Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-06-02
NO PAPER action
PROBE TO Continue
MAJORITY REPORT OF HOUSE
COMMITTEE READ IN THE
LOWER BRANCH.
pECRY IMMEDIATE
END OF THE TARIFF
Document Says a Combination Has
Not Been Proved-Mlnority Rec
ommendatlon Favors the Stevens
Bill and Makes Other Provisions.

Washington, May 29.-The special
committee of six members of the
house appointed upon the complaint
of the American Newspaper Publish
ers' association to investigate the
wood pulp and print paper situation In
relation to the tariff and with regard
to an alleged conspiracy in restraint
of trade, Thursday submitted MAORI.
ty and minority report.
The majority report, signed by Rep
resentative Mann of Illinois, Miller of
Kansas, Stafford of Wisconsin and
Damon of Ohio, recommends that
legislation be not enacted before the
committee has investigated further.
The minority report, signed by Rep
resentatives Sims of Tennessee and
Ryan of New York, recommended the
passage of the Stevens bill to place
wood pulp and print paper on the
free list.
The majority report il summed up
in the following words: GAS the pres
| ent price of paper would not be i'm
msdiately affected to any considerable
degree by the repeal Of the tariff. and
as the passage Of the Stevens bill in
its present form might spell ruin to
the paper industry and ruinously high
prices for paper in the near future
your committee believes it the part
of wisdom before making recon-
mendations for positive legislation te
wait until Its investigation has beer
completed and thoroughly digested."
No Proof of Combination.
AS to the charge that combination
exists in restrain of trade the repor
says: THE evidence before the com
mittee so far fails to prove any com
bination of print paper manufacturers
to advance prices, or otherwise in re
straint of trade, but considerable evi
dence was presented which might eS
cite suspicion that such combination
had been made and was in existence
Such of the paper manufacturers a
have appeared before the committee
during it's hearing have stfenuousl
and completely denied under oath tn
existence of any combination, agree
ment or understanding of any natur
whatever among the paper manufat
turers or their selling agents to regl
late control or advance the price G
paper or the assignment Of customers
or for any other purpose in restrain
of trade" The increased cost G
wood pulp, the cost Of ground pull
,, hours of labor in mills, "some increas
in the price of paper justified" Cana
, dian competition, expectation fror
! Canada, removal of the tariff and tn
! Stevens bill are discussed. Under tn
subhead removal of the Tariff" tn
, report says in part: THE questio
as to the removal of the tariff o
print paper and wood pulp is intimate
ly connected with the conservation {
the forest resources of the Unite
, States, as well as it's effect upon tn
paper manufacturing industry Tn
committee is not prepared to make
recommendation as to the permaner
policy of the United States in regar
, to the duty on paper and pulp"
! Minority Endorses Stevens Bill.
: The minority report indorses tt
/ Stevens bill in its entirety and recon
: mends its passage. Discussing the i
l. sues between the publishers and til
v paper manufacturers, the report state
/ that an acute situation, which migl
f be termed trade hysteria," was pr
|, cipitated in 1907 in news print pape
# manufacture when a group of 16 WI
consin mills, known as the Wisconsi
Wood Pulp association, bought 5000
J. cords of wood pulp in the province {
Quebec, Canada, which purchase e
d tailed a transportation of that m
terial a distance of 1900 miles