Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-10-09
KILL REBORN PAPER TRUST
BY Striking Tariff from Wood Pulp,
T Is Rooseyelt's Remedy.

Washington, October 7.-The-only
way to curb the paper trust, Tin the
opinion Of the administration, is to
remove the present high tafifr duty
on wood pulp and logs imported
from Canada. Norway and other
great sources OF outside supply.
Comp etition would solve the difiict,l-
ty. The PRECEDENT and Attorney
GeneralSare alive to the fact that the
paper trust fs again doing business.
Ihey are also, alive to the futility of
the present laws In dealing with
combinations OF this Sort Never
was this better shown than in this
case Of the paper trust.
In 1904 Attorney General Moody
apparently killed the paper octopus.
He filed suit against the general pa
per company and the 23 corporations
comprising It. He fought the case
successfully to the Supreme Court.
and then the trust surrendered.
Word was sent to Mr.. Moody that the
General Paper Company would cub
NIT to any decree asked by the gov
ernment. A decree was accordingly
entered, dissolving the combination
and forbidding further conspiracy to
maintain the artificially high price
OF paper.
The immediate effect of tbis, as
every publisher recalls, was 8 sharp
break In the price OF white paper,
and for number OF months there
was competition and reasonable
price.
But 1t was not long before the
price began to mount again, and
competition disappeared. And for
more than year this has continued.
1t is perfectly apparent that another
combination has been formed.
But this time the paper men have
acted with greater secrecy. The new
combination has been engineered
with, IA care to leave no tangible
proofs.
Now the question is what to do?
Suppose another suit is begun and Is
worried along for another. two years,
resulting in another decree OF disso-
luton and another promise to be
good. What is accomplished? The
price OF paper has been very much
the history OF all the legal attacks
on the trust combinations. SO the
more effective remedy would be the
economic one-i1amely, In this In.
stance, the introduction OF competi-
tion. Open the tariff wall and let In
the supply from the unlimited spruce
forests Of Canada.
Incidentally the trust and the tar
If are working serious injury to
the United States in the deforesta-
tion of our water sheds and timber
reserves. President Roosevelt once
said to visitor that he would be
glad not only to remove the duty on
pulp logs, but to put bounty on
every pulp log imported into the
United States. It would save what
is left OF our rapidly disappearing
forests.
SO the really effective remedy for
the paper trusts monopolistic abuses
lies with Congress-. II Congress
| would amend one paragraph in the
Dingley act so as to admit wood
pulp free,e no more would be heard
from the paper trust.
But in this there is the difficulty
presented by Joseph G. Cannon, and
| stand-pat friends. 1t ia their creed
that nothing can be done to the tar
iff without doing everything to 1t.
Everything would ruin business,
they say, and that would be crime.
Which really ignores the fact that
all branches of the government are
overwhelmingly Republican. and
that it would be entirely, possible to
put through single amendment of
this kind to the tariff act, under the
well-known Especial rule" gag, with
out general overhauling of the tariff
act, or other harm. If the publishers
| of the country really want this legis-
lation, it's up to them to write Can.
non and A,urich.