Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-05
RlODER CALLS IT A FARCE
ATTEMPT TO INVESTIGATE
PAPER COMPANY FAILS.
Books Had Been Taken to Europe
Hearing Resumed by House
Special Committee.

When the House committee lnveSt18at-
ing the wood pulp and print paper ques-
tton met today a telegram. was read from
Herman Ridder. president of the Ameri-
can Newspaper Publishers Association,
addressed to John Sharp Williams, the
democratic leader In the House. stating
that Judge Lacombe. in New York. had
discharged the Manila and Fiber Paper
Company. which had been brought before
grand jury and ordered to. produce its
books. The company claimed that its
books had been given to an ofiicial who
had taken them to Europe. Continuing,
the telegram said: ''They (the paper COM
pany) now claim that they have done
everything in their power to recover the
papers. On this showing they were al
lowed to go free. What a farce! Our
only hope is the Stevens BILL
Mr.. Stafford Of Wisconsin asked Mr..
Norris. who took the stand. II he regarded
that telegram as meaning that the IN
ability to prosecute the Manila and Fiber
Paper trust was a failure of justice.
Not failure. but a serious embar-
rassment," replied Mr.. Norris.
Standard Basis of Weight.
, There was a. practice many years ago.
said Mr.. Norris. prior to the creation Of
the International Paper Company. OF pay
ing for paper on the production basis
that Is, the newspaper. instead OF buying
paper by the pound. bought upon the ba-
sis OF so many pounds making SO many
thousand eight-page sheets. If the man
ufacturer increased the weight Of the pa
per unduly he did SO at his own cost. On
the other hand. If he decreased the weight
of the paper, he would not get any bene-
fit from the decrease. That would go to
the newspaper: Following the creation
of the International Paper Company, he
said, all of the paper manufacturers
agreed upon a standard basis of weight
for every newspaper. the standard being
thirty-two pounds for 800 sheets, meaning
- by 80. 49, -
There is a natural tendency in the
bill," continued Mr.. Norris. ito run a
little heavy II not watched carefully, be-
cause an increase in the weight over the
standard increases the output of the mill
to that extent and measurably reflects to
the advantage OF the mill superintendent.
Tendency to- Break Away.
with some of the large contracts in
recent years there has been a tendency
to secretly break over that general under
standing among papermakers and to
charge upon a lighter weight of paper
that Is to furnish lighter weight Of
paper than the standard and also to
charge upon the production basis rather
than upon the gross weight basis. Tn
der the latter basis the newspaper pays
for the roll as delivered in the press room
less an amount allowed for the weight Of
the core. the core being the spindle on
which the paper is wound. 1t also pays
for all of the white paper left on the core
amount for, which 1t may get for this
waste from the junk man. While the
priee named in some OF the large con-
tracts is apparently q. fair figure consid-
ering the quantity. II the weight is on a
lower basis than the standard weight. as
ii is in some OF these contracts. H. will
materially affect the-price actually paid
by newspaper even to the extent Of
s. ton
what company, to your knowledge, de-
parted from the standard weight?' asked
Mr.. Stafford.
.~.'The Great Northern Paper Company"
replied Mr. Norris. ",rhere probably are
others, but cannot recall them now"
Mr. Norris read kilograms and letters
from a. number of papers giving the in
crease in price they have been charged
for paper and also read a letter from
the Beacon Journal Of Akron. Ohio. stat
ing. that 1t could buy paper from the
Canadian mills 20 cents a, hundred pounds
cheaper than from the American mills,
including the cost of freight and tariff.
II the tariff IL taken Oft wood pulp. the
letter said, they would be entitled to q re-
bate of 10 cents per hundred pounds. tie
aleo gave quotations from Canadian mills
received by papers In Cleveland and
Springfield, Ohio. and Houston. Tex,
ranging from $Sj. 10 to $751; per ton.