Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1908-04-23
A New Style of Protection.


The Republican patty has no greater
influence for good than the protectlon
plank in its platform. For many years
the intelligent voter has heard OF notning
else when his vote has been sought.
Now change of base, due to the ciamor
of the newspapers, is proposed by tax
ing the duty off of print paper and pulp.
Perhaps at last the Republican party
has met its master in the greatest trust
in America-The Associated Press The
unusual spectacle is afforded us oy
which one trust is to be benefited at the
expense of the other. The Newspaper
Trust will not reduce the price of news
paper, so the greatest trust of al-Ihe
Associated Press-will see to 1t that the
duty is taken off of pulp and eventually
from newspaper
The only thing that stands against
this new style of protection is the Ways
and Means Committee. If we are to
take the statement of Herman Ridder,
of New York, in good faith, who already
claims the majority vote in both Hous-
es, we are informed that no less than 60
Republican Senators have discovered
the error of their ways, and presuma-
bly, those of their constituents, in up
holding the Dingley tariff bill without
making special exception of the AS
ISOLATED Press. BY what right is this ex-
ceptionl Why not give the ordinary cit
izen of the country the same benehtS
Why not take the tariff off Of everything
he eats aud wears and the material for
building his home? The newspaper will
not be any cheaper, the business man
will not find advertising rates lowered.
There is no assertion on the part OF the
Associated Press that this will be the
case. Who, then, is benefited by this
special favoritism1 None other than
the most arrogant of all trustS-The
Associated Press.
West Virginia within the past twenty
years has developed within her borders
four of the largest paper and pulp mills
in the country, employing many hun
dred hands. There is room for many
more. Wastage from lumber mills rep
resents one-half of their raw material
which was formerly burned up in heaps
in order to get it out of the way. 1t is
safe to say that nothing is lost but the
saw-dust. These mills cannot compete
with the same conditions of raw mater
ial and cheap labor that exist IN Cana
da today anymore than the mills of New
England. Granted that pulp and paper
is put on the free list, coal will have 10
follow The Paper Trust will have an
equal right to the removal Of the duty
on coal in order to enable them to COM
pete with the reduction. What does this
mean to the ones who really stand the
loss-the pulp mill employees, the lum-
Der mill employees and eventually the
miner? These are the people who are
hit by this kind of legislation, not the
trusts
Twenty years ago when the lumber
resources of this State were opened up
by the railroads, and pulp wood was
sold in four-foot lengths at s. 90 cord,
the railroads hauled it for 90 cents a
ton. At that time newspaper sold for 3
cents per pound Today spruce wood
of the same character costs SII.oo to
$I2. 90 a cord anywhere in the United
States There is no duty on it), while
newspaper is considered high at IA
cents.
The Dominion Government is today
offering every inducement to the paper
mills of the States to locate their pulp
and paper mills in Canada, where the
pnlp wood is inexhaustible at $500 a
cord and labor too plentiful at $I.oo
day. Can the employees of the pulp and
paper mills follow if tariff changes
drive the paper mills out of the States
aud locate them in Canada? What is to
become of then2 Has the Associated
Press any sympathy for this phase OF
the situation? PROFESSIONALLY not How
long would cheap newspaper be made
by Canadian mills after they were Civ
en- the monopoly of the paper business
by free trade conditions in the States 7
Already the paper trust owns vast acre
age of spruce timber there. Their mills
can be located there. Once there a
com animation or trust such as the world
has never seen would be inevitable,
with the result that newspaper would
soar to a price that would drive the
small daily and weekly newspapers out
of existence. Who loses by these posi-
bic and highly probably conditions
The man who pays the freight, the
consumer, every time.
We have had twelve years OF protec-
ton. The country has prospered, 1t
will continue to prosper. There IS no
more reason to favor trusts today than
there ever has been. Let the Members
of both Houses of Congress investigate
thoroughly the question whether the
price Of newspaper today is an equita-
BILE one or not.
PULP MIL EMPLOYEE.
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