LONDON OPINION

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1932, Page 6

LONDON OPINION

ON N.Z. PAPER-MAKING POSSIBILITIES. (Timber Growers’ Quarterly Review) On the subject of paper, the wellprinted brochure states: Although there are ample resources in the Dominion for the manufacture of practically the whole of its requirements of newsprint and other papers, there are only two mills, owned by the New Zealand Papers Mills Ltd., of Dunedin, with a production insignificant in comparison with the quantities imported. At the Mataura Mills, in Southland, two Fourdrinier machines, are installed, and a quantity of kraft is manufactured. At the Woodhaugh mills, on the outskirts of Dunedin, a quantity of bleached, unbleached kraft and sulphite cap is produced. The import of wood pulp is an index to the quantity of locally-manufactur-ed paper. This quantity and value of import was 3,156 tons, valued at £38,467, in 1927; 2,382 tons, valued at £28,907, in 1928; 4,327 tons, valued at £50,655, in 1929; and 3,762 tons, valued at £40,517, in 1930. In 1928 the Dominion Government made minute investigation in the suitability of New Zealand-grown woods for pulp and paper-making. The Forest Products Laboratory, UTS.A. Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the New Zealand State est Service, made a report to the House of Representatives in October, 1928. The report showed that a com-, mercial grade of newsprint can be produced either from Insignis Pine and Tawa ; and of kraft papers (be. wrappings, etc - .), from Rimu, Corsican Pine, Austrian Pine and European Larch. The experiments made with New Zealand woods included both laboratory and actual commercial pulp and paper mill trials. ,The report. in its summary of conclusions, states: Tlie major objective, namely the production of pulps suitable for newsprint, has been attained, and the supporting evidence is considered conclusive so far as the technical (features of pulping and the quality of the paper are concerned. The production of kraft pulps from various New Zealand grown conifers, the secondary object of the work, has also been accompli shefl. Rimu land the various pines and larch all yield very satisfactory pulps by the sulphite process, Rimu particularly. Bleached pulp for hook paper and similar products were easily produced from Tawa by both the soda and sulphite process and from Insignis Pine by the sulphite process only. The pulping of Insignis Pine by the sulphite process is entirely practicable. The importance of the market will he gauged by the following figures, re presenting imports during 1929: Newsprint to the value of £377,755 was imported, the U.K.’s share being £54.301; Canada sent the major portion amounting to £319,014. Of the £229, 242, representing the total of other printing paper imported into Dunedin, the lI.K. supplied £164,805, and Canada £17,910. Vegetable parchment and greaseproof to the value of £63,100 was imported to Belgium and Norway outdistancing the U.K.’s total ol £12,226, with respectively £17,737 and £12,002. Of the total imports of £909/731, the United Kingdom’s share was £348.918, or 38.4 per cent., which followed Canada’s total of 2407.210, or 44.8 per cent. Within the next few years, the report states it is expected that New Zealand will make a bid for the bulk of her newsprint market. At present her mills make the greater part of the wrapping paper requirements, where they are protected by a duty of 10s 0d per ewt., or 50 per cent., under the General and 6s6d per ewt,.. or 20 per cent., under the British Preferential Tariff.

The gross output of paper bags and boxes was 2228,829. against an import of only £30.738. In many cases, the home produce is protected by high tariffs, printed hags paving 60 per cent., under the General and 30 per cent., under the British Preferential Tariff. Card and paper boxes paid 45 per cent, under the General and 25 per cent, under the British Preferential Tariff. The cardboard used as raw material lor boxes is imported and admitted free of duty.

Concluding, the report summarises the situation as follows; “If New Zealand can establish her own papermaking industry, and. judging from, the experts report, there should he little doubt of its success,’ the output of her factories in this group should be of great importance. Not onlv should the Dominion he self-sup-porting in her need of paper and many lines of stationery now imported, hut. she may he able to develop all export trade to Australia, where the prospects ol the paper-making industry are neither as ’immediate nor as propitious.”