The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-28
DEFENDS PAPER TRUST.
The President of the Concern Issues a
Statement.

New York, Nov. 2S.-In a statement
made today Hugh J. Chisholm, pres1-
dent of the International Paper com
pany, replied to the attacks made upon
that corporation by newspaper pub
fishers who have sought the aid of the
federal government in their opposition
to the paper company. He declared the
day of the 1-cent daily newspaper had
passed.
publishers" said Mr.. Chisholm,
"are circulating advertisements instead
of newspapers, and they expect the pa
per makers to pay their distributing
bills. Publishers of newspapers which
are filed with advertisements and In
which the news is subordinate cons1d-
Grafton could afford to give those news
papers away, just as advertisers give
away their advertisements. Many or
these papers have as much advertising
and as little bona f1de reading matter
in proportion to their size as thealer
programme, yet their publishers ex-
meet to circulate these blanket sheets
at the expense of the makers of the
white paper.
"a 1-cent paper of eight pages might
be a paying proposition, but it is Inn
possible to sell 16-page paper Tor
cent and make profit.
Charges Unfairness.
''It is unfair to charge the Interna-
tional Paper company or any other pa
per company with being a monopoIy
bent upon fixing an unjust and arb1tra-
our paper than we did three, or even
two years ago. During the last SIX
years the wages of our employees nave
been increased from 25 to 80 per cent:
We used to work in two tourS-one OF
eleven and one of 13 hours-a day. NOW
union labor has made US pay mgher
wages. and at the same time has MADE
us increase the number OF men en-
ployed. We have three tours instead
of two, as formerly.
nd that costs
make paper now than it used to COST
one would think publishers would ao-
lust themselves to the new conolllonS;
But in St. Louis, for instance, tney sen
papers for cent for which they should
get cents, judging from the price OF
other commodities in that section OF
the country.
II costs MS so per cent more to make
naper than it did a few years ago. You
can't make paper out OF every k1no OF
tree but I note we are being attacked
as timber butchers. St1ll the govern.
ment admits we use only Two pieces u
the wood cut
No Waste Material.
srThe lumber mills may waste timber,
but we do not. The lumberman mas
81 900 900 worth of forest and a $4,000
sawmil we will say, While we nave
est. We utilize 25 per cent more of
tree than the lumberman does. The
talk about our denuding the forests is
nonsense Thirty-Seven per cent OF the
landed area of this country is forests.
We couldn't get through it all if we
wanted to.
II wish the publishers would see that
this agitation against us will have a
bad effect in Canada. We lease great
deal of land from the Canadian govern
ment. The law there says that each
May the government shall fix the rate
for the coming year. Is it not reason.
able, to suppose that the officials Of
the Canadian government will be af-
fected by this noise in the United
States and will raise the rate? And If
the rate is raised, can we make pa
per more cheaply?
1--WE have no monopoly. Anybody
who wants to start a paper mill can
start one Any so-called monopoly
that fixes an arbitrary price that is
unjust defeats itself. Two-thirds of
the consumption of the commodity Is a
luxury. If the price gets too high in
paper. this two-thirds will drop OF.
other means of publicity will be en-
n1oyed and the papermakers will not be
the only persons to suffer"