Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-11

ufacturing industry is located in the north
eastern states-half of it in New York. For
ests of wood suitable for pulp-making are be-
ing exhausted in the northeastern states. At
the present rate of depletion none to speak of
will be left at the end of ten or twenty years.
But in the Pacific northwest Washington.
Oregon and part of Californis-and the inland
empire of northwestern Montana and northern
Idaho are great forests that have been no more
than touched by the few pulp mills in that sec
ton of the country.
And in Alaska are enormous areas Of for
e5ts-the annual growth of which would sup
ply pulp enough for half of the newsprint pa
per used in the United States. No pulp mills
are there.
Few pulp mills have been established in
the northwest and none have been established
in Alaska, in part because of the disadvantage
in freight rates in reaching the eastern mar
kets. The Panama canal is believed to have
removed much of the reason for this disadvan-
tage but other obstacIes-such as the disin-
clination of business TO pioneer in new fields
remain.
Development Of newsprint production in
these regions is also retarded, it is believed
by the lack Of authoritative knowledge II the
extent and character of the available supplies
Of forest material their location and accessi-
biity, available water power, and the general
situation which confronts the industry.
The practice of forestry. which is now the
only possible means of a permanent supply of
domestic pulpwood in the east, it is believed,
would be greatly stimulated by such a survey,
which would develop in detail the seriousness
of the situation.
The sum Of existing conditions is that Amer
i1a ara 0d
dependent upon foreign sources for the raw
material from which newsprint paper is made;
the raw material is being exhausted in the sec
ton where the domestic industry is cohcen-
trated and mills are moving from this country
to Canada; while at the same time the United
States contains forest resources in the north
west and in Alaska that promise abundant
supply for many years, and indefinitely under
proper conservation, if the industry be
built up in these regions.
condition of dependence upon foreign sup
plies of newsprint carries with it serious pos
sfbilities not only for consumers of newsprint
chiefly our newspapers. but also for other bust
ness interests and the public generally. 1t
would afford a dangerous opening for covert
interference with the freedom of the press
and with -untrammeled development of business
through advertising. That such danger is
not imaginary has been evidenced abroad
A permanent domestic newsprint industry
is therefore matter Of public Importance. Its
maintenance is believed to be entirely prac-
ticabe if the proper public action is taken.
The forest service Of the United States de-
partment of agriculture. to prevent American
newspapers from becoming totally dependent
upon foreign supply. recommends:
Immediately, adequate government
tai survey of American resources in this
field
Immediately, steps to bring about the
practice of forestry and the conservation
OF forests in the pulp producing regions,
to the end that the annual inroads upon
the forests will be lessened, and even
tually will be no more than equal to the
annual growth. This part Of the pro-
gram would require federal and state
legislation.
As soon as practicable, development
Of the pulp-making industry in the
northwest and in Alaska.