Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-11-23

ounsu.ners ois newspapers arc forced to
pay dividends upon an inflated and
wholly hctitious valuation of at least
$40, 600, 600.
This combination Of 81 mills, whi!e
embracing many inferior and worthless
mills, also included practically all of
the locations in the United States
whore cheap and ample water power.
cheap and good spruce wood, and cheap I
ratns TO market can be obtained for a
mil OF 100 tons daily capacity. The
present consumption of pulp wood by |
the pulp and paper mills of the United |
States, including manila, book, and |
writing, is stated, upon authority of |
the Paper Maker, paper trade journal,
at = goo, 600 cords per annum, which con-
sumption requires the entire stripping
OF pulp timber ON 621 square miles per
annum,
Az the annual meeting, on August
21th, 1889, the president of the Trust
stated in his report that the mills
acquired since the Trust was formed
brought the number OF plants owned
up to 30, and that the finest pulp mill
in tho world had been built at Milton,
vt. lie said that the company owns
in fee and by lease woodland in Maine,
Now Hampshire. Vermont and New
York, 1,000,00o acres situated conyen-
lent TO their mills, and more than 2,000
square mics Of timber limits in
Canada. He said that "in addition to
tho water Eowers which operate the
mills tho company has acquired MS
basis for future development water
powers capable Of developing 100000
horse Iower. y He also stated that his
company had established agencies in
England, South America, japan and
Australia, in addition to Its agencies
in eight of our principal cities.
1t thus appears that the Trust con-
trolls the most available sources of sup
ply OF its raw materials and water
power in this country. The 100, 600
horse power Hand much Of its spruce
timber has undoubtedly been acquired
not for present Or future legitimate
use but for monopoly purposes Ito pre-
vent competitions from entering the
field.
This monopoly feature of the Trust,
which alone gives it power to unduly
advance prices, is directly traceable to
our tariff on pulp wood and paper.
| Canada is covered with spruce from
Labrador to Alaska. The present
growth there would supply us with
| wood pulp for 100 years. At least
900, 1000 horse power--siX times the
Paper Trusts power-is known 10 exist
in Canada convenient to spruce forests.
| These vast supplies should be drawn
on by the United States, and our own
| fast-disappearing forests preserved as
| far as possible. We're there no tariff
barriers between this country and
Canada, immense pulp mills would be
operating in Canada, ana the price of
paper would probably never again ex-
ceed ll9 Or Ia cents per pound. With
such boundless natural resources rem
dered available, our paper manufac-
turers would at once recognize the folly
OF attempting to corner and monopolize
spruce woods and waterspowers,. and
the prices of paper and pulp would re-
main normal.
That this is tariff Trust is made
clear by the statements of the Ameri.
can Newspaper Publishers Association
III the brief in Favor of Free Paper
Here are some Of them:
'.The present tariff rate on printing
paper, unsized, sized or glued, suitable
for books and newspapers, valued a
not above cents Fer pound, is 3-10 o.
cent per pound, or SIS per ton. Th,
tariff rate on mechanically grount
wood pulp is 1-12 of a cent per pound
or 81. 67 per ton.
.sOur spruce wood supply is limited
We, therefore, urge that the commits
SION should take advantage of the pres
ent opportunity, and Immediately secur
Is sufficient supply of spruce freed from
tailtf complications.
! The Trust, in furtherance of it
policy of sitting competition and con
trolling prices, has increased its timbe
holdings since this Hatch & Foot
statement of July 10th was issued, AM
that ownership is more than sulficien
J to give it wood supply for Ion
} period of years on present production
, There arc no considerable water power
beyond the control Of the Trust whic
can be utilized to operate large plant
/ in competition with the Trust, so tina
! all that might be done in the Unite
I States towards the enlistment OF capi
! tai, the development of new enterprises
or the conversion of manila mills
{. news, or the extension of pulp or su
/ phita mills to news production. woul
a be incopsiderable in comparison wit
r the wiping out of the duty on papt
and the opening of Canada to our relie
r The enlightened policy of New Yor
o and other States in protecting fores
) should be encouraged by putting Cant
!. dian pulp and paper on the free list. !
!. consideration be given by the Commi
L. sioners to the inflated securities issue
/ upon the Trust paper mills, then col
sideration should also be given to II
"a capital invested in newspapers, whic
3 represents at least 90 times the capt.
"a actually invested in the paper mills.
! the Commissioners ieel that the lab
N employed in the paper mills ought
Il be protected, then we submit that Il
ii labor employed in the newspape
X affected by this tariff, numbering
; times tho force employed in the pap
n mills, should also be considered.
:. While the enlistment OF capital
i. American enterprises may exercise
l. slightly deterrent intiuncee on Il
r Paper Trust. the effect cannot be m
terial, because the Trust owns q
70 largest and best powers in localitl
!. where spruce wood is cheap, and iro
a which transportation is prompt al
ly ohear, A successful and energetlc Col
nj petition cannot be maintained WIN
IL the United States. The outside mi
v. that do or can make paper are u
11e equipped for the economical man
nv facture of newspaper. We must 10
m to Canada and the. foreign countrl
where ground wood pulp can pe pi
ut duced at cost OF 81. 3o per ton y
30 where newspaper can be prooucea
t, lone cent per pound. Free paper
- thel efore, the only strong and peril
ut ment assurance of protection from u
It. combination.