PAPER-PULP INDUSTRY

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1929, Page 11

PAPER-PULP INDUSTRY

NEW ZEALAND'S PROSPECTS. EXPORT TRADE UNLIKELY. Wellington, July 20. Doubts about the future of the paperpulping industry in New Zealand are raised by Mr. A. Machin, a visiting forestry engineer from the United States. Mr. Machin says that while large supplies of New Zealand woods are available for pulping it is doubtful whether New Zealand-made paper could compete with prices of paper manufactured abroad. He considers the prospect of the Dominion working up an export trade in paper to be very low. High labour charges, smaller output and freight and handling charges would make the cost to the overseas purchaser prohibitive.

In addition, he stated that there are few parts of New Zealand where pulping plants can be established and con-, form to the anti-pollution laws for the protection of public health and fishing grounds, which prohibit refuse from mills being cast into streams or the sea. This difficulty, however, is not likely to affect local supplies, as Mr. A. R. Entrican, forest products engineer to the State Forest Service, pointed out in his report to the Commissioner of State Forests last year that the average importation of paper to New Zealand was 40,000 tons, valued at £1,000,000. Of this, about 22,000 was newsprint. The whole of the Dominion’s supply of newsprint thus could be more than covered by a paper-pulping plant turning out 100 tons a day. For the local market Mr. Machin considers paper pulp may be made payable, but states that a good deal more capital is required for the industry.