472 



USES OF WOOD PULP. 



The price for the best quality of white-pine pulp was fixed at 13.50 

 to 14 marks ($3.21 to $3.33) per 100 kilograms (220.46 pounds) 

 air-dried* material, against 11.50 marks ($2.73) before the meeting. 

 This convention lasted about three years. In 1890, it was dissolved 

 on account of the large number of new mills that could not be in- 

 duced to join the agreement. The free competition, which was the 

 natural consequence, was by no means beneficial to the industry, the 

 overproduction assuming such proportions that the pulp at times 

 sold as low as 7 marks ($1.66) per 100 kilograms. It was evident 

 that this state of affairs could not last. In 1893, 87 Saxon concerns 

 united and formed a syndicate, with general sales rooms in Dres- 

 den. Shortly afterwards, 27 Silesian firms formed a second syndi- 

 cate, also with general sales rooms in Dresden; and finally 24 Bava- 

 rian and other southern German mills formed a third syndicate, with 

 general offices in Munich. 



The mills producing wood pulp are divided into three classes: 



(1) Mills that produce only white wood pulp for sale to paper 

 factories. 



(2) Mills that produce only white pulp for direct use on their 

 own paper machines. 



(3) Mills that produce wkite and brown wood pulp for the manu- 

 facture of pasteboards or wrapping paper. 



These three groups are divided into five districts: 



(1) The Kingdom of Saxony. 



(2) The province of Silesia. 



(3) Southern Germany (Baden, Alsace, Wurttemberg, and Ba- 

 varia). 



(4) Western Germany (Rhine Province and Westphalia). 



(5) Central and North Germany and the Harz districts. 



The following table gives accurate statistics as to the production 

 of- mechanical wood pulp, under normal water conditions, for the 

 year 1896. The figures represent tons of air-dried material. 



