Newsprint Paper

In 1924, North America produced 2,900,000 tons of newsprint paper-- a new high record for all time. Of this total, 1,471,000 tons were made in U. S. mills, and 1,353,000 tons in Canada. U. S. production was smaller in 1924 than in the year preceding by 14,000 tons, and 40,000 tons under the 1920 record. But Canadian output, last year, rose 87,000 tons over 1923, and was 54% over its 1920 production. Experts now predict that, in 1925 and subsequent years, Canada's newsprint paper output will surpass that of the U. S.

The U. S. is the greatest consumer of newsprint in the world. In 1924, she exported only a few thousand tons, while importing 90% of the Canadian production and 156,000 tons from abroad. Moreover, U. S. print-paper consumption was 50,000 tons above that of 1923 and 28% greater than in 1920.

This is the economic background of the vested words recently uttered by various and sundry Americans on the paper situation. Canada, on the plea of forest conservation, is considering an embargo on pulpwood exports. This threatens the U. S. paper industry, the occurrence of high prices and severe hardships on U. S. publishers of almost all types. The National Publishers Association has prodded Senator Borah, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Mr. Borah remains in a quandary as to the proper steps to take.