Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-27
President of International Co.
Wiling to Send Officials With
Full Information.
PUBLISHERS TESTIFY FIRST.
Norris Asked to be Relieved from
Exhibiting Arrangement With
New York Times.
Various Witnesses Told How Prices
Had Been Showed up-Gen. Angus
Quoted ON "Blood Money"

Washington, April 27.-Tho select
committee of the house, appointed by
Speaker Cannon to inquire into the
complaint of the American Newspaper
Publishers association, regarding the
price of print paper in the United
States, continued its hearing today.
AT the outset Chairman Mann an
nounced the receipt OF letter from
President Burbank of the International
Paper company expressing his COM
glete willingness to send TO Washington
Suitable officials with full information
regarding affairs of this company, as
you will be apt TO WISH
With the consent OF the committee.
Chairman Mann replied by telegraph,
saying the committee would be glad to
have any officials or interested persons
at the hearing, and that the committee
was DESTROYS of obtaining the fullest in
formation possible, He added that the
committee would be pleased to have the
International Paper company appear
Immediately after the testimony of the
Publishers association shall have been
completed.
COMMITTEES DESIRE.
Chairman Mann stated that it was
the committees desire to have each of
the publishers now here testify as to
his personal knowledge of the several
matters complained of.
John Norris, representing the paper
committee of the American Newspaper
Publishers association, resumed his
testimony begun Saturday, He at once
asked to be relieved from exhibiting the
confidential paper arrangement of the
New York Times by which that paper
gested that perhaps the information
might be obtained from the Interna-
tlonal Paper company
THE committee" replied Mr..
Mann. does not desire to embarrass
The New York Times or you We cam
not set the data from the Interra-
tional company in any event before
they commence TO testify, and there
lore the committee directs YOU to give
II all the Information IN your pos
sess!on."
BLOOD MONEY.
As bearing on the determination Of
the paper makers to raise prices, Mr..
Norris read number of statements
made at the meeting of the publishers
IN september, 1907. one of these was
made by Gen. Felix Angus of the Bal
tmore American, who said that while
he had al one time enjoyed favorable
paper contracts, he had been forced
to pay $3.50 per hundred THAT
was hloon money" Gen. Angus was
quoted as saving. Another statement
was made by Editor Haines of the
Paterson News, who said that a direC-
tor of the International Paper COM
pany, after he had a few drinks in
nim,' said they We're going to cheek
up the price of paper to SO a hundred
sui another statement by the bus
mess manager of the New York Jour-
nal OF Commerce was read. 1t spoke
81 the several increases in the price
oil paper until, after the expiration Of
an existing contract. the price was run
up 20 $3.50. The price was objected
10 ard although efforts We're made to
get bids from other manufacturers, it
was impossible and a contract finally
was made at S2.47 for one year.
Mr.. Norris submitted To the com
mttee list of 2O2 newspapers TO
whom the price of paper has been
raised, according to a report made to
him The list showed that these in
creases ranged from 50 to Sl7 ton in
the last two years
Asked by Mr., Mann II ne knew how
much print paper Is used annually by
these 202 papers. Mr.. Norris said he
mad not the slightest idea For the most
part these papers were published I'm
the smaller cities.
II was not altogether accurate, said
Mr., Norris, TO say that as a rule the
large newspapers have been able to
BUY their paper supply at less cost than
the small papers, because the small
paper could get the net benefit of
competition between 80 or 40 small
mills while I'm the case OF the big
papers this competition was restricted
by the smallness Of the number OF
mills capable OF manufacturing in in
diYidual quantities sufficient to sup
ply the large users. Mr.. Norris said
The average increase I'm price to the 202
listed publications was substantially
$3.50 ton IN the last two years Mr.
Stafford objected that the striking OF
such an average was mot "A fair cpl
tome of the list" masmuch ms tho list
showed, for the most part that the in
crease to small papers was much larg-
en- than the increase to the big papers.
EXPLAINING VARIATIONS.
Asked by Mr. Mann to explain the
variation between 81 and Sl7 ton, Mr.
Norris said that It WAS in furtheanCe
OF determination that there was 60
bc established uniform raise i'm price
the avOwed purpose in 1888, when tho
paper manufacturers appeared before
the Dingley committee.
You are making the claim re-
marked Mr. Mann that the paper
manufacturers privately entered into a
combine by which they absolutely con-
trol tho price of paper throughout the
country and thereupon you present 10
Us list Of Increases I'm prices which
vary from 50 10 sl7 tom
on lbs face, declared Mr. Mann, that
would not seem 10 indicate anything
of combine TO regulate the prices. MI
Mann said thar commission 10 regu-
late the price OF anything
meant Some sort OF uniformity.
This" he said, would seem 20 be
dhoctly the reverse oe your PROPOSE
ilon."
NJ Norris insisted that the paper
companies were attempting ~ establish
uniform arico for everybody ON the
basis OF $3.50 and that during the past
wear many contracts had been read
lusted az prices up To- s2,2O, because,
ne said two years ago they made I'VE
wear contracts with Pittsburg, Bufalo
pnl Chicago papers, whereby az the
eid of one or two years there would be
readlustment OF the prices,
The readjnstment,' he asserted, 'has
taken place"
"Ifu eaid Mr. Mann ,,,yo,, aaafra az