The daily gazette., 1880-03-30
The Paper Makers Ring.
tn & CONGRESSIONAL AID .rHEr GET


THE CONGRESSIONAL AID -rHEY GET.
From the N. Y. Journal OF Commerce
| TWO things have senspired to put NJ
the price Of paper. One IL the com bi
nstio OF manufactures. We have th.
most direct and pOsitiveproof that Il
prices to be asked from moth to montl
for the white news paper Is dstermt led
in join: conclave by "Amsrican PApeI
Makers Association" and conformity
| theretO enforced among all its mem be n.
The product Of the smaller mills. whose
owners are not in the association, OIL
have not sfficisnt means to carry theii
stock or TO enforce the advance agreed
upon is taken by the wealthier maui
factures, and thus the gresd'of the mo-
nopslists is satisfied without the fear oi
competition.
Such Com mbInation, like the attempt-
ed e1actions in the coal trade, would
break down, howevr, but for the aid of
the government in protesting, through
patents and the tariff, the manufactures
OF wood pulp, which Is the article now
most extensively used in the production u
of printing paper. This Is The other.
and the main propt OF The paper ring.
Congress supposed that IL had admit
ted every description of paper stock
duty tree. "Rags, cotton linen, jute and
hemp, and paper waste, or waste or
clippings of any kind, inciudl ng waste
rope and waste baRging. fit only for ,he
manufacture of paper" Is one clas, fica.
ton free Of duty. Another law placed
ON the free list "rags other than wool,
paper stock, crude Of every description a .
including all grasses, hbers, waste,
shaw ngs, clppi nRs, old paper rope ends,
and gunny cloth, old or ref1ss, to be
used In making aud fit only to convert
e1 into paper" Still another made
free "Espalio, or Spanish grass, and
other Rrssaes, and pulp Of, for the
manufacture of paper"
The production OF wood pulp in this
country is in half a dozen hands, who
have legal monopoly of the bust ness
lt can be imported from Norway, 70
cost there only little over one cent q
pound, but IL is very bulky, pays heavy
freight. twenty per cent. In duty, and
wastes nearly fifty per cent. In use.
1t can be made in this country at q
hrst cost of about one cent pound, out
IL now sold at ;hree or four cents The
mouopolists would not have 30 fine n
time OF 1t, but two of the leading mem
oers of Congress are among the largest
OWNERS, and their Influence and skill
Combined are likely TO stave of any
legislation In favor OF the people. Tbey
canpot directly resist the tide of public
opinion, but they will favor "commis-
siou' to examine AMI report, or some
| othe convenient method to postDone
any change in the law for another year,
10 wish 10 say q few plain words on
this subject Congress has designed to
ALLOW all paper stock To be imported free
OF duty. There is not a shadow OF
donbt that this Is the will of the people,
anu that an effort was made to ex press
IL in Jhe fullest possible manner BY an
propriate Legislation All that Isl now
necessary to give full effect Of this de-
sign Is - amend the law by adding to
the present reading The words in italics
viz; "Esparto OF Spanish grass, and
o hpr grasses, and pulp of, and all Other
pun, for the manufacture of paper"
IL this Is done, and 1t should be al
once, the duty on foreign-made paper
may remain as It is. II this country can
not stand the importation of ground
wood in Its crude condition, for the pro :
dnct OF printing paper, because two
congressman who own a patent, and
with three or four otht RS have a fat mon
opoly of the business are likely to object,
then the newspapers must put up their
prices and the people submit to the ex-
acton as best they may. .:3The only
thing We ask is that there be no daIIy.
Ing and that the issue shall be clear and.
the result decisive. II the people side
with the monopoly, and the House Of
Representatives stands by It's awo veal
thy maDipulasors now la control of the
paper market, we wish to know IL AZ
once and have done with the STRUGGLE
unit new Congress Is elected. We
hope some member will move the oues-
ton and put 1t to square and open test.