The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-08

various meetings of eastern and west
ern manufacturers have been held to
stimulate prices and to limit the con-
tract period. A conference of eastern
manufacture was held in New York
during the first week of September last,
when the advance in price was decided
upon. Since that time manufacturers
who had previously. solicited the bust
ness of various newspapers had with
drawn all quotations. Publishers who
apply for quotations realize that in
some intanible way their supply has
been predetermined and the price they
are to pay also arranged for them. In
each case stated the publisher received
bids but the paper was held at pro-
hibitive price. He also finds that he
has no remedy against the supply of
inferior paper. Publishers who make
inquiry of one mill find that the others
have been advised of that inquiry. New
selling agencies, representing an aggre-
CATION of previously Independent mills
have merged the output of these mills.
The source of supply of numerous news
papers has been arbitrarily diverted
from one mill to another without the
consent of the publishers. Jobbers who
apply to selling agents or to mills for
quotations are forced to disclose the
name of the customer and the purpose
for which the paper is to be used. When
this disclosure is made jobberS find
that satisfactory quotations can be OBJ
tanned from but one mill in the country.
Mill men and paper statesmen have adj
mitted that an agreed scale had been
adopted.
Competition With Canada.
1t was represented that Canadian
mills can and do pay the Sc per ton
duty and still find it profitable to sell
in the United States. At the same time
the American mills are selling abroad
in competition with Canada, Great
Britain, Germany and Norway. 1t was
stated to the president that paper maxi,
erss operating fairly equipped mills have
made large profits during the past ten
years at prices averaging less than $40
per ton, and that a selling price of be-
tween $55 and $50 per ton as now pro-
posed would mean a daily tribute of
$45, 900 paid by the paper consumers to
the alleged combination.
Evidence is obtainable in govern
rnent reports it was claimed that paper
mills in the United States and Canada
are making paper at a cost less than
$28 per ton.
Much mystif1cation had been at
tempted, it was eSerted, to show that
the cost of labor had greatly increased,
but this was refuted by the statement
that the entire cost of labor in the
manufa cture of ton of paper amount
ed to less than $40.
Not one twentieth of the advance In
new print paper, it was stated, would
go to labor. The lack of progressive
methods of manufacture by the Inter
national Paper company, which fur
nishes the bulk of the paper and fixes
the price in the eastern market, was
pointed out.
Sixty Thousand Tons Exported.
The export of $4,000 tons of print
paper during the past season and the
claim of the manufacturers that the
domestic stock is practically exhausted
coupled with the shutting down of the
mills on various pretexts, leads the
publishers to the belief that an at
tempt is being made to create a paper
famine. Many newspaper proprietors,
it is claimed. are unable to obtain any