Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-31
THE NEWSPAPERS APPEAL
To American Joint High Commissioners to
Is Protect Our Forests.

Washington, Jan. ga called meeting
Of the American New spaper PubMshers'
Association WAS held here, today, with
view TO directing the attention OF the
American members of the joint high com
mission TO the urgent need that IL policy
be adopted which shall protect American
forests by securing in the treaty now III
course Of preparation between the United
States and Canada. Il r+vocitio0- of the
I nrrsen. duty on Print paper and plates
chairman. ana William G. bryant of The
brooklyn Times. secretary.
statement OF the views of the Ameri-
can Newspaper Publishers Association
was adopted, ordered to be printed and
presented to the members of the commas
sion and to representatives and senators
in Congress. 1t lis in part as follows:
large number of newspapers, in meeting
assembled at Washington Jan. 30. 1883.
respectfully submit to the President ana
TO the American commiSsioners. tha; the
duced the establishment of the tariff duty
on paper and pulp have been perverted
10 further the purposes OF a recently
formed corporation, the international!
publication in the country east of the
Rocky mountains has been placed at the
mercy OF the corporation. Within the
last week We are advised that the inter-
national Paper 90. has acquired Ia add-
tional mills. representing the plants of
three large concerns. and that ii is nego-
tiatinS for three other properties. which
represent all of the output from indie
pendent mills in the territory east Of
Michigan. In view of the fact that the
International Paper Co is selling lis sur
plus paper in England, Austria and Japan
in successful competition with Canadian.
German and Swed sf manufacturers, ana
in view of the important point that the
international Paper Co. is protected by
reason of its proximity TO its customers
to the extent of an average of $3.50 per
ton and by reason of its ability TO obtain
cheaper and better supplies of coal and
chemicals. We fail to see the occasion TOR
giving sanction 10 its abuse of govern
mental protection.
Print paper users IN the United States
are forced to bear the burden of an ex-
ctssive capitalization of $40 600 600. and 10
pay an added charge of S2.O000g0 per an
mum. Every mill owner who entered the
combination invited a withdrawal of tar
if duties; excessive and improper prices
were paid for many mills that were 10
that We're tributary to denuded timber
tracts. for mills that for periods of years
have an insufficient supply of water or
under water; for mills that are inferior,
and worthless in machinery, equipment
and construction: for mills that must pay
excessive rental for water power: tor
lands; for mills that have neither pulp
grinding attachments nor sulphite pulp
auxiliaries.
Not one of the mills in all the comb.-
of the cheapest and most successful man
ufactures, namely, cheap wood. cheap
and ample water power, cheap rates 10
market, modern machinery. wholesale
production ana concentration at one place
under one supervision.
In some cases the organizers of the
International Paper Co. gave securities
10 mill owners representing five times the
actual investment in the mills and IN
gathering together this assortment of
mills. the company also acquired every
available spruce tract where cheap tim
Der could be had and every large water
power, with one exception, where sub
stantial competition might otherwise be
established. This object was easily at
ing exhausted at the rate of 1909 square
miles per annuin. The Stale of New York
has set aside Il park OF 1000 Square miles
of spruce territory, and decreed that no
timber thereon shall ever &c cut, IN or
der tina, the state may guard the water
supply and avert disastrous floods and
protect agriculture ana manufacture.
Vermont spruce forests are barely equal
to its home demands. New Hampshire
commissioners have issued :: solemn
warning that the state forest resources
haustcd in eigh! years: An the timber
of Mainn. which are accessible
TO the large rivers, have been denued.
Conditions, have radically, changed
virgin forests Millions of population
must now be considered and climate,
health. water supplies and kindred mat
tiers present new problems for govern
mental action in regulating the. stripping
of forests and in preventing the annual
loss of more than $n000,oW through for
est fires. That machinery of ths GOV.
ernment which imposes 4 prohibitory
duty on print paper is also placing
premium upon the exhaustion OF our
spruce forests and is adding to the de.
vandal methods of timber cutting. No
successful competition with the Internal
tiOnal Paper Co. is possible in the United
States under existing conditions.
Capital that may seek TO develop new
for the manufacture of news
paper is barred by the trusts acquire
ment of all the possible facilities of paper
production. \ tax on newspapers oper-
ates indirectly as did the stamp tax of
Europe 10 suppress newspapers 1t Is. a
tax of $2.000.00O per annum on intelli-
genee. tax on popular EDUCATION ana Don on
that advantage be taken Of the oppor-
tunity offered by the Canadian treaty
negotiation 10 place pulp and paper on
strong and permanent assurance of pro-
lection from this combination"
The following New England newspapers
We're represented: Burlington, Vt, Free
Press: Portland. Me-, Press: New Haven
Register; Providence Journal: Newbury-
port, Mass. Standard; New Bedford
Mass, Mercury.
A committee consisting of S. X Kauff-
mann of the Washington Star; Berlah
wilkins of the Washington Post; X. W.
Patterson of the Chicago Tribune: NJ
Self, Pittsburg Times; James Elverson
Jr, Philadelphia Inquirer; and Herman
Ritter of the New York Stats Zeltung,
was appointed TO present to the President
the statements of the views of the pub
fishers on the question of free pulp
adopted at today's meeting. At 215 this
afternoon, the publishers called on the
President at the White House and at 80
they had an informal meeting with the
American joint high commissioners.