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Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1920, Page 2

Aenoi’os of the paper shortage a recent message from London says, according to enquiries made hv “The Times,” the serious (situation in the paper trade, owing to dearth of raw material, arid consequent high prices, is likely to get graver instead of easier, while prices will continue to increase for some time to come. This state of things is said to arise from.two principal contributing causes—the practical monopoly of the pulp trade by Scandinavia, and tlie im_ incline purchases of pulp by the United States of America. A third and lesser cause is the extinction of the export trade in pulp from Germany and Austria. Great Britain bought largely from these two countries before the war, and they both did considerable business also elsewhere. Their disappearance , from the market has had the dual result j of decreasing supplies and increasing I the demand from other sources. The question of procuring pulp from Russia j cannot, in the present circumstances, be seriously considered, and thjo market re- !

mains divided between Scandinavia and Finland, with the lion’s share in the hands of the former. Most of Canada’s ' pulp goes to the United States of Arne, rica. The present crisis, says “The Times,” calls for more than present treatment. It illustrates vividly the evil results of our dependence for the food of a great industry upon an outside agency. The most satisfactory and lasting way of dealing with the present situation would be to transfer our custom >to sources of supply within the Empire. Fir and spruce are the woods from which the pulp for paper-making is produced. What is wanted is a generous scheme for the opening up of forests throughout the Dominions and dependaneies. In Canada a scheme for doing such work on a big scale is being perfected. That example might well be followed elsewhere. The difficulties in the war, however, are not few, and cannot he overlooked, the chief being that pulping machinery is generally run by water power, and that the right kind of timber growing in the vicinity of a big waterfall or swiftly-running river is not readily found. Recourse is being had to tlio repulping of old paper, but it is a process the paper-maker dislikes, because, ho declares, it is expensive, dirty and difficult.