Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-26

| AeS~S
| with more information concerning the
| newspaper business and the print paper
industry than they had ever heard OF be.
fore. Each member appeared deeply inter.
ested in Mr.: Norris statement. and h
| was frequently interrupted by questions
| intended &C bring out more detailed in.
| formation on various points. During the
| hearing members Of the committee mani
tested some irritation as the result oil
| the teleg am received by Chairman Mann
| N. P. expressing dissatisfaction with the
| course acorIe. by the House in authoriz-
ing the appointment OF the select com.
| mittee instead of passing bill removing
planned to the chairman's satisfaction.
however,, that no criticism Of the COM
| mittee was intended. and that such criti.
cism as was expressed had to do with
| the principle involved in the delay conse-
| quent upon an investigation Of the sub
! ject this late in the session.
After The Stars report closed yester-
day afternoon Mr.. Norris, continuing his
statement to the committee, said:
I'VE do not intend to imply any mis-
| may we ask under what program the
committee will proceed and to what ex-
tent it will take testimony and under
| what rule? Will 1t demand that narrow
tainable by the granting Of an immunity
bath to one or more Of the participants,
or will it act promptly when the moral
certainty Of the wrongdoing Is establish
ed? Do you want us to bring before you
many publishers whose prices for print
paper have been raised. or will you &C.
cept the conarmatory published announce.
ment of the manufacturers?
Charges Against Manufacturer.
I'VE assume that the burden Of proof
is upon US to show that the favor grant
| al nv C0nOrAQe ~ IA lar n q
| been thoroughly abused and that you are
justified at this time in withdrawing that
favor. We will convince you that the
papermakers have forfeited all claim to
your special protection or consideration.
I'VE will produce evidence Of broken
promises to Congress. Of deception prac-
ticed upon you and oppression upon the
to the country without a particle Of com.
pensating advantage. We will produces
figures to prove our assertions that the
| paper makers planned to add 60.OO0 .00l
a year to the burden Of the paper con.
sumers. May we look for speedy action
and swift retributon? We propose to ex.
plain upon what theory Congress should
discriminate in favor Of newspapers and
make correction Of abuses upon print
paper consumers in advance Of an effort
| to- revise the entire tariff. In short, w
will show you why you should at this
time make a piecemeal revision: also
that you can do it without precipitating a
general revision Of the tariff. We recog.
nize the embarrassment that surround,
| the tariff question. and we are confident
| that We can establish to your satisfaction
that such a program can be carried out
upon strong grounds OF public policy;
upon reasons that diferentiate the print
paper proposition from any other factor
in the problem Of tariff revision
| do you intend to cover the ground OF
all the allied groups that comprise the
seven combinations of paper makers. ali
of which are more or less interdepend.
emit? Shall we give you the minutes Of
the fiber and manila conspirators, half OF
whom were equipped to make news print
paper in our emergency and did not?
Some Sample Cases.
Shall We begin with the story of thu
Baltimore publisher whose price was ar.
bitrarily raised $12 ton or Of the Banso,
publisher who was made to pay SOS
more a ton because he was within sever
miles of a paper mill, or of q Paterson
N. j., manager who was told he could
| buy only from one maker, or of the Ohio
publisher who was refused a quotation
and forced to go to Canada. or OF thu
| two hundred other stories in the letter
| files which I have before me?
Shall I tell you the story OF the trans.
| formation of the American Paper and
Pulp Association from a tame debating
society. with an annual dinner and On
amiable intermingling Of everybody in
the trade. into group Of lawbreakers
with cunning methods Of evasion of the
criminal statutes and with devices tc
force an immunity bath from the gov.
eminent whenever caught in its crime?
I'VE promised to satisfy you and con.
vince you that there has been no materia
increase in the labor cost Of paper Del
ton Of output; that the increased cost Of
wood has been artihcially stimulated BY
and is without justification. and that thu
annual report OF the largest paper maker
disclosing an increased cost of produc
| ton OF only "a cents a ton gives no ex.
| cuse for the raise of $12 ton in price OIL
the threatened additional increase of 81
| a ton, making q total addition OF SO q
ton.
Shall we wait until the paper maker
appears to describe what market condi
| lions confront him and to explain hi
| innocence of wrong Intentions? Shall WI
| tell you why he went to Canada to place
1 an order for 1000 tons of export paper
and by that plan filed up the order
| book Of the Canadian manufacturers *
that they could I1 not produce paper for tn.
| was done by the International Paper Com
pany in face of the announcement publish
ed in February, 1907. that paper fam
inc was due In August. a famine thai
came according to schedule. q famine
that had been foretold by paper salesmel
and in ;rads journals"
Half the Mills Stopped.
Continuing. he asked II the association
shall tell you Of the present market con
ditions. with prices maintained ut thu
maximum. while half the mills arr
stopped. with labor thrown into idleness
while this contest of endurance in a gen.
tleman's agreement Is prolonger?' TIL,
association. he said. promised to convincs
the committee that they have glutted ths
| Continued on Sixteenth Page.l