The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-11
SOUTH IS RATED
ASFIJT[JRE HOPE
OF PAPER TRADE
Chemists Overcome DAN
ger Of Rosin Content
OF Southern Pine
600 TONS PER DAY
PRESENT CAPACITY
Railway Booklet Presents
Opportunity For Great
Expansion


During the past years there has been
much discussion of the south as the
future center for the nations paper
industry. Canadian embargo on the ex-
portation Of wood and pulp wood has
brought manufacturers against seri-
GUS question, since it Is estimated that
stocks of the northern states will be
depleted within ten years. The south APP
parently offers a solution to this porb-
lem, it is pointed out.
The southern area, including the
states of Virginia, North and South
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida,
Mississippi Arkansas, Louisiana, east
ern Oklahoma and eastern Texas, with
only a moderate proposition under suf-
tanned yield management. has an annual
yield of around 300,000,000 cords of
wood. Largest consumption of wood
pulp for the country for one year, 1920,
was 6.114,072 cords. Comparing this
figure with the possible annual yield
of the present forest urea, under sus-
tanned yield management, it is stated
that the south can support the entire
paper industry of the nation in addition
to large lumber business just as long
as it cares to, and never feel the drain.
Rasin Handicap Overcome
Until fey years ago it was thought
that the rosin content of southern pine
rendered it unfit, for paper making
by any known process, but the research
chemist has overcome this difficulty.
The south's output Of strong brown
kraft paper in the mills now in opera
ton is around 800 tons daily. And al
though so far southern pines have not
been generally used in the manufacture
of news print and other white paper it
is believed, in the light of recent de-
Evelopments, this. also, has been COM
quered by the chemist, IL.
At the Second Annual Paper Indus
tries exposition held in April in New
York the Seaboard Air Line Railway
company circulated booklet of white
paper made at the Forrest Products
Laboratory, Madison, Wis, by the sui
fate process from southern pines fur
nished by a Savannah Lumber COM
pany. This booklet presents the soutt's
opportunities to the (per manufactures
and sets forth some interesting data.
Quoting from the booklet: Three
quarters OF the paper made in this
country is dependent upon the stands
of spruce, fir, and hemlock in the New
|
boring territory across the Canadian
border. The total stand of these species
in the territory indicated is less than
3 per cent of the total stand of timber
in the United States.
is Per Cent OF Supply
1.-The stands of southern pine amount
to 10 per cent of the total timber
in the United States, and the stands
,f 1, a,,1, - h. - IL.
and similar species represent large
proportion, amount to over IL per cent
of the timber in the United States or
almost One-half of the hardwood.
by making available to the paper
manufacturer these sources of wood.
his potential supply of raw material
40 per cent of the annual growth Of
timber in the United States is in this
territory.
Five fundamentals of the pulp and
paper industry are found in the south,
namely, availability, abundance of pow
err, proximity to markets, suitable labor
and ideal climatic conditions"
The report further takes up in de-
tail the five mentioned fundamentals
pointing out: The super power zone
fof the south, shorter hauls to purchas-
ing centers of the middle west than
New England, and the eastern mar
kets than the mills of Wisconsin and
Michigan plentiful supply of labor;
climate conditions which would allow
work every day of the year and rep.
resent a saving in heat.
This pamphlet and the Seaboard
railways booth were more significant
than all the rest of the exposition put
together" says the Manufacturers Re.
cord in an article commenting on the
south and the paper-making industry,
''for while the industry as a whole
might continue to make paper without
improvements in its methods, it could
not much longer exist without some
new sources of supply for suitable wood
pulp"
Industry Must Move
Not only must great advance he
made in the industry" the article con.
tiuues, but it must be made in that
section in which the forests will re.
grow with the greatest possible rapid
| ity, and therefore in a new section,
section to which the industry must
move. bag and baggage, grinder and
FOurdrinier, and settle down perma.
| nently in n new home.
I'm fact this two-fold transition is
already so well under way that no great
gift of divination is necessary to fore.
cast it. During the past year the num-
Der of mills in the south has increased
from to 60. Older mills are largely in.
creasing their facilities.
The reasons for the selection of the
south are: First, the south has suf-
ficient stand of virgin and second
growth timber to enable the industry
| to make it's start and to maintain it
! for several years: second, the south will
grow wood pulp four times as fast as
will the forests of the north. For while
southern pine will grow to pulp wood
size in an average time of 20 years,
northern spruce requires so years to at
tain the same size.'
Up To South
At the close of the article the
Record declares From the foregoing
it must be evident that it lies within the
power of the south to become the
permanent center of the nations paper
industry. 1t lies within her power but
the opportunity must be grasped. Two
parallel courses are necessary. First,
adequate educational and legislative
measures must be taken to insure the
perpetuation of her great forest re-
sources. Second. research into methods
of making better and cheaper white
paper must be pushed vigorously. 1t
should be carried forward by individ-
ual companies and by states, and rich
indeed will be the reward"
HOUSTON.--Thes olemnity of a re-
ligious gathering marked the sentencing
of Oscar l.. Pardue, deacon of the