PAPER MAKING.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1924, Page 1

PAPER MAKING.

A TASMANIAN SCHEME.

SYDNEY, November o

It appears practically certain that another great industry will shortly* be started in Tasmania, attracted thither Jiy the immense hydro-electric undertaking that the Stale lias boldly established. The project is the manufacture of wood pulp from Australian timbers, to which industry the Amalgamated Zinc Company proposes to turn its attention. It is explained that the Amalgamated Zinc Company Inis in sight the termination of its work at Broken Hill, and the directors and shareholders of the company determined to keep the excellent organisation at their disposal alive, and to seek a new line of industrial activity in which to employ its organisation and the capital which it has available, rather than to disburse the latter among the shareholders. The directors of the company have examined a large number of enterprises, but after the most careful investigation have determined that the one in which they can feel absolutely certain of technical and commercial success is the manufacture of paper from Australian-grown timbers. In association with the Bureau of Science and Industry, exhaustive experiments have been carried out, not only in icgard to mixing hardwood and softwood Imt also by the use of hardwood pulp only, and it bus now been demonstrated that an excellent newsprint of almost too good quality can he manufactured from 100 per cent, hardwood pulp. “The company has made arrangements with the owners of very largo areas oT suitable timber at Hampshire Hills, south of Humic, and elsewhere, and also for suitable factory sites, and bus during the past few weeks concluded negotiations with the Government on the preliminaries necessary for Hie drafting of an Enabling Parliamentary Bill. In the meantime one of the directors of the company is on his way to Kngland. and on arrival flic whole project will he tested out on a commercial scale in association with one of the British paper manufacturers, and it. is expected that within a few months Imaiicml arrangements will bo made which will result, ill the establishment of this extremely important industry in the north-west of Tasmania. Tito completed industry "ill in all probability involve a capital expenditure of nearly, thive million sterling, and the emplovneat of approximately 1000 hands. The power requirement of the undertaking will involve about 1000 h.p. to start with, and the indications are that an additional -1000 h.p. will be required within a year or two. and that therefore the growth in power requirements will he contingent upon the rate of development of the industry.” Afr Butters, the general manager of the Tasmanian I lydm-l'lleclric Department proposes to meet the power demand bv supplying the 1000 h.p. through a transmission line, from A\ nddamaiia via (Tossy. As to requirements over and above tin., figure, surveys are now being made on the Arthur River with a view ol determining what can he dime at that point. The indications are that a very satisfactory power scheme exists there, and Ml- Rutters has little doubt that it will be necessary to start oil the const ruction Work within the next year.