.. Andrews has just returned from an
i .S00-mile automobile trip in his Winston
Six, visiting more than 100 towns in Penn
sylvania alone. and attending the annual
meeting of the Hammermll Paper Com
pany at Erie. Pa, owners OF one Of the
most extensive paper mills In the coun-
TRY. and famous for their Hammermill
bond and Hammermill ledger
The high prices of paper are due to the
great excess Of demand over supply
said Mr.. Andrews last night. The aver
age yearly increase in demand for paper
in this country Is S per cent. and during
the last five years-ever since the Taft
reciprocity bill was passed-the prOduc-
ton facilities have not been increased at
all. The reciprocity act struck a hard
blow at the paper industry in this coun-
try by admitting Canadian paper TO the
United States free of duty.
The Underwood tariff act of the Demo-
Gratis was another blow so 1t may be SAID
that the two parties are equally respon-
sible, in a way. for the paper situation.
But the Underwood tariff would not in
itself have been so dreadful a blow. The
most telling OF all blows was the war.
, 1t shut OF sources on which the United
States had depended for its wood pulp
supply, and more important still, II cut
off the supply OF colorings and bleaching
materials. so essential in the manufac-
I ture Of paper OF superior quality. About
/ e. per cent OF our wood pulp is supplied
by our own country. bat 1t is impossi-
! BE to get the colorings and bleaching
materials in this country Bleaching
plants now are being erected by some
! OF the paper manufacturers in this coun.
! try but II will be a year or more before
4 they will be completed
| Customers Bid Up Prices.
The accusation is heard that the
manufacturer and the jObber are raising
the price OF paper. But it Is not they
who are responsible: it is the consumers
On account OF the scarcity Of paper, con-
sumers are offering unheard-of prices fol
I the product-nOt because such prices are
demanded. but because they are WILLING
to get the paper at any price.
only recently ! sold d large quantity
! of paper at AZ cents pound. for which
could have received II cents a pound
had l sold to persons outside my regular
| clientele. Other firms are turning dowT
| high bids in the same way. for 1t seem
10 DC the se"eta pm e.,
70. 70 tahI e. e. n,,. ~ - ara Ias
IN ~ go, ~, ,,J,,sr -, N >,
~, ,n5 po H.. - tbnt boro,
Nv 20 49,, e., ,,s,.tiaratior
60 - r,-,-,a-I,, 5.,srded al
- .iai, ,,r,a,, C.r,,,,r1, for he,
10 -, ,rsTs .,,,,lI,, 80, 70 c,,t off
oi,,hl. - 49,, ,ho So,,,bor,
| '.nI, io,o s,,t,,1,. IN bond
~, 80 @ r.. ho-ar,o eY
| tJ go -, - oC,,,,-,a. Va Ioou
~ I-,,,ns Stotos offnr,Dg fohu
us -. .rh.oa go roce,yed ,
So. ,-,ia, - 80 t,ye carIosd
20 80 ,.ica rr,ioht r,Da anI
%. ,o,t co,,,reriad 20 inv down tina
49, - su,oI,. thc local demand