The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1917-11-17

have the largest papers for the
least money but we demand
Ve<MSSN1N00 extra edition almost every hour,
Hl47KNHyNEHIu in the bigger cities Of the coun-
YSGen2E2X try. Like griddle cakes, we like
: them only when they're hot and
the wonderful EDITORIALS for which the world has
been scanned by the editors thrown aside
after q cursory examination.
Did you ever stop to think Of the time when this
lncessant demand for the print paper may not be
met? Already we hear Of the rapid increase in the
price Of pulp which is reaching a stage where
many Of the smaller publications of the country
will have to 60 out Of business Even the bigger
ones are feeling the PINCH and some are raising
their prices others reducing the number Of pages,
and still others are making the advertiser pay.
The newspapers have not been the only ones to
suffer by pulp shortage for book publishers, too,
have had their worries. In fact all users Of paper,
down to the schoolboy with his tablet have had to
pay more for an inferior quality Of paper than was
the case a year or two ago.
In 1914, we used about 5000 tons Of newsprint
every day. Our present use has reached 5000
tons a day. and the demand is increasing at the
rate Of about 10 per cent a year, which Is greatly
In excess Of the rate of increase in population
To supply our presses with newsprint requires
annually about 100000 cords Of pulp wood. To
meet our requirements for magazines and book
papers stationery and business papers Of all
Kinds 1000 cords more Of pulp wood con-
sumed annually. Production barely keeps up this
consumption, for while it is estimated the news
papers will need about $4,000 tons for the first
six months Of this year, the estimated supply Is
fixed at 1000 tons.
But few years ago this country was able to
supply oil Of its own needs and in addition fur
nsh paper to foreign countries. but that time has
passed. Now must depend upon Canada for
at least a third Of our domestic supply, and this
percentage is rapidly increasing.
Our fOrefathers, and even our fathers looked
about them. and saw apparently endless and in
exhaustible supplies Of forest trees The wood
man was not told to spare that tree" and they
were ruthlessly, sometimes wantonly, destroyed
Where one tree was utilized for commercial pur-
poses two trees were allowed to remain as they
fell only to rot away or be burned in the first
forest fire that swept over the devastated area
Today this policy has resulted in our privately
owned supply of pulp woods being so exhausted
that not more than Is years supply remains.
Serious as the situation appears to be, there Is
no cause for alarm, If we wake up to our duty
to conserve our remaining supply. There Is
enough pulp wood in our national forest to meet
the future needs Of this country, and If we pur-
sue systematic course in avoiding waste in our
woodmanufacturing plants and encourage the
reforestation of our cutover lands (Of which
there are 100000 acres in the northern states
alone) we could easily supply the world
BY following the dorrect practices Of forestry
and by conserving our supply, the publicly owned
timber in the United States will last indefinitely.
The forest service has estimated that there
are in the national forests at least 3OOOOOOOO,OOO
feet Of pulp wood. This Is equivalent to 6OOOOO,-
600 cords, and for all kinds Of paper we use but
100000 cords a year. This estimate does not
include the pulp wood available on privately
owned lands Of the West.
Practically all Of our pulp Is at present made
from northern woods, where stumpage costs run
from $3.50 to IS per cord standing In the forest
In the West timber suitable for the manufacture
of pulp ranges in price from 20 cents to $l.2o
per cord. The fact sthat these vast supplies In
the West have not yet been developed ia due to
several causes. Lack Of transportation has been
a big handicap and then the large investments
tied up in the paper mills preclude their move
ment while 1t Is possible to secure timber nearer
at hand even Mt vastly higher prices.
From the standpoint of geographical location
and transportation to the majority Of the paper
users In the central and eastern states. The
Western paper woods fall into two broad belts.
The first is available to tdewater shipments from
the Pacific coast lying principally on the west
slope of the Cascade mountains In Oregon and
Washington, including vast areas tributary to
Puget sound and running up along the seaboard
in southeasterly Alaska. There are 70,OOOOOO,-
600 feet Of spruce and hemlock in the national
forests of Alaska alone. In many respects the
conditions found in Alaska duplicate those OF
Norway. the leading country Of the world In the
paper industry. 1t Is said by those who nave
studied the country that the forest Of Alaska will
produce more wealth for the United States than
= even her gold or her coal, vast and valuable as
are those commodities. @ ~
The second timber belt of Western paper woods
extends through the northern Rocky mountains,
from the Canadian line into Colorado and Utah.
This belt shut of from water transportation can
hardly be considered a practical source OF supply
Of paper for the eastern states, but Is logical
storehOuse of raw materials for the paper re-
quirements Of the Mississippi valley. The Rocky
mountains contain a number of excellent paper
woods, and with proper development should sup
ply both the paper required for local consump-
tion and that necessary to replace the diminish