The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-07-23
WOOD PULP MILLER.

While Mr. Depew, attorney of the New
York Central Railroad monopoly, with the
help of such professional lobbyists as Barber
and Bradley, was either unable or unwilling
to dsburse with sufficient freedom to secure
his election to the United States, another IA.
nous monopoist of vastly less ability or re-.
spectability, but evidently with larger bari,
seems to have found no difficulty in making
the needed disbursements to secure the coveted
prize. THIS lucky trafllcker was the gentle
man whose virtues the Ave thousand newspa
pcrs of the country gave pretty free airing
some fifteen months ago under the name of
Wood Pulp Miller" In connection with one
Russell, of Massachusetts, this Mr.. Warner
(alias Woodpulp) Miller happened few years
ago to become the exclusive owner OF all the
patents that covered the manufacture of wood
pulp in the United States-wood pulp being n
material made by saving up spruce and pop.
lar or bass wood logs into blocks and running
them through fiber machines by which they
are converted INTO pulp largely entering into
the manufacture OF printing paper The stuff,
untaxed can be manufactured at such cost
that mixed with the pulp or rags or cotton,
good printing paper can be proltably manu-.
featured at six cents pound. Mr.. Miller and
his partner Russell, however, owning an cxclu-
sve monopoly of the business, put up the
price of pulp to such II figure that paper costs
from 10 to IL cents a pound-the monopolists
thus pocketing from 2 to 4 cents on every
pound of printing paper, amounting to many
millions year, used IN the United States.
"Well, having a good thing, why not let
them make the most Of it?' the reader may
ask But there are other features of this mon.
opoly. The secret of manufacturing wood
pulp is known outside of the United States, IN
fact was known before Miller and Russell OBJ
tained their thevish patent on the process
Canada has more spruce and bass wood than
this country and has scores Of manufacturers
of wood pulp who would gladly supply the T.
s.. paper millers with the material at rates
which would enable them to manufacture all
the paper the country needs at cts pound
less than 1t now costs. But Miller and RUSSELL
five or SIX years ago, when pulp was yet in its
infancy, got congress to levy tax of six cents
a pound on the foreign article, by which its
importation was stopped. Three years ago
when the newspapers OF the country found out
the swlndle upon them this tariff involved, de-
manded Its removal. Then Miller and Rus
sell, already become millionairs by the mo-
nopoly bought themselves into congress, and
there, year ago last winter, when the paper
consumers were besieging the ways and means
committee TO remove this vilainous tax on
knowledge, these members OF congress had
the shamelessness to appear in person day at.
ter day before the ways and means committee
and fight for their thlevish grab, and though
congress was evidently inclined to go against
them, they succeeded by q system of logroll-
Ing, In enlisting such combination of con-
gressmen, each of whom had similar robbers
game to play with reference to the tariff bill,
as to defeat the removal OF the odious tax and
Miller ane Russell we're confirmed in Re en-.