The Washington herald., 1907-11-23
The White Paper Crisis
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.


so much more, and that trade conditions
impose such great taxes. that a reduction
in price is impossible. The paFer mills.
Of course oppose the movement to re-
peal the tarin duties. The paper mills
Of the country last year used over $780,
COO cords of wood. the greater part Of
which was domestic spruce. The con-
sumption seven years ago was only two
million cords, and the use Of wood pulp
in paDer-making began only tbirty-seven
years ago. Cord wood which could be
bought FOR song twenty years ago had
Increased 10 S-21 last year. and this year
the price may go UP TO SO a cord.
The publishers assert that there is a
paper trust which is sending prices sky
ward. According TO the records OF the
courts the paper trust IS one OF the few
corporate malefactors whose scalp dan
giles from the belt Of the present admin
istration. The United States government
proceeded against twenty-five paper man.,
ufacturing concerns OF Minnesota. Wis
consin, and Michigan which had united
70 form the General Paper Company. The
concern refused 70 show its books. The
case was taken 10 the Supreme Court OF
the United States, where Il was decided
in favor Of the government Thereupon
an agreed decree was entered. dissolving
the combination The publishers. how
ever. assert that the combination still
exists IN fact. and the Department Of
Justice, at the instance OF President
Roosevelt is inQuiring into conditions TO
see II the laws are being violated
Tariff. politics. and paper have been
associated in the public mind before.
During the civil war, when all the paper
was made OF rags and the Southern sup
ply had ben cut of. the publishers com
planned bitterly Of the tariff schedules
imposed by the first Morrill, tariff bin.
They also accused the paper mills OF
being in trust, although that word was
not used. Combination was the strong
est term, and that was always printed
IN quotation marks. because of the
fOraml objection made 20 il by the paper
makers. The question was more or less
mooted until 1870. when the use OF wood
pulp was established on a commercial
basis. That gave seemingly mex
haustible supply OF cheap paper. and all
discussion ceased. The discovery of
another cheap raw material might have
the same effect upon the present con
troversy.
The constalk and cottOustaik expert
ments are being carried on by several
agencies. Paper has been made in COM
mercial quantities from both these ma
terials. but neither industry has reached
a stage where It can afford adequate re-
lief In the present crisis. II improve
ments In methods and machinery can
bring cOrnstalk and eOttonstaIk paper
into the market at a reasonable price
the problem Will be solved. for each year
will produce A paper-making crop from
the byproducts Of the two greatest Ameri-
can staple farm crops.
II has been suggested that the paper
makers turn back the wheel OF industry
to the beginning and begin the cult
walton of the papyrus plant. This plant.
from which the word paper is derived,
still grows wild in upper Egypt, although
it is extinct in its old habitat OF lower
Egypt. It IS grown for ornamental pur-
poses in Sicily and in California. In
ancient Syracuse the plant is protected
by the Italian government, but few
in the old Egyptian way. This is sold in
sheets to tourists as souvenirs. AS the
papyrus grows only in marshes, and its
cultivation would be attended by great
loss of life from fevers. the experiment
probably will not be made
The first papyrus, the kind now found
in the ancient tombs.of Egypt. was made
by cutting thin strips from the stalk of
the papyrus plant and laying them so
their edges would overlap. The first great
paper mill was al Bagdad, and II was
when Columbus discovered America. Pa
per-mal1ing came into Europe with the
other great gifts which the Moors
brought to Spain. while the Arabs took
1t TO Sicily. Cotton fibers were used at
first then Spanish grass and rags. The
first paper mill in the United States was
established by William Bradford. printer.
at Germantown, Pa. in 1880. This mill
was operated by the Rittenhouse family
for several generations. All paper was
made entirely by hand until 1893. when
machine was invented by a French
man, Louis Robert. This machine revo-
lutionized the business. II was taken to
England in 1904, and brought to- Amer
lea in ls16. The first steam paper mill
was set up in Pittsburg. The use of
wood pulp began in 1855, but did not OBJ
tain greaI Importance until 1870, since
which time II has held first place. The
business has prospered so greatly. and
the use Of paper has increased so Won
derfuily that the time has now come
when a new chapter must be written in
its history