Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-10
DIRECTOR NOR1H'S REPLY
HIS ANSWER TO MR.. RIDDER'S
ALLEGATIONS.
he Knew Nothing About Them On.
F.. til This Morning, But His State
ment Covers the Case.

"A contemplate piece OF business"
was the comment of S. ". u. North.
director Of the census, to a reporter for
The Star on the letter sent to the Presi-
dent by Herman Ridder. president Of tho
American Newspaper Publishers Assoc
citation. charging that In a letter writ
ten to Representative Dalzell on the sub
ject to news-print paper prices for a
period Of fifteen years Director North
gave a series Of false and misleading
figures" He charges that the director
failed to exercise diligence in seeking
for information. and that he used worth.
less and secondary sources OF tnforma-
ton.
Director North says that Mr.. Rider
communicated with him In no way be-
fore sending the letter to the President.
and that the first formal notice which
he had Of the affair was a printed copy
Of the letter which he received from
Mr.. Ridder this morning.
MI. North's Statement.
A formal statement. which Director
North declares covers the whole case and
disposes Of 1t completely. was prepared by
him this morning. The statement Is az
follows:
Last November Representative Dalzeli
C6llcQ UPON the OlEeCIOT Oh TIC CCHSuc
and asked for the prices Of news paper for
each year since $780, ! replied that the
census ONCE did not compile prices of any
kind He asked me II there was no way
in which could obtain these prices for
him. and replied that would try to do
tout Of New York. who was the expert
who prepared the special report on paper
and pulp for the twelfth census Mr..
Rantoul sent me a statement compiled
~kat{ - hA
Trade Journal, with the statement that
these were the figures at which news pa
per In ordinary quantities was sold on tho
open market during these years. I trans
mitted the figures to Mr.. Dalzell IN iet-
ter dated December 8. 1907. IN which in
formed him that they were compiled from
the list published by the Paper Trade
Journal. I had no reason to believe mat
the figures were not correctly copied. nor
have I any doubt that they were. 1t 10
nish information. When Information 10
asked for that cannot be supplied from
the official files. We obtain 1t from the
best available source and state the au-
thority. I had no knowledge OF the use
Mr.. Dalzell intended to make to these
figures. but II would have made no differ-
ence had he informed me. My conduct IN
the matter was absolutely proper. ana
there is nothing more to be said about IT,
Mr.. Riders. Allegations.
In his letter to the President Mr.. Ridder
says:
Director North's letter has been used
on the floor Of Congress as an omcial
publication and 1t was declared by Chair
man Payne Of the ways and means COM
mittee to be as accurate as accurate can
be-.
Il charge that the director of the CEN
sus has issued in that letter a series OF
false and misleading figures. and that.
whether intentional or not he has served
the purpose Of group Of combinations
which are aiming to add $6O.0OO.O00 per
annum to the burdens Of printers and
publishers.
He asserts that In Director North's LETT
ter there is lapse of three years for the
period from January /, 1897, to January
l. 1900. when paper dropped to $32 ton.
or $1S less than the present asking price.
Mr.. Ridder says that in those three years
thirty mills were merged into the Interna-
tional Paper Company. The letter says.
also. that 1.-The lowest price appearing
anywhere in that extraordinary compila-
ton of the director of the census Is 81
per ton in excess Of the lowest price at
which paper has been sold in New York.
and that mo books of any large paper
manufacturer will show such prices as
are credited by Director North