The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-05
NORRIS GIVES MORE EVIDENCE Investigation of Paper
 Trust Continues. THE STATISTICS ARE GIVEN Congress- Select Committee to Visit
 Paper Mills. Mir. Norris Submits Many Teiesrams from Publishers Giving Enforma-
 tion Regarding Their Paper
 Contracts With Mills.

of the examination or John Norris, representing the American Newspaper Pubiishers' Association. the House select committee to investigate the question of wood pulp and print paper today was in active session. formulating long list of questions regarding the wood pulp and news print paper industries on which Gov ernmentai statistical data is desired at once.
 The committee also discussed the ad- visibility of visiting several paper mills and conducting hearings on the spot. A tentative understanding, was reached that the committee leave here Friday afternoon for an inspection Of the Hudson River Mill at Palmer's Falls. N. Y, and possibly one or two others.
 Upon resuming his testimony. Mir. Norris submitted IFS telegrams from publishers. replying to query by MT. Ridder last Saturday, giving inforna- ton regarding the paper contracts. He also submitted list of forty-one pub fishers who have stgnlhed their wili- ingness to come to Washington and testify. Chairman Mann said that T0LneE In4u BtL n V&lAC0f@A 1~S eAAS week to hear them. 1t would be better to hear them as they appeared. In all Likelihood, the committee will be ab- sent Saturday and consequently there may be no hearing in this city on that day The reiteration by Mir. Norris of increases In cost of paper by contract prices, provoked Chairman Mann to ask MT. Norris if he had any theory of what caused the wide range or
 asnaP from a. 70 to SI0 increase per ton. MT. Norris replied that commissions pur-. chased at mills, quali<y of paper. ptan- fity and place of delivery nndoubtedly combined to make the explanation.
 DO you know" asked Mir. Bannora. referring to newspapers generally. whether the prices at the mills on giveh grade of paper are uniform3"
 To Show Up Combisation.
 we are here." answered Mir. Norris. attempting to show that combina- tion has been entered into by the paper manufacturers to uniformly raise the price of paper ? Ia cents pound and that this combination contemplates Q further advance to 3 cents a pound.
 It was pointed out by Mir. Mann that in an occasional instance, 1t appeared that quotations weer lower by some dollars per ton than the existing prices
 
 that quotations were lower by some dian Mills Mir. Mann asked if tt were not apparent from the contract figures presented by Mir. Norris that last De-. ceniber, the paper manufacturers them selves alarmed at the outlook for slack consumption, went off into mysteries. and gave one-year contracts right and left and that these contracts were generally signified by newspapers at AL Norris agreed that such was the case.
 Mir. Norris said that the figures from The Philadelphia inquirer present prices $50, an increase of $12-meant an additional cost to that publication of $16S.00 a year.
 When the committee reconvened. MT. Norris continued the presentation of figures of increased prices. He sub mItted the following telegram to Her man Ridder from Thomas W. Love less, editor and manager of the Au-
 "Gonzales of Columbia State, can tell you of Canada mill which offers him paper at $2.s5 delivered and to reduce price S3 per ton if tarin Is taken off, splitting differences with him on tariff saving.
 Corrects His Testimony.
 MT. Norris corrected his testimony given at the morning session, relative to the additional yearly cost upon the Philadelphia Inquirer. He said the increased cost was s12 ton on lS.- GOO tons, or $156,OOO.
 Chairman Mann suggested that per hans the purpose of the sender of the tariff telegram to MT. Ridder was to show that if the tariff should be re- moved the cost of paper would be re- duced &3 a ton
 "Tf the manufacturers believed that answered Mir. Norris, they would go home feeling very happy. Thougn this Is all purely anticipatory, my own judgment Is that the removel or the tariff would lower the cost 70 an" possibly SIP ton.
 Mir Norris read hle Sf correspon- darcA between newspaper managers and manufacturers ana orokers 10 support the charge that custom was Apportioned by manufacturers among themselves, and that prices as nisn as S9s a ton were dictated in connection HJ H,ith sucb allotments. He read also articles from trade papers as SUD stantiative of the charge that an ar rsneement Is in view Joking to mer- gar of the paper manutActurih8 com nenies in A syndicate to fix ana con troi the price of paper. ,oo, .Ao
 Mir. Norris declared that Tn lso', tno International Paper Company, Ite1 Ing A print paper 'A- sts4es made contracts with Canadian mills for i7,Ooo tons of s paper I, Tor crln- en- nlinr the power of those mills to sup niv inc prospective deficiency in the United States and thereby to maintain the program of high prices in this country. .,
 The Committee was furnished by MT. Norris with an extended list of the daily capacity of paper manufacturing and pulp making plants in the United States and Canada. his quoted figures heinz in some instances contradictory of data compiled by the census bu- rsau. He cited statistical information collected by paper manufacturers to show that on the basis of four cords to the acre l.s3s square miles of timbered land are annually stripped In the Uni- ted States to supply the demand for pa per-maklng pulp, equal to 4.3 per cent of the area annually stripped for all purposes. 42744 square miles.
 MT. Mann remarked that the basis of four cords to the acre was evidently m unfair one for computation and MT.