Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-02-23
The Paper. Monopoly.

The N. Y. Euening Post, from which paper
we quoted, the otner day, the ''sharp at
tack" on Mr.. Rice, having put the respon-
sibility for its statements to The Springfield
Republican, the latter paper thus spunkily
assumes it:
'MR. RICE THE PAPER DEALER AND THE
MEMBER OF CoNGREss-Itw was unbecoming
Massachusetts, member of Congress to mis-
represent his relation to the paper manufac-
turing interest as Mr.. Rice, of Boston, did
in the House last Saturday, when he made
his personal explanation in reply to sharp
attack from The Neu York Euening Post He
said, if reported correctly, that he was not
interested, directly or Indirectly, in the
manufacture of paper. There is literal,
technical sense, In which this is perhaps
true; broadly, practically, it is false, and it
Is calculated to convey very false impress
sion. Mr.. Rice is the leading partner in the
firm of Rice, Kendall q Co., who are, with
single exception, the largest paper deal
mills, it is true; they directly manufacture
no paper; but indirectly they are among
the very largest manufacturers in the coun-
try, and have more power over prices than
any single manufacturing firm or corpora
tion in all New England. They deal in pa
per stocks and papers on a large scale; sup
plying various mills with all their ma
terials, and taking and monopolizing all
their product. They contract with con-
sumers of paper without resort to the
manufacturers; they are, SO far as the
purchasers of paper go, the real man
ufacturers; and they have more to say
as to prices than those who own and run
the mills. To the monopoly by this firm
and one or two Others in the same business,
of both the rag and paper markets, through
fhn natRn Of
and the control OF many leading mills, has
always been mainly attributed by consul
mers the spasmodic and large advances in
the prices of paper two or three times dur
ing the last three years; and to these sud-
den and at the time greatly fictitious adj
vances is mostly attributable the feeling of
monopoly and combination against the pa
per manufacturing interest. Again, this
firm of Mr.. Rice has direct interest, be-
yond that of the manufacturer, in main
tanning high prices. As their profits are in
part from percentages on sales, the higher
the price the greater the profit. At % cents
a pound they would make three times what
they did when paper was cents. So far
as the question before Congress was con-
cerned, Mr.. Rice's personal interest was all
that the largest manufacturer could have,
and more too; and it is shame to him, and
to Massachusetts, for him, to try to make
his associates and the country believe that
he had no interest in the matter"
The above we cut from The Boston Courier.
Why should we complain of Mr.. RICE, of
the firm of RICE, KENDALL & Co.. which is,
''with a single exception, the largest paper
dealing house in New England" and which
has ''more power over prices than any sin
gle manufacturing firm or corporation in all
New England" for using his influence and
voting to keep the duty up to prohibito-
ry point? Why should not the people be
compelled to pay tribute to paper manu-
featuring monopoly as well as to the other
monopolies that are fostered and protected
by the Federal Government?