N.Z. NEWSPRINT

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1929, Page 6

N.Z. NEWSPRINT

A PRACTICAL TEST. An evening’s edition of the "Auckland Star” last week upon newsprint produced from the New Zealand grown woods, tawa (Bcilschmiedia twa.) and liisignis pine (Pliius radiata,) the. Government brings to a conclusion the com prehensive pulp and paper tests which were supervised in North America last year by an officer o” the New Zealand State Forest Service, states tlie Hon. W. IL Taverner Commissioner of State Forests. A statement summarising the outstanding results of this investigation was released for public information on August 2 Of last year, and the recent issue of a Parliamentary paper setting forth the results in detail, fully confirms the promising nature of the earlier statements.

The major objective of the tests the production Ll' high-grade newsprint, was finally achieved after much patient research work hy the Forest Products Laboratory which is maintained by the U.S.A. Forest Service at Madison Wis.consiit, and considered to be the foremost pulp and paper research institution of its kind in the world. To eonfirm the work of the laboratory on a commercial scale, the co-operation of two pulp and paper mills was secured this phase of the x investigation fully justifying itself, as the evening’s edition was produced at these mills under commercial operating conditions and wholly from New Zealand grown woods.

While the accepted physical and strength tests show''that this newsprint equals standard North American and European newsprint in respect to colour, strength, etc., the final test is. its behaviour on the printing presses. Part of last week’s edition lias been printed upon the New Zealand product to demonstrate to the public the quality of paper produced during the recent tests. This shipment, however, does not represent as high grade paper as it will eventually lie possible to produce. The quantity of wood and pulp was so fcinall and the time the mills were available so short, that the most favourable conditions for the production of a high-grade sheet were not obtained. Based on the paper already produced, however, newsprint manufacturers and newspaper publishers in Great Britain and North America have pronounced this new type of sheet, manufactured from a mixture ol softwood and hardwood pulp.s, and developed jointly hy the Aladison Forest I* rod ucts Laboratory and the New Zealand State Forest Service, as a superior product to the usual softwood newsprint. Thu practical question now to be answered is: " Can this newsprint be produced in New Zealand in open competition with the imported product? This matter is now being investigated bv the State Forest Service. In addition to laboratory and mill studies in Noiih America, the State Forest Ser.jco has made an investigation off the financial and economic aspects of the newsprint 'industry, both in Noitb America and. in Europe, and lias been engaged upon a study of the commcicial possibilities of establishing the industry in this Dominion, the investigation covering wood supplies, transportation, chemical supplies, water, power, and fuel, manufacturing and other facilities, labour conditions, etc. Alanv of the field examinations have proceeded apace, and before the end of the year a report will be available on ihe commercial aspects of pulp and paper manufacture in New Zealand. A word of caution regarding a tendency to undue optimism as to tlie commercial p irs'bil tics o r the industn is very necessary at this juncture. Tlie industry is such a highly technical one. and involves such a large capital investment, that the utmost care should ♦ho exercised in its establishment. It is for this reason that the Government refrains from advancing any hasty conclusions as to the commercial possb bilities of the industry. It has the public interests to consider, the uewsnnper interests to consider, and the forest interests to consider. All these •mist be most carefully analysed and

... ~(•,’ •> 1 1 '••tore a mature and considered opinion may be presented to the country.