Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-04-28
PRICE OF NEWS PRINT PAPER
Select Committee Of House Gets the
Experience Of Publishers.
EvmENCE OF COMBME's CONTROI
international Paper Company WIN
Make = showing AFTER the Pub
Iishers ConcIuae Their
Testimony.

Speaker Cannon to inquire into the com
plaint Of the American Newspaper Pub
fishers association regarding the price Of
print paper IN the United States continued
its hearing today. At the outset Chairman
Mann announced the receipt of a letter
from President Burbank OF the Interna~
tional Paper company expressing his COM
plete willingness to send TO Washington
suitable officials with full information re
garding affairs Of this company as you
will be apt to wish"
with the consent Of the committee Char
man Mann replied by telegraph. saying
the committee would be glad TO have any
officials OF interested persons at the hear
ing and that the COMMITTEES was desirous
OF obtaining the fullest information pos
sible He added that the committee would
be pleased TO have the International Paper
company appear Immediately after the testi-
nlony OF the publishers association shall
have been completed.
Chairman Mann stated that IT was the
committees desire 10 have each OF the pub
lishers now here testify as 20 his personal
knowledge Of the several matters COM
planned of.
New Nork's EsapeFs' Cestracts.
John Norris. representing the paper COM
mittee OF the American Newspaper Pub
ishers' association. resumed his testimony.
He at once asked to be relieved from ex-
bibiting the confidential paper arrangement
OF the New York Times by which that
paper enjoys a rate OF s3S per ton, and sug-
gested that perhaps the information might
be obtained from the international Paper
company.
'"rhe committee = replied Mr.. Mann does
not desire 30 fmbarrass the New YORK
Times OF you We cannot get the data from
the International Paper company in any
event before they commence TO testify and
therefore the committee directs you 20 give
1t ali the information in your possession
As bearing on the determination of the
paper on the matters to raise price Mr.
Norris read a number OF statements made
at a meeting OF the publishers in Septem-
Der. 1907. One Of these was made by General
Felix Agnus Of the Baltimore American.
who said that while he had at one time en-
joyed favorable paper contracts he had been
forced to pay $50 per 100 That was blood
Money" General Agnus was quoted as say
ing Another statement was by Editor
Haines Of the Paterson News. who said
that a director of the international Paper
company. after he had a few drinks IN
him. said they were going TO chuck up the
price of paper TO s. hundred"
stni another statement by the business
manager Of the New York Journal OF Com
mercs was read. II spoke OF the several
incrsaaea IN the. pFice OF paper until, after
ghe expiration Of an existing contract. the
price wan run up TO $3.50 The price was
objected TO. ana although efforts were made
to get bids from other manufacturers II
was impossible and contract was made at
& q for ono year.
Increase 60 Many Papers.
Mr.. Norris submitted to the committee a
list OF sos newspapers to whom the price
OF paper has been raised, according to a
report made to him. The list showed that
these increases ranged from s. to a7 a ton
in the last two years
Asked by Mr.. Mann IL he knew how much
print paper 10 used annually by these zoe
papers, Mr.. Norris said he had not the
slIghtest idea For the most part these pa
pers were published in the smaller cities.
ut was not altogether accurate" said Mr.
Norris, ito 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 papers could get
the net benefit OF competition between
thirty and forty small mills. while In the
case OF the big papers this competition was
restricted by the smallness OF the punber
OF mills capable OF manufacturing in indi-
viduaI quantities sufficient TO supply the
large users. Mr.. Norris said the average
Of increase in price to the sua listed publi-
cations was substantially $50 a ton in the
last two years.
Mr.. Stafford objected that the striking Of
such an average was mot a fair epitome
| of the list." inasmuch as the list showed
for the most part. that the increase to the
small papers were much larger than the
Increases to the big papers
Asked by Mr., Mann to explain the varia-
tion between s. and 81 ton, ATr. Norris
said that il was IN furtherance Of deter
minatlon that there was TO be established
a uniform raise in price to $50 per 100, or
50 cents a ton. That. he said. was the
avowed purpose in 1875 when the paper
manufacturers appeared before the Dingiey
committee
You are making the claim" remarked
Mr. Mann ''that the paper manufacturers
have entered into combination by which
they absolutely control the price OF paper
throughout the country and thereupon you
present to us a list OF increases in prices
which vary from 81 TO si7 q ton On its
face, declared Mr.. Mann. "thAt would not
seem TO Indicate anything OF a combination
to regulate the prices" Mr.. Mann said that
a commission TO regulate the price Of any
thing meant some sort OF uniformity.
''This," he said would seem 10 be directly
the reverse Of your proposition
Mr. Morris insisted that the paper com
panies were attempting to establish a uni
form price for everybody on the basis OF
s25e ana that during the past year many
contracts had been re-adjusted at prices up
to SEQ. because. he said. two years ago
they made fivs-year contracts with Pitts
burg. Buffalo and Chicago papers whereby
at the end OF one or two years there would
be a re-adjustment OF the price. The
se-adjustment." he asserted. has taken
place"
III" said Mr.. Mann, you desire us 70
believe that these increases were for the
purpose Of eaualizing prices OF raising prices
70 a certain figure. you owe Il 10 as TO pre-
sent some testimony on that subject"
Mr. Norris readily responded that he
would do So and remarked that Chairman
Mann wna anticipating what was coming
in that direction.
At this jun.ture a recess vas taken until
2 O'Clock.
Tive Men Go 10 PenitentIary.
YANKToN. s. D.. April 27.-tspeeial.)-
In a special term Of the circuit court here