MANUFACTURE OF PAPER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2183, 30 September 1920, Page 3

MANUFACTURE OF PAPER.

UTILISATION ’OF BY-PRODUCTS OF HEMP. ’ CONFERENCE OF FLAX MILLERS. Members of the New Zealand Flaxmilleys’ Association met at Palmerston North on Tuesday afternoon to discuss tho\ prospect of manufacturing paper from Avaste products at the mills, Mr K. T. Bell presided. Mr Dolamore, representing the New Zealand Paper Mills, Avas delayed in attending the meeting until late in the afternoon, but the subject under consideration was proceeded Avith pending the visitor’s arrival. As to the amount of wastage that occurs, it was estimated that betAveen 3,000 and 4,000 tons of waste material are produced ammallv.

Introducing the subject, the chairman stated that there Avas a tremendous amount of Avaste material in the manufacture of hemp, as about 10 tons of leaf were used n preparing a ton of the finished product. The only by-product that was productive of revenue was tow, though some mills had dried their stripper slips and in put ling them on the market again had achieved satisfactory results. All the time the cost of production was increasing, and to this the recent rise in railway freights had contributed in no small measure, if the industry was going to prosper it would be necessary to put: the by-produets to some lucrative purpose, as was done in the meat industry. In the latter business it was the by-products that made dividends payable. If something could not be done in that direction the flux industry Avould gradually die out in face of dairying. Already some of the flax land in the Manawatu had been put to pastoral use, and there was no doubt that the laud in the llax areas was in many places of the richest and most fertile description. ' Another trouble that had beset (he industry in the last few years was blight in the flax* though he fell sure that the difficulty could he overcome— I hat was, if millers made a snlfieien! margin of profit to devote money to better cultivation of the plant. However, the industry was of the greatest value to the district, and to I lie Dominion, 'flic mills in the Manawatu district employed a large number of men on good wages, and if (he industry ceased there was no doubt that all that labour would drift away from Palmerston North. A mill employed about one man to the acre —no farm would do that; it would more probably he one man to :i houl 2(10 acres. In any ease the industry was a valuable and neeessarv one, and was a source 01. revenue to the Dominion.

Mr J. 11. Slovens, who has been investigating the use of waste products iu the muuuraelure of paper, I hen read a tentative interim report as hollows; —

WRAPPING PAPF.U AND BAGS. “Green i!ax, broken libre, and .''tripper slips appear to be an ideal me.(oral .for the manufacture of the several (ptalilies ol.' wrapping paper. Tlte demand for this class 01. paper is indicated by the evidence of one Wellington paper merchant, who says that as a. bribe to the mills to allow him a share of their output, lie presses and ships free to them all his waste paper for pulping. To establish a mill for making wrapping' paper would cost about £150,000. A pulping mill is practically the same thing, and would be equally costly. The present price of this class of paper is £OO per ton or more. It was previously as low as £ls. The mill machinery at MaLaura is being renewed at a cost: of nearly £IOO,OOO, and possibly this may increase the output add allcct (lie prices. The lion. Air la. 1 • Bee {Minister for Industries) will place the question of a bonus lor the manufacture of paper before Cabinet, and advise later on. The New Zealand Paper Mills offer £5 per lon for dried stripper slips, and £2 10s per ton for merchant’s paper cuttings of waste paper f.o.h. Foxton. Sir Win. Fraser says that permission could he obtained to utilise Tokomaru Falls for power, subject to the gazetted conditions. It is stated that 500 horse-power might he developed there. About that power is said to he the minimum requirement of a mill. As compared with the woollen industry, paper making requires less labour. The vicinity of Foxton appears to be suitable as a site for such a mill.

NEWSPRINT AND WRITING PAPER. ( “Until moans an: found to eliminate colouring and brown spots, flax is not; suitable for this purpose. .Tim New Zealand Paper Mills report • 'M e are, now making exhaustive experiments in this direct ion with 'the best fibre, in the hope of accomplishing something useful. If we succeed there is no telling what it will mean to the llaxmilliug industry.’ I am reliably informed that the Publishers’ Association would find the necessary capital to establish a paper mill (approximately £200,000), provided a continuous supply of suitable material for pulping could be guaranteed. Dr. McLaurin, Government Analyst, recommends a reference to Professor Easterfield, of the Cawthron Institute. Nelson, who, has made an exhaustive study of the scientific aspect of paper manufacture in New Zealand. Pending the result of his experiments, and those of the Non Zealand Paper Mills, to which reference is made above, we may contine our practical enquiries to the question of wrapping papers. VEGETABLE CUTICLE AS MANURE. “Mr C. B, Aston, of the Agricul-

tural Laboratory, nays vegetable cutiele is an excellent substitute for stable manure; but strongly recommends that it be restored to the land t'rom which the flax is cut. It is specially effective as a fertiliser of root crops, such as potatoes and turnips. This opinion is confirmed by experiments at Ruakura. It is also of value as an absorbent of molasses for stock foods, and might be utilised by manufacturers of this product. The Prime Minister has asked-the General Manager of Railways to report upon the question of granting freight concessions upon this material tor manure, similar to those which now apply to agricultural lime. Meantime, llaxmillers are in the position to experiment with their own root crops in the vicinity of the mills, and should be invited to do so, and to report: to the Association.” Mr Stevens was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address. AN ENGINEER’S OPINION. The following letter, which explains itself, was then read by Mr R. McMurray, Foxton, he having received it from Mr Boorman, an engineer who has been appointed by the New Zealand Publishers’ Assocation to make enquiries concerning (he making of paper from New Zealand material: —“Regarding the making of paper from the waste from llaxmills, the finest kind, of paper can be made from the slips and low, as well as from any clean fibre waste. This material lends itself in strength to commercial and book papers, as well as ‘craft.’ I am, however, at the present moment personally interested more in ‘newsprint’ paper. The New Zealand National Newspaper Association have appointed.a committee from its membership to take up the problem of making the paper used by them here in New Zealand from New Zealand materia!. This committee has asked me to co-operate with it as a mechanical and consnbing expert. This j am now doing. The newspapers of Now Zealand use about 15,000 (ons of newsprint per annum. Yon can, therefore, see that before any money investment is involved it will be necessary that the supply of raw material for this must be absolutely assured. 1 would suggest that you start a movement that will secure the agreement of enough tlaxmillers to supply their slips, etc., sufficient to ensure without fail from 50 to 100 tons per day of linished paper pulp, for a period of several years. You can count on me lo help and co-operate with you in every way possible.” Mr If Aker.- suggested that, considering the very acute nature of the paper shortage, it might he better to devote the whole of the libre io the making of paper, and not restrict the mailer lo by-products, li would appear that (be spruce forests of Canada were being cut out and there wns little prospect of a fall in the price of paper. .Mr I’. McMurray was of opinion that there would lie little prospect of relief in the paper shortage until the forests in Russia were accessible. COMMITTEE SET I.T. The chairman considered (hat the funds of I tie Association should bo devoted in part to investigating (lie prospect of utilising the by-pro-ducts. On his motion it was resolved that .Messrs .1. IT. Stevens and K. .McMurray, with (he chairman as an cx-officio member, should be a committee To proceed in the matter as imlica I od. The chairman also suggested that the committee should gather reports from the various mill-owners as to the amount of hemp milled annually, the amount of tow produced, and (he amount of stripper slips that have been wasted. Air DoJamore arrived at this stage, and (he conference with him was taken in committee. Air Dolamore, in company with members of the Association, yesterday made a tour of inspection of the tlaxmills in the district.