The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-12
THE PAPER TRUST SCORED
Interesting Testimony Before the
Industrial Commission.
The Busines1 Manager of New
York Publication Declares That
None of the Promises Held Out
to Publishers Have Been Kept

None of the Promises Held Out
to Publishers Have Been Kept
John Norris, Business Manager Of the
New York Times was a witness be
fore the Industrial Commission this
morning. His testimony dealt almost
exclusively with the Paper Trust The
witness stated that for nine years he
had been engaged in buying paper.
Mr.. Norris asserted that the cost Of
the manufacture of paper by the trust
was greater than the cost of nlanufac-
ture by individual companies. He also
said the international Paper Company
had failed to carry out every promise
held out to the newspapers and the
public.
The witness denied that the economy
promised by consolidation of the paper
compa lies had been realized, and he
said the export trade had fallen of. al
| though that was to be strong feature
of the business Of the consolidated con-
Germ. Since the formation of the pa
per combination. Mr.. Norris said. there
had been an increase in the cost Of pa
| per TO the newspaper publishers OF over
| 81. 500. 0GO per annum.
NIr. Norris said that in the statement
he was making he was speaking for
himself alone and not for the New
York Times" as the opinions Of the
paper. he said, were exp essed through
| its editorial columns. There could be
no question. he said, but that all the
papers in the country object to the in
| crease in the price eff paper The wit
ness said that in the United States
! there were probably 723 pulp and paper
| mills previous 10 the time Of the for
nation of the trust The value Of the
gross production Of the news print pa
Der mills of the country did not exceed
| SIG. 000.O 600. For a number OF years
| there had been a steady decline in the
| price of paper. due 10 many causes, the
| chief perhaps Of which was the substi-
tuition Of wood pulp for rags and valu-
| able improvements in paper-making
machinery.
The result of competition. ne said,
was 10 reduce the cost Of manufacture
and to increase consumption It had
! cheapened the cost Of producing news
papers ana ICSuIlEtI III tA4C tiAleA4 =
| of the size Of the daily and sunday
publications.
In 1896. the witness said, representa-
tives of the International Paper Com
pany appeared before the Ways and
Means Committee of the House Of Rep
resentatiyes and urged an increase in
the tariff on pulp and paper. saying
that an increase in the tariff would
result in giving consumers-the pub
lishers-a lower price for the paper
they used in the publication of news
papers. Instead of a lower price. Mr.
! Norris stated. the increased duty re
suited in steady advance
The International Paper Company
Mr.. Norris said. vas incorporated II
New York, January 81, 1898. It's au-
thorized capital was $40, O0o, 200. witt
authority to issue $40, coo 600 in bonds
The stock was divided into common
and preferred 500, 0O0, 900 common anC
! go. 000. 600 prefeTred-at 6 per cent
! Nearly all the big mills had Joined tht
new company The mills. about TWEEN
ty-four in number. produced about 81
per cent Of the American output at The