NEW ZEALAND WOOD PULP

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25246, 26 July 1947, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND WOOD PULP

MANUFACTURE INTO PAPER SUCCESSFUL TRIALS IN AUSTRALIA (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, July 25. Successful paper manufacturing trials with pulp prepared from New Zealand-grown insignis pine have now been completed in Australia. Some of the paper has been shipped to New Zealand as newsprint, and is about to be used for experimental printing in most of the daily papers, while further supplies now being converted into cement bags will later be shipped. Announcing results of the tests today, the Commissioner of State Forests (Mr C. F. Skinner) said that although several production difficulties had been encountered, the trials had been very successful, and showed definite promise that a high-grade product could be obtained from New Zealandgrown wood. The Australian mills, said Mr Skin-' ner, were designed and equipped to handle principally short-fibred eucalyptus pulp produced in Australia, and some of the equipment was unsuitable for handling the long-fibred pine pulp, which was, moreover, a new material to the operators! The tests were too short to permit- of the highest possible quality being achieved, but this was because the mills could spare no more time without seriously interrupting their own production. The paper produced at an Australian paper manufacturer’s mill at Fairfield (Melbourne) for multi-wall cement bags was favourably commented on by officials. It js to be converted into cement bags by Bates (Australasia) Ltd., Sydney, and the bags shipped to New Zealand.

The newsprint was manufactured by Australian Newsprint Mills Proprietary in Tasmania. As the mill had no equipment to remove dirt from the pulp, the newsprint has some specks in it. It was also impossible to obtain the necessary dye to improve the colour, and the newsprint is therefore its natural shade—pale cream. At Burnie, in Tasmania, Associated Pulp and Paper Mills, Ltd., produced good quality bond, bank, creamwove, and m.f. printing paper. The first two were made from insignis pine pulp, and the others from a mixture of insignis pine and eucalyptus pulp. The results were good, and the quality of the paper will improve with experience. Mr Skinner expressed the thanks of the New Zealand Government for the co-operation of the Australian paper companies in carrying out the tests. Part of the experimental shipment of newsprint made in Australia from New Zealand timber will be used by “The Press/*