Evening star., 1946-12-16
Alaskan Development
By Pulp Firms Likely
Soon, Krug Believes
BY the Associated Press


the verge of long awaited pulp tim
ber development.
Conversions have been under
way for many months with several
interests that are actively seeking
to develop the pulp and paper in
dustry in the territory" Secretary
of the Interior Krug declared.
Secretary Krug estimated that
Alaska can produce 100000 tons OF
newsprint paper year or a quarter
of the nations needs.
From Senator Hayden, Democrat
of Arizona, chairman of the Joint
Joint Committee on Printing, came
an intimation that if private in
dustry continues to be slow about
Alaskan development, the Govern
ment may have to take hand.
Nobody wants the Government
to build a paper mill up there If
private industry will do so," the
Senator told a reporter.
Record Must Be Printed.
But we have to print the Con-
gressional Record-and we have to
have the paper to do it,
sOther signs of likely future de-
velopment are:
l. The Interior Department has
completed study of Alaskan power
prospects.
2. The Forest Service has sur
veyed half a dozen blocks of pulp
timber which could be made avail
able for public advertisement upon
short notice.
3. Three large industrial groups
Investigated the major Alaskan pulp
timber stands last summer. the first
to interest themselves seriously
since the ambitious development
plans of the late 20s were nullif1ed
by the depression.
On an annual visit here last week,
Dr.. C. Earl Albrecht of Juneau,
Alaska's commissioner of health,
said in an interview that "scads of
people, including some big opera
tors" have been looking into the
recently. He and other OBJ
servers predicted definite action
within few months.
Need for Industry Seen.
Referring to a recent suggestion
by John S. Knight, president of
Newspapers, Inc, to the
Senate Small Business Committee
that the Government inquire into
the feasibility of developing the
industry in Alaska" Sec
retary Krug said:
During my visit to Alaska last
summer the need of the territory
for the ablishment of more year.
round enterprises was vividly i'm
pressed upon me.
"The Government has found that
without question there is a large
and profitable field for development.
Alaska could produce 100000 tons
of newsprint paper a year-one-
fourth the Nations annual con-
sumption.
"The Interior Department is keen
ly interested in the utilization of
this Alaskan resource, preferably by
private industry. to add to the ma
ton supply of pulp for newsprint
paper.
United States Ready to Help.
THE Interior Department is pre-
pared to give the utmost co-opera-
ton to any private organization pre-
pairing to establish paper and pulp
mill in Alaska.
Experts advise me that produc-
ton of paper and pulp in Alaska is
economically sound at present prices.
No single new business could do
more for the territory than the es-
tablishment of a paper mill"
Senator Hayden said the paper
shortage confronting the Govern
ment has been aggravated by the
tremendous volume required for
printing the Federal Register. He
added that the Register, which re-
prints all Government orders, is
something for Congress to give
thought to a second time" in re-
iucing paper consumption.