The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-20

age in the northern states costs from
50 to SIS per cord standing in the for
est, first class western timbers are
available at prices ranging from 70
cents to $3.50 per cord. Long-d1s-
lance transportation and the large in
vestments tied up in paper plants
necessarily will retard the westward
expansion or migra ton of this indus
try; but unquestionably it should af-
ford one means of increasing the pro-
duction of paper to keep pace with
current demands.
Experts of the forest service re-
port that it is entirely practicable to
manufacture news print in Alaska and
deliver it to New York thru the Pana
ma canal at a cost of not more than
$35 ton. When it is considered that
recent prices have ranged from $50
ton upward, it is evident that an eX-
cellent competitive basis exists for the
introduction of Western papers.
Development in West.
The development of private paper
plants in the west might be supple
mented by the erection of mills by the
federal government itself. 1t is esti-
mated that a mill with a capacity of
100 tons of news print day can be
built in Alaska for s2,500.000. Even
if the output of the mill was confined
to the needs of the government alone.
it is probable that such a mill would
pay for itself in no great length of
time, while adding something to the
paper supply of the nation.
THE fundamental problem is to
build up paper production in the
United States to keep pace with a
growing demand and afford a suffi-
Gent supply at all times to hold prices
at reasonable levels. To the extent
that private enterprise will do this,
it would appear unnecessary for the
government to undertake it, particu-
larly if the publicly-owned forests can
be utilized for the purpose under con-
ditions which give the public control
of industrial organizations. In the
event that private capital can not be
enlisted, however. to meet the needs
of a larger paper supply, available at
| fair prices. it may well be that the
federal government should enter the
| industry as a direct method of con-
| trolling the situation.
Waste in This Country.
These are the larger aspects of the
situation. There are certain direct and
simple approaches, however, that call
| for nothing more than greater econ
| omy The waste which now occurs in
the manufacture of lumber is esti-
mated by the forest service at some
thing over 60,000,G00 cords annually.
At least 100000 cords consist of
coniferous woods, part of which is
suitable for the manufacture of var
! lOuS grades OF paper, dlIHO the COSI OF
assembling it in sufficient quantities to
support a paper plant is often prohibit
tive. Experiments at the forests pro-
| ducts laboratory show that much OF
! this waste can be utilized for the
manufacture of kraft wrapping papers,
| fiber board and other pulp products.
In the case of saw mills that cut up
spruce, hemlock, etc, the waste can
often be gathered and shipped with
profit to news-print mills.
The use for pulp of waste material
/ left afte. numbering recently has been
introduced in numbering operations in
/ Pennsylvania and parts of the south.
/ Hemlock tops and broken, defective
/ logs are peeled in some Pennsylvania
lumber camps, cut into five-foot
lengths, and sold for pulp wood. From
/ 100000 to 100000 cords of slab wood
! and other mill waste are now con-
sumed every year for pulp. In 1908,
hemlock formed Al per cent of the
saw mill waste used, and its averaSe
value was $407 per cord. about two
J thirds that of hemlock cord wood in
the round. In Wisconsin, saw mills
often sell their hemlock slabs to paper
mills for from 50 to SO per cord. This
is a form of conservation that should
| be given SDeed and drive