New-York tribune., 1901-04-13
THE COST OF NEWS PAPER.
TESTIMONY OF JOHN NORRIS BEFORE THE
INDUSTRIAL. COMMISSION

Washington April i2-The manufacture of news
paper was the subject of inquiry by the Industrial
Commission to-day, John Norris. business manager
of The New-York Times being the witness. Mr..
Norris devoted attention especially the Inter
national Paper Company. Il Will assert" he said.
that the International Paper Company has failed
in every expectation 1t held out to the newspapers
and to the public The cost OF manufacture is
greater under consolidation than under individual
ownership OF the paper mills The economies which
were to be obtained under the consolidated man
agement have not been realized. The export trade
has fallen Off least has not increased, though
that was to be the strong feature of the consoi-
dated companies effort The promised policy of an
enlightened self-interest has been abandoned, and
the result 10 newspaper publishers has been
increase of over s4S00,eoo per annum in the cost
OF news print paper"
He placed the output of paper at s26,G0, GOO
a year Referring again TO the promises OF increased
economy due TO the consolidation. Mr. Norris
peated that it had not been realized. AS instance
ne said the president of the consolidation received
$4,000 a year, and manufacturers salaries
increased from $500 TO s5Oo0 There also had been
a vast addition to the spruce lands owned by the
company, the secured in the United States
bringing the aggregate up to 1,6oo square miles.
while 20o0 square miles of this land controlled
in Canada. There had likewise been increase
in freight charges All told, he plaC ed the enhance
ment of the price OF producing paper at SO
ton He knew of two newspapers which were pay
ing an increase of $4,000 each annually ION the
paper used by them. Mr. Norris gave the daily
output of news paper at 2,055 tons, of which the
international company furnished 1900 tons, while
the mills Of the company have capacity of 1876
tons day. and said that there Is constant in
crease of producing capacity outside that company,
notwithstanding the boast OF the tonal
pany that ii owned all paper water powers and all
available spruce lands
Mr.. Norris attributed the recent increase in the
price Of paper four cause.-the Spanish-American
1900 and the attempt OF the International company
to monopolize the spruce land. To meet the iast
difficulty he suggested that trade relations with
Canada should be promoted. in order that the prac-
tically inexhaustible pulp supply of that country
might be drawn upon We should" he said adopt
the plan which President Mckinley has advocated.
Of remttlng those taxes which experience has
shown 10 be most burdensome TO the industries of
company had opposed reciprocity with Canada and
that the result had been Canadian reprisals. He
as in the interest of all classes.
The witness said that ex-Presdent Russell
the only man who could have effected the consoli-
6aton Of b all tn the paper mills and that the effort
mills included in the combination Mere practically
worthless many of them. he said. Were located
on exhausted water courses and adjacent TO de-
nuded forests: OF ninety-eisht machines in the
merger only forty-eight were of recent, construc
100000 bring its machinery a of eff
in three years o One OF the machines @ he SAID
on which there was capitalization of $4,000 had
This extraordinary collection OF junk" ne added.
was merged with he other and more recent mills
and upon practically the same terms OF captaza-
ton
He said there recently had been effort to unite
the outside Eastern mills in a scheme to maintain
prices While there is positive evidence of
colluson." he said, publishers realize in some
intangible way that the source of their supply has
been predetermined for them and that the price
they to pay has been prearranged." He de-
clared that the daily papers of New-York had
tailed TO the extent OF eighty tons week in con-
sumption, and that the Philadelphia papers had
taken similar step. There were he said more
violent fluctuations in the price of paper than before
the consolidation and some newspaper publishers
pay more for inferior paper than others pay for
good paper. He also said that the paper companies
were rapidly denuding the forests. to their great
injury