The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-04-27
UTILIZE NORTHWEST
FORESTS FOR NEWS
PRINT MANUFACTURE
Secretary Meredith Urges Development
of Pulp and Paper Industry in New
Fields and More Adequate Support
of Forest Service Activities.

Greater use of the vast forest re-
sources of the Pacific Northwest ana
Alaska, and the growing OF much more
timber in New England and the lake
states. were advocated by i. I. Mere
dith. secretary of agriculture, in let
ter to the American Pulp Paper as
sociation read at meeting OF that
BODY which closed in New York City
April Is. Such program, the secre'
tarv said, will promote permanent
solution Of the newsprint problem and
Is in accord with constructive measures
now being advocated, including the
proposed Poindexter pulp survey pro-
vided for in bill now pending IN the
Senate.
Essentials in this program, the secre
tary said, were the continuation OF
technical investigational work such as
the forest service now carries on and
contemplates, and adequate support OF
the services fire protection and otner
activities. The secretary's letter eX-
pressed his regret at being unable to
accent the invitation to address the
association and was read by larlisie I.
Winslow, director of the forest prod
ucts laboratory, who represented the
department of agriculture at TINS gain
ering.
"While the work of the forest serv-
ice already deals with many problems
of the industry. it should be materially
extended and could, with advantage to
the public as well as to the industry,
cover wide range of problems ana
activities from the growing OF pup
timber to the many difficult technical
questions involved in pulp and paper
manufacture, said Mr.. Meredith IN ms
letter. an abstract of which follows:
THE United States is to-day facing
the most critical pulp and paper situa-
tions in its history. OF these the news
print situation is the most seriovs.
| present demands, abnormal though
they NAV seem, are merely an incl.
dent in the rapidly growing demand
for newsprint paper.
To-day we are dependent upon 9th
or countries for the equivalent OF two
thirds of the pulpwood, pulp or news
print which goes into American news
papers. Our newsprint industry - con
centrated largely in New England, New
| York and the lake states. am told
] that so per cent of the pulp and paper
concerns in New York have no stump
! age of their own, and that less than
] Ave have enough timberland for con
/ tinuous future operation. The predict
cd life of the industry in New YORK
New Hampshire and even IN Maine
where the great bulk OF our eastern
pulpwood still remains, Is alarmlngIy
| short.
"We have. on the other hand, large
quantities of suitable newsprlnt WOODS
In the Pacific Northwest and IN Alaska
The annual growth of timber on th'
national forests of southeastern Alaska
alone would supply half OF our present
American newsprint requirements
Here the industry is undeyeloped.
"A far greater degree of independ
ence in newsprint manufacture can o.
accomplished by two measures-the de
yelopment of the industry in the Pa
cifc Northwest and in Alaska, and TN
large scale growing Of timber IN New
England and the lake states. Both o
these measures would be greatly stim
ulated by the passage OF the foihdeh
ter pulp survey bill now pending u
the Senate. A pulpwood survey woni'
secure the facts on which a sound de
yelopment of the industry in tn
Northwest and in Alaska could b
ba sed and il would also afford basi
for the production of pulp timber IN Tn
lake states and in the Northeast
"Your association has urged the pur
chase by the government OF large area
suitable for the growing OF puipwood'
The government has made beginnln
in this direction during the past decade
In New Hampshire and Maine an are
Of about s62 900 acres has been &C
, ouired admirably adapted for this pun
, pose. This area should be greatly en-
: iarped to include much Of the mountai
, region in New Hampshire, Maine an
; Vermont
eve already have some technics
knowledge Of the best methods 70
growing the pulp timbers Of the Nortf
east and the lake states, enough to 81
Gin intelligently; but a great deal
, ! investigatiye work remains to be don
1 II the pulp industry of the Northea'
i is 10 be perpetuated in anything al
proximating it, present size, the entn
forest area OF the region must be uti
/, lied TO the limit Of its productive q
, paeitv. This Is hardly less true OF Il
!, lake states. Forest experiment st'
, tious alone will. in any reasonab
A time. furnish the required knowled9
) nj the beat methods Of cutting, plan
= INC production and the various othI
: stems in such intensive timber GROWN
q Bnis now pending in both the Sena'
b. and House of Representatives PROVE
for experiment stations on the VIM
. mountain national forest in New I'm
. land and in Minnesota.
! "Protection of forests from fire
i nerhaps the most important single +
y auirement in the growing Of timb'
4 ! Twentv-four states are receiving c
oneration. These states expend year
q for fire protection upwards OF s62o,0t
l. and private owners Of forest land wit
q in their borders expend in normal yea
+. approximately a ike amount y
d federal appropriation Is but slOO.M
!, which is entirely inadequate. III
:. amount has remained unchanged sin
!, 1915. in spite of the fact that the nur
Il Der Of cooperating states has incress
i from Is to "a. and the cost Of the wo
= has practically doubled. The nation
- policy of forestry advocated by Z
y ! -..,.s,., ,.,,,,+ s,rsiafpz a large .