The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-08-07
FOREST SURVEY
BADLY NEEDED
Newspapers Dependent Almost En-.
tircly on Forests of Canada to
supply Them With Newsprint
Paper.

AllleElCdu 10 lhPo''Vu "
VI is manufactured frcm wood or pull
Il imported from Canada. One-third |:
III made in the United States from wooc
e. grown in the United States. The for
'e mer proportion is steadily increasing
{ the latter is steadily decreasing.
It Nearly all of the American news
print manufacturing industry is locat-
ed in the Northeastern States-half
of it in New York. Forests of wood
> suitable for pulp-making are being
exhausted in the Northeastern States,
AT the present rate of depletion none
to speak of will he left at the end of
ten or twenty years.
But in the Pacific Northwest
Washington. Oregon. and part of Cal
ifornia-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 section of the
country.
And in Alaska are enormous areas
of forests-the annual growth of
which would supply pulp enough for
half of the newsprint paper used in
the United States. No pulp mills are
there.
For pulp mills have been establish
ed in the Northwest, and none have
been established in Alaska. in part |
because of the disadvantage in /
freight rates in reaching the eastern |
markets. The Panama Canal is be-
lieved to have removed much of the
reason for this disadvantage, but 9TH
ton of business to pioneer in new
fields-remain.
Development Of newsprint produc-
tion in these regions is also retarded.
it is believed. by the lack of authori-
tative knowledge of the extent and
character of the available supplies of
forest material. their location and
available water power,
and the general situation which con-
fronts the industry.
The practice of forestry. which
now the only possible means Of a
permanent supply of domestic pulp
wood in the East, 1t is believed, would
be greatly stimulated by such a sur
vey, which would develop in detail
the seriousness of the situation.
The sum of existing conditions is
that American newspapers are be-
coming more and more dependent up.
On foreign sources for the raw ma
.erial from which newsprint paper is
made; the raw material Is being ex-
in the section where the do .
nestle industry is concentrated, and
Mills are moving from this country
he United States contains forest re- ~
sources in the Northwest and in Alas n
"a that promise abundant supply for p
many years, and indefinitely under c.
roper conservation, If the industry -
an be built up in these regions.
A condition of dependence upon
oreign supplies of newsprint carries
With it serious possibilities not only =
or consumers Of newsprint (chiefly
'ur newspapers) but also for other
business interests and the public gen.
rally. 1t would afford a dangerous
opening for covert interference
ne freedom of the press and with un-
/ lammeled development of business
through advertising. That such dan
,e. is not imaginery has been eviden-
ed abroad.
permanent domestic newsprint
industry is therefore matter of pub
ic Importance. Its maintenance is be-
ieyed to be entirely practicable If the
roper public action is taken.
The Forest Service of the Unite
tates Department of Agriculture, to
revent American newspapers from
ecoming totally dependent upon a
oreign supply, recommends:
Immediately, an adequate govern
lental survey of American resources
1 this field.
Immediately, steps to bring about n
ne practice OF forestry and the con-
sryation of forests in the pulp-pro- Il!
ucing regions, to the end that the Is
nnual inroads upon the forests will W,
g lessened, and eventually will be no
iore than equal to the annual pr
rowth. This part of the progrH ey
ould require Federal and State le tb
m,
AS soon as practicable development
the pulp-making industry in the or
orthwest and in Alaska. ev