The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-06
MUST FIGHT FOR IT.

The newspapers have been forced to pay
tribute of millions of dollars a year to
the paper trust. This paper paid some
thing like $1,000 during the year 1902 to
that trust. Naturally the publishers are
FESTIVE under this burdensome tax, and
at the meeting of the American News
paper Publishers Association, held in
New York on February 21st. this resolu-
ton was adopted:
Resolved That the American Newspa-
per Publishers Association ask Congress
to abolish the duty on wood pulp, me-
chanical ground wood. and lumber used
in the manufacture of paper and that the
duty on news print paper be reduced
Under the Dingley law bleached wood
Pulp pays tariff tax of one quarter of
a cent per pound, unbleached pulp pays
one-twelfth of cent per pound, if me-
chanically made, and one-sixth of a cent
a pound if chemically made. The white
paper on which newspapers are printed is
spruce forests in America have already
been rapidly cut down while across the
Canadian border and in Norway and in
other northern countries there are i'm
mense forests of spruce from which, if
the tax were removed, our supply could
be drawn. With the present tax a pre-
j. h.
American forests. Referring to this tax,
the New York Times truly says: This
is perfectly typical instance of vicious
Dingley duty on raw material. The
revenue produced is insignificant, and the
sole effect of the duty is to increase the
price of an article of almost universal
consumption which public policy demands
should always be procurable at the low
est possible cost"
The publishers have petitioned, re-
solved and entreated The indications
are that Congress will pay no attention
to the action of the newspaper publish
ers. Why? Because the Cngressmen think
it better to have the paper trust behind
them than the newspapers. They know
the trust hits hard; they have found by
experience that the Newspaper men do not
retaliate. Therefore they fear to offend
the trusts, they do not hesitate to snub
the publishers.
Now what will the publishers do to Sc
care attention to their resolution? SO
far as North Carolina is concerned, Sena-
ter Simmons and seven of the members
of the House of Representatives from this
State will vote for a bill embodying the
demand of the association of publishers.
Can the New York papers promise as
good vote from New York?
For years the Editorial Association of
North Carolina petitioned the Legislature
to pass decent, modern, just libel law.
For years the demand was ignored, the
bill pigeon holed, and the old libel law
that put the newspapers at the mercy of
any man who wanted to mulct them. At
ter awhile the North Carolina editors
let it be known that they were terribly
in earnest and proposed to have their
bill enacted into law or know the reason
why. Then the bill passed both houses
unanimously and is now a law. AS long
as the North Carolina publishers offered
petitions and did not show their teeth, so
IN sneak tho new libel law was nut aside
but when they let it be known that they
would never rest until their bin was made
a law, the Legislature heard and needed
The demand to repeal the duty on wood
pulp will be heard and needed when the
American publishers show their teeth and
let Congressman know that they have
rights superior to the greed of the paper
trust.