The Washington herald., 1908-02-01

John Sharp Williams minority leader
Of the House, Yesterday delivered a few
telling broadsides. directed at the tariff
generally, and the duties on wood pulp
and products of art in particular. during
the debate on the Indian appropriation
bill when the House was in Committee of
the Whole
Mr.. Williams characterized the duty on
wood pulp. which, ne said. necessarily
raises1he price of newspapers and books,
as a tax on Intelligence and learning. Tie
said that the country has even gone so
far that iy has put "a tax ON art treas
ures so that few men may grow richer
and others may not have the advantages
given by the contact with the works of
master minds iu literature and art.
During the course of his remarks Mr..
Williams also took occasion 90 praise the
Presidents message. and pointed out par
ticularly that the words Of the Chief FIX
eCuuve ON labor questions were worthy
of the plludits of an men. Tie said that
he was much impressed by the attitude of
the President on Che questions concerning
labor which now confront Congress.
Remarks Were Inspired.
The remarks of the Democratic loader
We're inspired bv those of Representative
Smith. of California. who after Repre-
sentative Adair of Illinois, had delivered
speech ON the tariff, informed the
House that. as newspaper publisher
himself hc could not agree with the gen
teman from Illinois that the tariff has
caused the increase i'm the price of print
paper oT wood pulp
Representative Adair had made the
statement that the tariff was responsible
/ for the increase in the cost Of producing
/ a newspaper. Mr.. Smith challenged this
/ assertion and said that the price of pa
per was not due 20 the tarin at aH
Mr. Williams then mingled in the dis
cussion. and said that not only was the
increase i'm the cost of wood pulp and
print paper due 10 the tariff. but said that
the tariff has put tax on brains and in
telHsence. and that for the sake of "a few
men the great mass of the people has
either do without these treasures Of art
or pay eXorbitant prices.
After a. general discussion which lasted
several minutes, Representative Hitch
COCK. 'l NrDidSkar proprietor OF di
/ Omaha newspaper. obtained the floor and
declared that he knew that the traiff has
caused an increase in the price of WOOD
pulp and print paper. Mr. Hitchcock
traced The history or the paper industry
briefly for the past tWenty-f0ur years
! lie said that it has only been within a
short time that the cost Of paper for his
newspaper has increased - per cent
shows Cost of Paper.
He said that to-day the cost of Cana
dian wood pulp and print paper delivered
/ in Omaha is just few cents higher thar
the price charged 10y the paper trust. He
said that obviously the duty was ali that
keeps this price up 10 its present point
and that obviously the trust is protected
/ by that duty.
/ Representative Smith had made the as
/ seTti0n that the price of wood pulp and
I print paper, if it had risen on account OF
the tariff, should have increased imme-
diately on the day when that duty went
/ into force Mr.. Hitchcock expressed tho
/ belief that this was not the case neces-
sarily, and laid the blame for the price OF
/ both wood pulp and print paper at the
/ door Of the tariff