PAPER FROM BAMBOOS.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1920, Page 11

PAPER FROM BAMBOOS.

PROMISING EXPERIMENTS London, May 6. Mr. W. Raitt, cellulose expert to the Government of India, is on a visit to this country in connection with the development of the pulp resources of India—primarily to obtain pulping plant for the Forest Research Institute in India. The plant is needed for further experimental work in investigating new sources of paper-making material, and for assisting in development of bamboo pulp enterprises. It is recorded that for 25 years Mr. Raitt has been doing exploration and experimental work in bamboo pulp. During the past five years he has explored the coastal belt of Burma, and at an approximate estimate he asserts there is sufficient bamboo in sight with the Savannah grasses of Assam to produce 14,000 tons of dry pulp per annum. Bamboo being a grass, he states, its pulp has many features in common witn esparto, ar.d it can be used for all grades of paper. For newsprint, while it does not entirely take the place of strong sulphite, bamboo pulp can be advantageously used to the extent of half the present percentage of and if mechanical pulp continues to maintain anything like its present value, it can be so cheaply produced that it can take the place of mechanical pulp entirely. The total cost of production will not exceed one-half of that now being experienced with wood pulp. "After 25 years' work on this problem in various parts of the world," Mr. Raitt says, "I have come to the conclusion that no permanent settlement of the papermakers' oft-recurring difficulties of supplies can be found, except in the annual Tyaste growths'of tropical and sub-tropi-cal forests." The Indian Government has granted concessions to pioneer companies on extremely favorable terms, and schemes are being developed for the production of about 70,000 tons per annum of bamboo pulp.