The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-06-12


and wide attention. A brief review of the salient
facts is in order.
"For many years, owing to the rapid depletion
of spruce in the North and East and the difficulty
of reforestaton, on account of climatic conditions,
from forty to sixty years being necessary for the
tree to acquire sufficient growth to give it COM
nercal value, it has been necessary for the unlted
States ito import twoIthirds of its newsprnt and
wood pulp. About 70 per cent now comes from
Canada The volume of inportations for the last
four-year period has averaged $17O,000,0O0: In
other words, the United States occupies position
Of extremely costly dependence in this important
branch of industry and business upon foreign
countries
"The adaptability of southern soft woods for
making wrapping paper has been known and utli-
lied in industry for twenty-five years. Chemists
for some time had believed that it was possible to
use the pines of the South particularly of the slash
variety. to make newsprint. The state of Georgia
appropriated $4,000 to establish an experimental
plant at Savannah and placed it in charge OF d.
Charles H. Herty chemist of international re-
pute, former president of the American Chemical
Society, and at present at the head of the national
recovery codes for the chemical industries
@The experiments were signally successful. The
significance of what amounted to research dls7
covery of the highest Importance not only to the
South but to the country was Immediately recog7
nized, not only by American and Canadian manu-
facturers, but by the federal government, l mas
much as it was known that at least 75OOc0,ooV
cords annually of slash pines would be certainly
available, to say nothing of the immense reserves
and accumuIations from the easy process OF refor-
estation on millions of acres of cut-over or waste
Landslide pine requiring only eight or ten years,
to reach commercial growth was at once seen
that here was wide field for the development, In
this southern area, of the newsprint industry for
the entire nation that would end its dependence
upon other countries.
Southern pine newsprint was tested at the Fed
era Bureau of Standards by the chief of the paper
division, who declared that it met all requirements.
"fts Importance was at once seen abroad One
Of the foremost engineers in Canada at the recent
annual meeting of the Canadian Pulp and Paper.
association reviewing DR.. Herty's work, gave the
Canadian manufacturers the unwelcome Informal
ton that because of the natural advantages of,
the South, southern mill could put newsprint pa
per in competitive markets. such as New York,
Boston or Philadelphia, at a price less by So or.
SO ton than could the lowest-cost Cana6iaa mill.
And the advantage to the southern publisher, with
shorter haul5, would be correspondingly greater,
from $40 to S12.
"But this is not ALL
Recently the Chemical Foundation, after ~ex-
haustive research, laid before the president plan
to make the United States self-sufficient in the
and wood paper industry, pointing out
that with the development of cheap power in the
South and the proof that its vast stores of pine
~ = onI
manufacturers would soon be independent of for,
eign imports. The fact that the great sum of
81 600 900 was annually sent out of the country
under present conditions was emphasized"
The Record, along with other southern news
papers, lis in receipt of telegram from the Chem
cal Foundation, in which not only the economic
advantages to this nation which would come from
a newsprint industry in the South stressed,
but it is also pointed out that unless some such
steps taken this nation will soon be at the
mercy of Canada, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and
Germany; which five countries will be in position
to dictate to American publishers. 1t is easy 10
follow this situation through and comprehend how
closely related is the freedom of our preside,
pending as it does on competitive newsprint prices.
Certainly, the people and the pres" should
quaint themselves with the far-reachng questions
involved in this movement.
As The Banner asserts:
"The Southern Newspaper Publishers association
owes it to the South, to the country, and, not less
truly, to the highest interests of the government,
to make its protest prompt and vigorous, and to
unfateringly adhere to its purposes to render the
eonspicuous-an solicited-sservice to the section
and to the nation upon which the Asheville con-
ventiQn embarkeddk- Hickory Record. :: 49,.
OHIO FREEMAsoNRY AND THE SALE