The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-02-06

The paper makers represent, - they hsve
always done, that they are heavily taxed upon
the chemicals sud bleaching powders used IN
their produc ton. This complaint IN also, and
as strongly, urged by the manufacturers OF
cot ton and linen goods and glassware. This
complaint has bean urged on the ground that
II the manufacture OF paper WAS relieved OF
the heavy tax upon bleacbers, the American
papermakers could, because OF the better quail
tiles snd cheaper cost OF the straw and OF the
wood make paper for export, and sell It abroad
in successful competition with the paper OF
European mills. This, il true, shows that the
present tax bleaching powders and all other
chemi cal agents is an oppressive and restrain
ing weight upon tho unlimited expansion OF
American paper manufacture.
tax on paper is tax on public intel :
gsnce. The book, the magazine, the pamphlet,
and the newspaper are essential to the Amer-
can people. They are the dlsseminators OF
knowledge; they are the great American
teachers; they enter every household; they
carry Information where it could not otherwise
go and they cultivate and MAINTAIN that public
sentiment upon which public and private NOR
Atty depend. The magnitude OF this tax on
paper can be estimated partially by consider
ing the many millions OF publications issued
daily and weekly, and reaching every household,
showing the enormous consumption OF paper
in this country.
Now, tho duty Of Congress in this matter 10
PLAIN one. American manufacturers OF pa
per- and OF glass, cotton, and linen goods,
should be relieved Of every tax on each and
every thing entering into their production.
All raw materials, oil chemicals. all dyestuffs,
and oil bleaching powders OF every DESCRIPTION
and quality should be admitted free OF duty,
and these manufacturers placed on the same
footing in this respect with their foreign com
petltors. The manufacture OF paper in this
country should DO relieved Of this tax IN an
especial manner, because tax upon paper Is Q
repress,ve tax that reaches every man, woman
and child IN the country that can read and
write. At the same time, the duty on oil
paper, especially that used for books and news
papers, should be reduced one-haf- that -,
m manufacturers Ne TO the heavy addition made
to the cost Of producing printing paper be-
cause OF this tax on chemicals be true, then
repeal OF this oppressive tax will far more
then compensate them for the reduction OF the
duty on imported printing paper There has
been no print-papsr imported for years; no
foreign paper can be imported that can com
pete with domestic paper protected by duty
OF twenty per cent. and other charges. and
the cost OF ocean and internal transportation.
The taxes on the bleaching and other cheni-
Gals used in msklag paper, it has been always
claimed so increased the cost OF making pa
per In this country that nothing less than
duty OF twenty per cent. would protect IT from
foreign competitors. Congress, therefore, will
see that by repeating this onerous tax on
bleachers the duty on paper may be repealed
or at least reduced to ten per cent, to the great
well as Of every newspaper and every book and
magazine publisher IN this country. Every
body has direct interest in this matter. The
revenue from printing paper is not large, and
can be spared, and the TAX on chemicals used
for bleaching serves only to swell the cost OF
manufacture. Every newspaper aud every
publisher III The United States, therefore,
should unite IN laying all these facts before
Congress- IN order that that body being thus
informed, can relieve the ma nufacturer OF this
useless aud oppressive burden, and that the
duty on paper, If not abolished also, be reduc
ed 10 one-half. The case is too plvn for Con-
gress TO mediate in the matter.