The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-03-09
The Paper ExtOrtfOn.

The raid of paper men on the public is
purely artificial and is not the result, except
in very small degree, Of any rise in the cost
of paper materials, either chemical or rags, or
the price of labor. The print paper. in which
the greatest rise has occurred, is not over 20
per cent. rag the balance being wood pulp,
and the rise is equal in the dark, dngy, brittle
papers with not per cent. of rags, the bal
ance being wood and straw. The fact is, that
the paper makers have formed a perfect COM
bnation which rules the market. The
national association of paper makers was
formed two years ago, but many manufacture
ers staid out OF it, and its efforts to control
prices failed. Last fall, however, every mill
in the country joined the gang exec, a very
few, and they were bought up. by systematic
operations restricting production, the supply
OF paper was reduced, and, even while it was
abundant, they acted as if it was scarce.
delaying filling orders, and sending but part
of the amount ordered, while their ware
houses were full of paper, to create all idea
OF scarcity. The association, before it got all
the paper makers in, held annual meetings,
which were of little Importance, but as the
combination was perfected, the country was
divided into three grand divisions, the New
ork division represented the East; the Gin
cnnati division, the center and South; and
the Chicago division, the West. These res
pective divisions meet every month, and put
up the price of paper q cent pound, one half
OF which is to take effect Immediately, and
the other half in two weeks from the date OF
the order, or midway to the next meeting =;
and they report to each other and to all the
mills the advance decided upon. There has
been an advance in rags, which have nearly
doubled in price, and the advance in some
chemicals Is marked, but to show that this
does not warrant increasing the price Of paper
one hundred per cent, it need only be said
that pure rag papers, and fire papers, have
advanced but slight per centage, not over I
or 10 per cent.
When the advance in paper was first made,
the preteXt given was "low water" which was
equally false with the cry Of high rags, for
the water courses are now overtiowng, and
the price Of paper has risen faster than the
water in the streams.
The price of paper was undoubtedly too
low; 81 and "a cents per pound was on a
level with the cost of production. There
was reason in advancing the price Of paper
to I cents pound, but it has now been
pushed up to 1O!, with the threat that 1t Will
go to II cents, and it is as likely to go to Is,
unless the price is restricted by something
except tie greed of the manufacturers.
The only remedy is the absolute repeal OF
the tariff of 20 per cent. on paper, which will
encourage importation. That will not effect
an immediate reduction, as torei4nerS have
not the machinery to produce wood paper as
cheaply as it is made here, but with Il perma-
nent open market provided they will soon in
troduce it.
1t is estimated that the advance in the price
of print paper has already reached S., ,0O0,0 600
an unconscionable tax on the people.-MH-
acaukee Telegraph.