, 1864-12-30
THE DCTY on PRINTING PAPER,
Interesting Debate in the House
of Representatives.

On "Wednesday, the 21st inst, while the bi
to supply deficiencies In Tie appropriation
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1865, Wa
under discussion in the House, as In Commit
tee Of the Whole, Dir. Stevens, of Pennsylya
MIA, In explaining the large deficiency In tn
appropriation for the public printing, re
marked that the price Of printing paper ha'
Increased 66 per cent since last year. Upol
this IN interesting colloquy arose between
Mr.. Washhurne,- of Illinois, Mr.. Rice, OF Mas
sachusctts, and several other members rela
tive to the existing duty Of 20 per cent 0,
foreign printing paper. We copy the princi
pal part of the discussion from the Gzo6s:
= = y 81 -
Mr.. WAsHBuRSE, Of Ill., would like tt
have the gentleman from Pennsylvania ex
plain to me his theory in reference to the in
crease in the<prIce Of paper. I understand
that we have imposed duty upon paper &C
high that none can be imported, md that pa
per manufacturers have combined to put ths
TO price utterly ruinous to the newspaper
interest, and which must eventually destroy
the local papers in the country unless Con
gress shall by joint resolution repeal tint
duty.
Mr. STEVENSON. I agree with the gentle.
nun from illinois that q great deal Of fault
lies with what suppose do not knnw the
makers. The duty Was laid upon paper in
hopes Of getting some revenue from 1t. It
seems that instead Of stimulating that branch
of industry, as has been the case with other
branches, the reverse has been the case.
Mr.. KELLEY. I,beg leave to say to my col
league that in great degree It has stimulata
cd that branch Of manufacture, aud that at
wIr
paper for newspapers Fl ON wood, by process
not known two years ago. There is being
erected at this time, to my knowledge, one ot
the most extensive establishments In the
country, to produce paper from pulp obtain
cd from wood, and now producing many tons
d day from imperfect works.
Mir. RICE, OF Massachusetts I should like
to inquire Of my friend from Illinois (Mr.
Washburne) what evidence he has OF a COM
binatton on the part Of paper manufacturers
TO advance the price Of paper. think, un-
less he is prepared with tacis and statistics.
be has no right to present so serious charge
against any branch Of industry: have
heard intimat1ons. het- and elsewhere, that
heard any substantial lacts which give evi-
dence Of any such combination on the part OF
paper manufacturers.
afr. Chairman, ! do not know how this SUBJ
ject has arisen at the present time, as was
called out Of the House : but I am prepared
to soy that to my belief there is no branch of
American industry, employing the samc
amount Of capital and labor, thut is SO uure-
munerative rs the manufacture OF paper. 4
large number Of paper mills have been broken
down during the past four or five years. If
gentlemen would turn their attention to
furnishing the manufacturers Of paper with
the raw material at a less price than they can
now ob,ain it al, this difficulty about the
price Of printing paper would disappear. The
fact Is that paper manufacturers are not de-
irving great profits from the manufacture of
paper. On the contrary, large portion of
lhc power employed in making paper in this
country has broken down. could point this
House to establishment after establishment
that has been broken down because the busi-
ness has been unremunerative during the last
year.
: MIR. WAsuDunxE, Of Illinois. would in
qufre il: they have not been broken down by
these combinations.
Atr. RICE, Of Massachusetts. No, sir. I
I hare no idea the gentleman from Illinois
would willingly make amy misstatement
whatever upon this subject. l have no desi,e
to keep up the price Of paper, but / have a
desire that this House shall not, by any hasty
ortunfair legislation, strike blow ut strug-
CLING branch ofAmerican industry by destroy
ing the means Of producing this article, aud
" AuAhluss55 lAC p&AUGu ul|ou LIE 1dEu cLuplOT-
Cd in making newspaper paper greater than
it is now. What will the newspaper interest
Of this country depend upon if the mills are
NIL broken up? Will they depend upon sup
plies of paper brought across the Atlantic
ocean; and are the members of the American
Congress prepared in this time of war to
strike down Il branch Of American industry.
and to send this money which is now distrb-
uted among our own 1eilow-citizcns across the
waters to support the laborers Of foreign
and perhaps unfriendly power?'
The whole theory upon this subject Is fal1a-
cions. It Is all wrong. What We want is a
greater amount Of raw material. No gentle
man Gun say that the employees Of these fac
tories receive IN unreasonable rccompense for
labor, without the proprietors Of those cs-
Establishments receive an improper or more
than remnnerativc return. This subject has
attracted public attention great deal within
the last few years. Let me Illustrate for
moment some Of the difficulties which lie in
the way Of o cnmni"te supply Of paper. Be-
fore the commencement Of this war, when
cotton.was obtained at q low price, VIC had
large number Of cotton mills running. and
they produced q large amount Of cotton -Wnstc,
and that was the material used for making
paper. and, next to rags, vas the very best
material that could be obtained.
IN addition to the raw material, we were
deriving from the various States Of the Union
q large quantity Of domestic cotton and linen
rags; but the same cause which has wiped
Dul altogether the waste from cotton facto-
ties, 60 that there is no raw material from
That source for paper. has also Left the people
of the country, by unusual economy in the
lEc Of their cotton clothing, and they meuu
Up and make it last as long as possible. So
hat q very large portion Of the supply Of do
nestle rags has also been taken away from
he paper manufacturers.
w Hrn f1t4n T,rof1,1rYV frg3 Tnyt Tnnferinla
han VIC were before the war. We have q
argc number Of men, formerly clothed more
,r less in cotton, who ure now clothed en-
ire1y In wool, and they make no rags Tor the
paper makers use.
We are now dependent largely upon for
,ency came upon the American manufacturer |
or bis raw material, every deyicc has been |
escorted to to supply the deficiency. The result !
s, that great progress has been made in work |
nE st.nW and wood, md think there Is now |
very prospect that Iithln q very short time !
within few years, and probably within d |
cw months-therc will be . very considerable |
ne from straw and from wood. But if Con- |
.rese Is going to so legislatc rs to destroy this
oranah Of American industry, there will be
40 American capitalists, no American manu- |
acturcrs, who will risk their capital and
1lrcct their enterprise to this unprumising,
md, indeed, ru1nous, b1anch Of business.
hope there will be no Modification what !
ever OF the tariff On paper ma # there shau
be any reduction OF the tariff on imported
paper, hope Congress will at least u1akc q
corresponding reduction In the internal duty
imposed upon that article. believe that the
true way to reduction Of the price Of paper,
and an abundant supply is for Congress to
Turn its attention 10 the development Of this
branch Of manufacture at home, and partlcti-
larly in the western country, where the raw
material Is SO much more abundant than 1t Is
1t the Enet. / have no interests in this ques-
Lion which are subseryed By q high duty on
foreign paper, and am entirely willing to
rive whateyer influence I have in the llrec-
lion Of securing to the consumers Of paper au
abundant and cheap supply. And the way to
DO TINT is to protect the interests Of our Own
Mr.. WAsupuRSE, Of Illinois. In max
ing the inquiry did Of the chalrman Of the
Committee of.Tays and Means, Lhad no idca
pf being prccipitatcd into discussion ui this
paper question and had 10 idea Of waking
up nay friend from MASSACHUSETTS,. Of whose
politeness haYe been the recipient At Bos-
ten, in looking through big magnificent paper
I thinkit was one which has perya-
1ed this House to q very considerable extent
-a1at the price Of paper has risen to such an
extent thai it WAS Impossible for the country
to live under 1t, in consequence Of the impo-
sition of. the present tariff. which is prohibit
Lory. That leaves II to the domestic manu-
faciu1ers, and I have understood from the
hest authorities, tbnt there Is d combination |
Of paper makers who have controlled this |
whole matter, and who have brought up the
price Of paper from twelve and fifteen cents d |
pound to twenty-five and twenty-six cents |
Der pound. That there has been such IN I'D |
vance In price, I presume the gentleman will
aot deny. ~.
Mn. Dawes. I would like to ask my friend |
/ question It he will permit me.
NR. WAsuBUREE, Of Illinois. Certainly.
. Mr.. DAWES, 1fhe will answer mi, question |