PROBLEMS IN DVELOPING NEWSPRINT INDUSTRY

Grey River Argus, 10 September 1948, Page 8

PROBLEMS IN DVELOPING NEWSPRINT INDUSTRY

WELLINGTON, Sept 9. One economic barrier which might hamper the development of a newsprint industry in New Zealand was the fact that Australian currency was not on parity with New Zealand currency, “where it ought to be,” said Sir Keith Murdoch, chairman of Australian Newsprint Mills Ltd., interviewed to-day. Sir Keith recently spent some days in the Rotorua district with the chairman of New Zealand Forest Products, Ltd. (Mr David Henry) examining the logging and sawmilling operations in the pine forests. “The forests are more impressive in size and I shoul think there is urgency in the utilisation of the main bulk of the radiata, because it matures quickly, and, when fully main atufed presents difficulties in use for some of its main purposes, particularly that of paper-making,” said Sir Keith. “There is no doubt that there is vast provision there for paper-making, provided one or two obscure facts about it are answered correctly.” , _ He added that what was needed was a mill-scale test of trees in their various parts and various ages. He had no doubt that there were other great difficulties, such as coal suppiles. In addition, paper-making required a very great quantity of water and the forests were, unfortunately, a good distance from the sea. “I believe all the minor difficulties will disappear if the major ones can be solved by the chemists or found by the paper-makers to be capable of solution,” he said. While in Wellington Sir Keith is to meet the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, other members of the Cabinet, and the leader of the Opposition, Mr S. G. Holland.