The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-16

copy. This advance is fully warranted by the
increased cost Of the paper 1t uses-stated a.
10 per cent-and the other increased EXPENSES
following suit. Since the causes are the same
all over the country the effects will be similar
everywhere. No journal can be expected to
run Itself at loss on every sheet issued, ana
no subscriber who is partaking Of the general
Improvement Of prices in his own business
will grudRe the same chance Of living 70 the
newspaper press. It is the newspapers turn
that II all.
It II useless for newspapers to walt for pos
slb!e relief from the proposed change in the
tarih on printing paper and the chemicals
that enter into Its manufacture. Mr.. Forts
bill would make soda ash, etc, free. This
would be good thing for paper makers-the
present duty on soda ash alone being IS GO q
ton. Putting these materials on the free list
ought to cheaper paper to the consumer. A
change still more directly cal0ulat q Tor the
consumers benefit would be the reduction Ot
newspapers and books exclusively, from 20
per cent ad valorem to ) per cent. a. proposed
BY MIR. Fort.
Under the present tariff the Importation q
printing paper has virtually ceased, Ia 1877
brought into the United States. aud 10 the
year following only $l557. Paper is very
bulky In proportion to It's value, and subject
to high freight charKes.-a fact which tends IN
a measure to limit Its importation. La Its
and ought to be repealed on general prin-
clples. The American paper manufacturers
cannot Justly complain that they have
not enjoyed protection long enough and
developed to giant proportons. They ought
now to be able to "KO alone II ever. The
friends Of free trade are glad to sec protection
Journals demanding the repeal or reduction
Of this paper duty. Self-interest fs too strong
for their principles. Like the Massachusetts ts
protectlonlsts who want the duty lowered on
steel rails but left intact on the peculiar pro-
ducts OF their own State, the protection edit-
ors are now fighting their adversaries' battle
In the most effective way.
Cheap foreign paper is OF course q desidera-
tum for the American press. But the passage
of the Fort bill is extremely doubtful, and II
adopted the effect or that measure on the price
Of paper is by no means clear. The relief
such as IL ls, would be felt In only Que depart
considerations which make rise necessary
| from reductions conceded prematurely and
to an extent without parallel In any other
business.
[Chlcago Tribune.l
| Congress should remove the pretext Of the
paperinakers for adding 90 per cent to the
market price Of unsized paper, by placing On
the free list the Imported chemicals used "a
bleaching and dressing print-paDar. "A Wash
ington dispatch to the Chicago Tribune Yes
terday stated that the various ingredients On
which the papermakers paid duty yielded
last year the following revenues:
Soda.aeh .....'......s........ $4,000
Cauatlc soda ............... $4,000
Betting for stretching paper ... 5000
Alum ............... 10000
Jltramarine Observation-Disclosures. 10000
TotaI, 81, ,181 900
Only q part. however. OF this lax comes out
| OF the papermakers, as these articles are
largely used In making glass and bleaching
| w0olenS and FOR other manufactures, includ-
Ing soap making. The placing of these in
gredients on the frea list would materially
benefit glass; soap and woolen manufacturing
as well as papermaking. and to do 80 would
be In the direction OF wise protection OF
American Industries, and no protectionist can
object thereto II he is sincere In his professed
belief The government does not need the
revenue derived from the tax on soda Ash,
ETC.. as 1t is In receipt OF ten to tpelre dollars
a month Of surplus revenue, and Congress is
puzzled how to spend It. So large . surplus
revenue wrung out Of the taxpayers need
| lessly ID tempting oorruptinK thing, and
leads inevitably to extravagant appropria-
tions and defeat OF economy.