Evening star., 1924-06-19
SERIOUS PROBLEM OF
PRINT PAPER SUPPLY
BY WILL p. KENNEDY

The print paper supply of the
United States presents a serious
problem. Our demands for paper have
practically quadrupled since 1900. The
pulp and paper industry of the United
States depends upon the spruces, true
frs and hemlocks for a large per-
eentage of its raw material. Careful
and extensive investigation shows
that for a permanent pulp and paper
industry, as we'll as for a permanent
lumber cut, this country is dependent
upon a forest experiment station to
secure technical knowledge needed on
methods of cutting and reforestatlon.
This is one reason that the United
states Department of Agriculture has
decided to establish a forest expert
ment station in the Pacific Northwest
on July to determine proper meth
DDS of reforestation, because that re-
gion now contains, in the states of
Washington and Oregon, 81 per cent
of the total remaining saw timber of
the United States, exclusive OF Canada.
One of the logical regions for an
enlargement of the American pulp
two states, which, with California,
contain more spruce, fir and hemlock
than all the eastern and lake states
combined
II the small existing pulp and pa
per industry of Washington and Ore
gon is to be developed to large size,
ii should by all means avoid the mis-
take now so obvious in the growth OF
the eastern industry. All new pulp
and paper mills should be established
on the basis of permanent supplies
either from privately owned or pub
licly owned land. and such supplies
can be insured in competition with
the demand for the same material
from other industries only by inten-
sive methods of forest management,
for which a forest experiment station
must furnish the basis.
The opening of this new station at
the beginning of the fiscal year marks
another step in the Department of
Agriculture's plan to establish forest
experiment stations In all the princi-
pal forest regions of the United
States. Its work will consist of de-
termining proper ways and means to
prevent forest destruction either by
destructive logging, fire or other
agencies, and to insure the perpetua-
tion of the forests as growing crops.
After pointing out why the expert
ment station was located in the
northwest with a special view to
building up an adequate and perma-
nent pulp and paper industry, Secre-
tary Wallace emphasizes that in that
locality is one of the few remaining
opportunities left in the United States
way as to get new timber growth
started Immediately, and thus avoid
the mistakes which in all of the tim
ber regions of the east have led to
forest land.
X r
The combined lumber cut in Wash
inston and oregon. is approximately
80 per cent of the entire cut of the
country. The lumber cut for the two
states in 1890 was nearly 5000, 200, 900
board feet, but under intensive forest
management 1t would be possible to
grow and harvest 16.ooo,o 100000 board
feet or more per year. or nearly twice
the 1890 cut In order, however, to
maintain lumber production even in
its present volume, the virgin stands
of Washington and Oregon must be
cut and removed in such a way. that
new timber growth will be insured.
unless Ine Technical
which will make such cutting pos
sible 10 secured the lumber industry
Of Washington and Oregon will Of
necessity follow the course of similar
industries in. New England, New
York, Pennsylvania. the lake states
and, now in process, but not 50 far
advanced, In the south
THE cut will increase to a crest
and then fall off," says Secretary
Wallace, taking with it a series Of
dependent industries which make for
the development and prosperity Of
| the region itself and Of the entire
country. Population cannot be sup
ported, transportation as shown by
| the experiences Of other regions will
gradually dwipdle and Important
sources Of taxation Will be cut on.
kx ~
'In the state of Washington, for ex-
| ample, timherland and the lumber
kAndustry toYether paid approximately