The Washington times., 1923-11-19
RESOURCES.
TMME N5E, !.
REPORT
100000 Horsepower Found
Available for Paper Pulp
Manufacture.
By PHILIP A. oRME.

Dy i HILL IA OAS&AAAls
As a result Of Investigations
conducted jointly by the Federal
Water Power Commission and
the Forest Service, Department of
Agriculture, southeastern Alaska
will, in the near future be the
scene OF remarkable series of
hydroelectric developments pri-
marty designed to pulp timber
from which vast amounts of
newsprint can be furnished for a
market constantly in danger of
paralyzing depletion.
Under u. S. Control.
Private capital will be enlisted in
the enterprises made possible in this
great area by the conjunction Of
dense timber and swift-moving
streams. But they win always be
under jurisdiction OF the Power Com
mission, that body which has 50
wen protected the interests Of the
public. owners Of sill natural re-
sources, against nonopoIIstic ex-
ploitation.
Up to this time, the chief use OF
hydroelectric current has been fer
lighting and for transmission by
high-tepsion cables to distant points
for industrial plant demands. In
Alaska. however, it is probable that
numerous smaller plants viii be
erected and that power will be APP
piled at or near its source.
Approved by General Lord.
J.6. bort, chief investigator for
the Power Commission and the For.
est Service, has completed a vo-
luminous report on this subject. It
had been intended at first to pub
Iish the brochure with funds to be
secured from Congress IN supple
mental appropriations to the esc-
mates for the fiscal year 1925. 50
well does General Lord, Director OF
the Budget. think OF the project and
the report, however, that he has In
atructed the Power Commission to
aubrait figures which will be put
through the House and Senate in
the form Of an urgent deficiency
bin at the session opening next
month.
The bort report reveals that at
least 400 900 horsepower can be de-
rived as q motive force for pulp
mills In the territory. Immediate
publication il sought In light Of the
present situation In the pulp and
paper industry OF the United states.
While relief would be obtained by
Installing such plants. the outstand-
ing phase of the development win
be the demonstration Of what can be
done to further the public interest
In hydroeIectricz expansion in the
most northerly portion Of the Union.
Paper CONSUMPTION Huge.
''The total consumption Of paper
In the United States" declares the
Forest Service, now exceeds 7,0O0,-
900 tons annually, Of which approx
mately 2.4o0. 900 tons are in the form
OF newsprint paper. OF this total
consumption, there now Is imported
directly over ,e00, 900 tons OF news
print and enough raw wood material
In the form Of pulpwood and wood
pulp to make an additional 1000 900
tons. In other words, the equivalent
Of over so per cent Of the raw ma
terial which makes up our newsprint
production In the United States is
imported from foreign countries,
mostly from Canada.
MOSL OF inc IIllll6 WHICH manu-
Hacture both pulp and paper are
located in the Northeastern States.
To maintain production, the depend
ence Of these mills on outside
sources for raw material is in
creasing yearly.
Expectation of pulpwood from
Crown lands was prohibited by pro-
Vincial embargoes in Ontario in
1900, in Quebec in 1910, and in New
Brunswick in 1912. Present i'm
ports Of Canadian pulpwood are
confined to wood grown on the
freehold lands. For some time
American manufacturers have been
apprehensive of the possibility Of an
embargo on all pulpwood from Can
ada. In June Of this year the Cana
dian House OF Commons passed a
bill which gives the Governor in
Council authority to establish a
complete embargo whenever he sees
fit. The American pulp and paper
industry considers the situation so
serious that 1t has called upon the
Forest Service to undertake a study
of the possible new sources OF pulp
timber in the United States. A sur
vey has already been made tndicat-
ing the pulpwood resources in Alas
ka and I'm the western United States.
The available raw material in the
southern part Of the United States