Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-01-18
THE PAPER MONOPOLY.


Memorial OF tho Ohio Publishers'
"a Convention. M
The Memorial to Congress, prepared by
the Committee of the Ohio Publishers Con-
vention On behalf Of that body, is as follows;
At q Convention of the publishers Of
weekly newspapers In Ohio, held at Column
bus, January 18th, 1867 the undersigned
were appointed Il committee to memorialize
Congress respecting the tariff on printing
paper, and to petition the Ohio Legislature
TO request our Senators and Representatives
in Congress to give theirinfluence and their
votes TOR the repeal OF that tariff. T
Your petitioners would, therefore, re-
spectfully represent, that official reports
show that while said tariff yieldsno revenue
to the Government, 1t enables American pa
per manufacturers to enter into combina-
tions by which the price OF news print Is
advanced above rates which afford reason
able profit without corresponding advan-
tage TO the laborers, employed, but greatly
to the embarrassment OF publishers WHO
are compelled so much to enhance the sub
scription price of their journals, as to large
ly curtail their circulation. 10
! Newspaper readers are required to pay a
premium to paper manufacturers, because
the tariff protects them In monopoly.
BY that tariff tax Is imposed npon
knowledge for the benefit of capitalists who
combine to crush every manufacturer VINO
will not unite with them, when they ad-
vance prices, rrtl ~ ft5i.-. .I..l
Government being itself a large consum-
er of paper, is compelled to pay manufac-
turers heavy premium over just and lib
eral profit, because Of q tariff which yields
no revenue. uH shr
/ If publishers increased their subscription
rates to correspond with epriceof paper,
daily papers would cost Twenty Dollars a
year and weeklies not less than Five Dol
| lars.
The general advance on subscriptions
goes now, not into profits of publishers, but
| of those of paper manufacturers. Rags are
as dear in Europe as in America; yet better
paper can be bought in England at nine
cents per pound than the common American
news print which costs twenty-five cents
per pound at the mills.
If the import duty on printing paper
were removed, at the present premium on
| gold, it could be bought In New York for
eighteen cents per pound, and manufacture
| ers at the West could sell at sixteen with a
| fair revenue. e ts-.e
Manufacturers maintain eXorbitant prices
based on the rates of foreign exchange, be-
cause If any merchant should import pa
per they can afford to undersell him.
The foregoing propositions are derived
from careful inquiries by experienced pub
fishers. They are conclusive in the judg-
ment of the Convention we represent, that
the present duty upon imported paper, in
practical effect, under authority of Govern
ment, imposes grievous burden upon the
great body of the people for the direct pc
cuniary advantage of few; interfering
with the diffusion Of knowledge, abridging
facilities for the general circulation of
news, and checking enterprise for the dis
semination of special or technical informa-
ton. ~ 80 r7u Cnl at
Other considerations might be urged were
it not the object of the Publishers Conven-
tion to represent the unanimous conviction
of the members thereof, that in justice to
newspapers and their readers the tariff on
paper ought to be removed. rather than to
argue the grounds upon which that convic-
tion is based. t'1l J
Trusting that the whole subject will ear
ly be given your earnest attention, we have
the honor to be,
Very respectfully,
@ WIN. T. CoGGEsHALL,
foT. Springfield Republic;
THos. HOLDER,
Marion Mirror;
AMOS LAYMAN, -
Ohio Statesman;
ia Committee Ohio Publishers' Oonvention.