PAPER PULP SHORTAGE

Hokitika Guardian, 1 June 1920, Page 1

PAPER PULP SHORTAGE

LONDON, April 15. Mr Stanley Cousins made an important speech before the Fifty Chilian organisaton connected with the paper trade. He said that owing to little or nothing being done during the war in the pulp and paper industry, they came up against a world shoitage which was likely to last for some time. So far as lie could see, as quickly us j pulp mills were put down, the world demand for paper would be increased. “ The present quotations,” he saul, “ average just seven times pre-war prices for pulps alone—an advance of COO per cent, leaving out the question of all other extra costs in the manufacture of paper ,sucli as coal, wages, and transport; in fact, everything we ust . I cannot agree that the 600 pe cent is justified. If suppliers of raw material would he satisfied with a very handsome profit per ton they could put their goods in at anything between 4to 41- times pre-war prices. tins j would save this industry on raw ma-; terial alone—exclusive of the supp > from our colonies—a sum of neai^y £12,000,000 per annum, taking 1 a basic year for imports In addition to our present importation of pulps, amounting to about 720,000 tons, dry weight, per annum, our can supply us with a further 100,200,000 tons.” . ' Lord Burnham said lie felt they ought to he able to draw much more H ,tely than they did from the output of "the great Dominions. Unless the paper resources of the Empire were de. veloped there was likely for years t< come to be a. shortage reaching piejudicially on the whole of their natilon ai life. _