The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-21
WHAT THE PAPER TRUST COSTS.

We are glad to see that the publishers
of such Tapers as the New York World,
the Now York Times, and the ST. Paul
Pioneer Iress are speaking out against
the exactions of the paper trust. At the
meeting of the Publishers Association in
New York on Thursday leading pablish-
try are facing a paper famine. Mr.. Nor
ris, of the Times, declared that 'the man
ufacturers had deliberately shut down"
Mr.. Seitz, of the World said that The
trust, Controlling every factor of the
paper making industry, had, instead of III
creasing its facilities and accumulating a
reserve stock for emergencies, deliberate
~ set out to restrict the output Of print
ing paper in order to secure complete
domination of the market
After the debate it was decided TO ac-
cumulate fund of 100000 to promote
an agitation for release from the oppres
sion of the paper combination, and the
following resolution was adopted
THAT the American Newspaper Pub
| fishers Association request the President
OF the United States and the Attorney
General to institute suit against any
of the three paper combinations to test
the legality of their existence, and
whether they don't stifle competition.
A committee was appointed to carry
out both objects above named and also
| to secure a reduction of the duty on pulp
and pepper. The last "to secure reduc-
ton of the duty on pulp and paper" Is
the milk in the cocoanut. That is the
only effective way to permanently secure
competition OF course the prosecution
"to test the legality of their existence
might be all right if we had an Attorney
General who would prosecute trust that
is helped by tariff duties. The admins
| tration takes great credit to Itself he
cause it instituted a suit against the
Northern Securities Company. 1t was
necessary, in view of Roosevelts pronun-
ciamentoes against bad trusts, for the add
Iministration to do something against some
monopolistic concern. The Northwestern
country. led by several Republican Gov
ernors was up in arms against the rall-
road trust The sentiment was so strong
against the threatened monopoly in trans
portation that the President was com
PEELED to order the Attorney General to
bring suit. OF course it involved the pos
I'LL
sible temporary hostility of Morgan, Hill,
iCassatt and other railroad magnates. But
the Northwestern country-necessary to
IRepublcan success-was insistent. Be
sides, it was possible to make demon
stration against a trust not yet organ
ICED and doing business. That would
make fewer enemies than to prosecute
trust already in active operation But
and that was the most important consid-
eration-the Northern Securities Com
pany could be prosecuted without any
suggestion of touching the tariff. That
was a great desideratum Most OF the
trusts owe their origin to tariff bountles,
and to commence proceedings against
tariff trust would endanger the whole
Dingley Act and arouse the hostility of all
those enjoying the right to tax others for
their individual benefit. This admins
ltration has not touched-it will not touch
ANY tariff protected trust. Recently
ATr. Cassatt and other railroad magnatcs
have lined at the White House and Root
is now at work to show them that Roose-
lvelt's bark is worse than his bite.
The International Paper Company
claims that before the several separate
companies composing it were merged,
nearly all of them were bankrupt because
If excessive competition. They claim
that the increase in the price OF paper is
only along the natural lines of increase
that has affected nearly everything else.
ard that H. scarcity OF material fully
warrants the increase in price. The
News and Observer paper bill is $4,000 a
year and upwards higher than before the
merging Of the companies, and the news
lpapers of the country all feel the burden
of the increased price. In addition to the
increase in price, it grows constantly more
difficult TO obtain paper, so the great
New York papers state. Mr.. setz, of the
New York World, declared that the pa
per trust had deliberately set out to re-
strict the output Of printing paper in or
der to secure complete domination OF the
market"
The surest way to test this contention
would be to put paper, pulp and ali ma
| terial entering into the production OF pa
er. on the free list. That would take from
the paper company any governmental help
that enables it to maintain practical
| monopoly. If the increase in price is due
to natural causes, putting paper and pulp
on the free list would not affect it, and
| the paper company could not therefore
complain. If the tariff does give the pa
| -, +,,..+ . ,,,ooo,olv. due to its owner