Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-03
ASKS TO GET
SOME REPORT
CANNON ON HEELS OF PRINTING
PAPER TRUST
RESOLUTIONS INTRODUCED TO
STIR UP ACTION
"Uncle Joe" Declares II Claims of
Publishers Are Correct, interna-
tionai Company of New York
Can Be Dissolved
BY Associated Press.

Cannon today introduced resolutions
directing the attorney general and the
secretary of commerce and labor to
inform the house what steps have been
taken by those departments to inves-
tigate the action of the International
Paper company of New York and other
corporations supposed to be engaged
in an effort to create a monopoly in
print paper.
In a statement Mr.. Cannon said If
the claims of the publishers are cor
rect the manufacturers of paper are
subject to penalties and the trust
can be dissolved in the United States
court.
The resolution is as follows:
"Resolver, That the attorney general
be directed to transmit to the house,
IL not Incompatible with the public
service, such papers and information
as may be in possession of the depart
ment showing what steps, If any, have
been taken to investigate the action of
the International Paper company of
New York and other corporations, joint
stock companies or corporate COM
panies engaged in the manufacture of
wood pulp or print paper or in the
sale thereof; and what steps have been
taken to prosecute the said corporation
or corporations, joint stock companies
or combinations for violation of law in
case reasons TOT Sucn pFoSeculiolS may
have appeared from Investigations, in
formation from the department of COM
merce and labor or otherwise"
Resolution to Secretary
A resolution giving similar directions
to the secretary of the department OF
commerce and labor was also intro
duced by the speaker as follows:
Resolved, That the department of
commerce and labor be directed, If not
incompatible with the public service,
to transmit to the house all papers
and information which may be in the
possession of the department relating
to any steps which may have been
taken by the bureau of corporations to
make a 'diligent investigation into
the organization, conduct and manage
ment of the business of the Interna-
tional Paper company of New York
and other corporations, joint stock
companies or combinations engaged in
the manufacture of wood pulp or print
paper or the sale thereof, as said
bureau of corporations is authorized
to do by law of the United States, and
all the papers and information in his
department, which are the result of
such investigation, If any shall be
made"
In reply to a question as to the pur-
pose of the resolutions Speaker Cannon
said:
Cannon Explains 1t
"The duty on print paper is 15 per
cent ad valorem and has been the
same since $780, under the Mckinley
law, the Wilson law and the Dingley
law. covering a period of eighteen
years. 1t is claimed that the price has
been advanced within the last few
months and is largely more than equal
to the duty
1.-THE publishers of the United States.
represented by Herman Ridder, claim
that the manufacturers of wood pulp
and print paper have by agreement
and combination even covering ar
rangements with Canadian manufac-
turers arbitrarily limited the produc-
tion and advanced the prices of print
paper.
"If the claim of the publishers is
correct the manufacturers of print
paper are subject to penalty and the
trust can be dissolved and enjoined by
proceedings in equity in any of the
United States courts where they, or
any of them, can be found; and IL the
claim of the publishers is correct the
advance In the price is not due to the
duty but results from the Illegal trust
and combination. If the duty were
repealed it would not interfere with
the Illegal trust agreement.
Object OF Resolution
1.-THE object of the two resolutions is
to ascertain first, what investigation of
the department of commerce and labor
through the bureau of corporations has
made, If any, touching on the premises:
second, to ascertain what steps have
been taken by the department of
justice, If any, to investigate the
premises, and If there is reason to be-
lieve that the law has been violated or
is being violated. steps are to be taken
to enforce the same"
Later in the day Representative
Champ Clark of Missouri denounced
Speaker Cannon and twelve Repubi-
can members of the committee on
ways and means for persisting in their
refusal to bring in a bill placing wood
pulp and white print paper on the free
list.
He said the ,epublican editors and
publishers "if they were worth the
powder and shot to kill them" would
lash the speaker. chairman and the
other Republicans of the committee.
IF they don't do it," he exclaimed
they ought to hold their peace and
vote for us in November"
Inquiry Not to Be
On point of order by Mr.. Littlefield
of Maine there was stricken from the
agricultural appropriation bill today a
paragraph authorizing an inquiry into
the ST ject of the best methods for
making paper
Mr.. Littlefield's action was denounced
by Mr. Hitchcock of Nebra ska, who de-
clared the refusal to authorize that in
quiry was not only notification to the
newspapers that the Republicans did
not propose to revise the tariff and
compel the paper trust to reduce it's
price. but also that they stood against
any effort to discover If any methods
or processes of making paper could be
found
An amendment offered by Mr.. Mann
Qllinois) was adopted appropriating
$4,000 to enable the secretary of agri-
culture to test by cultivation such
'plants as may require tests to ascer-
tain if they be suitable for making
paper"
Car Plant Suspends.