The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-08
AIMS ID ABOLISH
 TARIFF ON PAPER
Roosevelt Will Take Action
 Against Paper Trust
COMPLAINT OF PUBLISHERS
Committee Talks With President On Actions of Paper Manufacturers In Raising the Price of Materials
 and Limiting the Supply.

Washington, December 7.-President Roosevelt today indicated to members of the committee on paper of the American Newspaper Publishers association, that he will recommend to Congress the abo- lition of the tariff on press paper, wood pulp and the wood that goes into the manufacture of paper; also that he will make a recommendation to the depart ment of justice that it take immediate steps to ascertain whether the antitrust laws are being disobeyed by the manu- lecturers of paper
 The promise of the recommendations by the President was obtained after he had listened to the representations of the members of the committee, and to a pe- tition from the national organizations of printers stereotypers, pressmen and others, all of which set forth the evil dence of a combination on the part of the manufacturers of papers for the pur- pose of controlling the output, regulating and greatly increasing the price, and otherwise making hindersome regulations governing the source of supply and de- livery of paper
 The call upon the President was made in pursuance to the following resolu- ton adopted by the American Newspaper Publishers association at a special meet ing held in New York September 19, last:
 Resolutions Adopted.
 '1n view of information submitted to the American Newspaper Publishers as- ife In dicating that unlawful combinations of paper makers had been accomplished, and that judicial prohibition of such eff forts has been disobeyed, the American Newspaper Publishers association hereby instructs it's committee on paper to in- Vite the attention of the President and department of justice to this movement, which we regard as conspiracies in re- straint of trade, and we give this in- struction to the committee in order,
 T. That the authority of existing stat utes for repression of trade combinations may be invoked
 ''2 That the defiance of recent judicial action prohibiting participation in such combination by certain western mills may be published
 ''3. That the President may be put into possession of information which shall equip him to advise Congress of the abuse of tariff favors by paper makers. Resolved, That it is the sense of this meeting that duty on papers, wood pulp and all material entering the manufae- ture of printing paper should be immedi- ately repealed"
 The history and facts which make up the protest were presented by Medill Me- Cornack of Chicago. after which the President indicated the action he would take. An investigation of the so-called paper trust has been in progress for some time by the department Of justice, and it is understood the President Will immediately call for the facts which have been ascertained up to the present time.
 Dissolution of Trust.
 The appreciation of the association was expressed to the President at the action taken by the federal government last year in ordering the dissolution of the General Paper company. His attention was then called to what was termed the conspiracy" by which it was alleged that the makers of news print paper have ar ranged for an advance of $12 per ton upon the supply of that article for the current year and for an additional ad- vance next year, averaging $l0 per ton. This, it was explained, means burden imposed on the printing industry of the country of $l0000,000 for the present and $15OO0,0O0 for the coming year. The ex- CuSe for these AuNdQCtS OH lile pdil bl the paper makers is the cost of wood and labor heavily increased. The excuse was met in the argument to the President by the statement that the published report of the largest manufacturer of news print paper gives the increased cost of material and manufacture, including the expense of administration and sales as about 61 cents per ton.
 The President was told that the present plan of increasing the price of paper had it's inception 12 years ago in proposition to unite the paper mills into one pool or corporation.
 Tariff Fixed On Paper.
 The first step in the programme was, It was stated, accomplished when the pro- moters induced Congress to fix q tariff duty of S6 ton on news print paper. It is this tariff, it is understood, the Presi- dent has promised to urge Congress to repeal. The next step (which involved many details, the President was told, has just been consummated by the creation of a combination to exhaust the surplus stock of paper to cause a paper famine and to raise prices.
 The President was further informed that after the disbandment of the General Paper company various meetings of east erfl and western paper manufacturers have been told 10 stimulate prices and 10 limit the contract period. A conference of eastern manufacturers was held in New York during the first week of Sep tember last, when the last advance in price was decided upon. Since that time manufacturers who had previously solc- tied the business of various newspapers have withdrawn all quotations. Publish CTS who apply for quotations realize that in some way their supply has been prede- termined and the price they are to pay
 d for them. In each case the
 adds, the manufacturers all
 but they are at a prohibitory
 Recourse for Publisher.
 4blisher also finds that he has no
 against the supply of inferior pa-
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