The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-28
NEWSPAPER MEN
WANT FREE PAPER
American Paper-Makers Do Not Need
Protection.
CAN UNDERSELL THE WORLD.
Owing 20 Proximity To Customers
and Their Ability To Obtain cheap
cr and More Convenient Sup
Mics of Coal aud Chemicals.

WARRINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE Amttl-
can Newspaper Publishers Association
has presented TO the Anglo-Americ1n
Joint High Commissioners carefully
prepared argument in favor Of free paper
and free pulp. The follwoins is sy'-
labus of the argument:
The directors Of the American News
paper Publishers Association representing
l. daily newspapers Of tho United states
and representing the bulk OF the 'o'a'
consumption Of printing paper "S 80
favor Of free paper dud iicc pup ,,.
Thstarin OF 81 per ton on Prl"'in7 p"P
is prohibitory and wc believe 'lHl
r,te of Sl61 per ton Tor inecha''' 80,
cr,und wood pulp is excessive 'il'. -
American paper-makers need no opp' .''',or
because they can mahul9e ,,her
cbeaper than II IS done IN any
-, If line world, and they are no"
.,,,niv,nc the Australian, japanese
pritish markets in competition WIZ WI.
Swedish and German mahuid1
~, M printing paper is brought lllo
,i,. fr,i,ed states. but that durHs ~
,, - tho export had averaged oFoi
,ooo ,,rs nsr week and that the eH'il.
r,,.s,no received from the importation Vi
mechanically ground wood pulp Wa oiiis
Su ~ last year. so that no such Pue9' -,
OF national economy coula DC u
opposition 10 free pulp ana ire P'PN''
NATURALLY PROTECTED.
~, ,r,erican manufacturers are pro-
,e.,ed to the extent of 81 per ton Dy
rooson of their proximity TO their cuslo-
- The difference in the cost or trans
,,or,,tion 10 market is their guarantee on
eocuritv AGAINST Canada or any loie's"
couufrv they are also protected pS re-"
so, az their ability to obtain cheap'
and more convenient supplies OF cVd'
and chemicals. which as are not OBTAIN
able I'm the Canadian forests.
In January. lSgS. all the DIG ana pi
table paper mills Of the United S'a1tS-
with "A few unimpOrtant exceptions Nelc
merged into the lnternauohal ~,
COMPANY. a combination that ABSORBED
twontv-four mills. producing about ~
per cent. OF the entire American output,
This corporation or trust. was capitalized
upon a basis Of hfty-fve million.
WHY THE TRUST ORGANIZED.
Tho prefoxt given for the organization
~ The trust was the inability Of mills 10
make paper at prevailing prices-that
bankruptcy stared them in the face.
This combination was really formed to
protect the prOprietors whose mus were
i'm poor localities or on streams that were
running dry Every mill owner who en-
tered that trust invited withdrawn OF
government favor. Excessive and I'M
proper prices were paid for many mills
that were located on exhaused water
courses and that were tributary 10 de-
ruded timber tracts. for mills that az
perlods of the year have an insufficient
supply of water or are under water, Tor
mills that are inferior and worthless IN
machinery equipment and contents; Tor
mills thar must pay excessive rental FOR
water power: for mills that do not own
or control wood lands. for mills that
have neither pulp grinding attachments
nor sulphite pulp auNiliaries.
4 BIG PROFIT
The organizers Of the trust frankly adj
mitted al the outset that its common
stock represented no investment yet
dividend Of one per cent. on the common
stock was declared I'm November, paya-
bile December 81 1895. This common
stock is now selling on Wall street at 90.
A circular based upon Information turn-
ished by officers Of the international
Paper Company showed that I'm July the
Trust was making a profit Of $40 per ton
on its output. The entire output repre-
senting LILO tons per day for theoreti-
caly capacity. could be reproduced by a
present investment OF $l5,WoVyO so lhat
the American consumers Of newspapers
are forced TO pay dividends upon an in
Hated and wholly fictitious valuation Of at
least 100000
CONTROL THE PRICE.
Immediately after the organization OF
the trust II raised the price Of paper
wherever possible In three cases IT rails
ed its price ten dollars per ton and has
averaged an increase Of s. per ton on its
daily output Of 1.liO tons. equalling an
Increased tax Of s.. 230, 90 per annum upon
the newspapers Of the country which now
pay a total exceeding twenty million dol
lars per annum for their paper supply.
The enlightened policy Of New York |
and other States IN protecting forests |
should be encouraged by putting Cana
dian pulp and paper on the free list.
Every increase OF a quarter cent per |
pound I'm the price Of newspaper ADDS |
thirty-four million dollars 70 the valua- |
! ion IF tho trust securities.