Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-15
WOOD PULP PROBE.
Congressman Mann Begins TAX
ing Testimony OF Mime
apolis Lumbermen
EXHAUSTIVE REPORT COMING
Material Being Gathered for Basis of
Legislation by congress-Pulp Mills
Now Cutting Forests Clean = May
Compel Manufacturers to Testify
Evidence Is Conflicting.


pose of submitting to congress a COM
piete report upon the wood-pulp sup
ply of the United States. Congressman
James r. Mann, chairman of the spec
ial committee of the house of repre-
sentatives. opened an investigation of
Minnesota conditions.
Congressman Mann was the only
member of the special committee pres
ent. He was accompanied by DR. John
w. Shedd, acting secretary, and j. L..
Bennett, official stenographer. John
Norris. representing the publishers as
ISOLATION, was also present, and the
paper mill interests of the state were
there in the persons of c. l. McNair OF
the Northwestern Paper company, of
Cloquet A. C. Bossard, of the Itasca
Paper company; b. +. Nelson and Will
lis Walker of the Hennepin Paper COM
pany; Karl Mathie. of the Watab Pulp
and Paper company; Edward w. Back
us. of the Minnesota and Ontario Power
company, now erecting dam and
mills on Rainy river and +. j. Kline.
superintendent Of logging for T. y.
Walker
May Compel Testimony.
Mr. Cline and Mr.. Backus We're the
first witnesses heard. 1t was apparent
at the outset that Mr. Mann was of
the opinion that wasteful methods are
NJ ,1Ntn1Sr Of
wood pulp. Once or twice when Mr..
Backus hesitated at giving certain in
formation, the chairman limited that
the commission had power to compel
testimony, and that it would be just
as we'll to avoid extreme measures.
Mr.. Backus objected particularly to
stating the amount of pulpwood con-
trolled by his company but finally said
that their estimate showed. in their
Minnesota holdings alone, 11.179,50O
cords of spruce, double that amount of
poplar and about half that amount of
balsam, all of which are CARED paper
making woods.
Mr. Baclus refused to tell the ma
ture of his company's contract with
the Ontario government, stating later
however, that it had nearly as much
pulp wood in Ontario as in Minnesota.
Mr. Mann did not press this point.
do you think you have practically
an inexhaustible supply of pulp wood
adjacent to your mill?" asked the
chairman.
Il think So"
Have you any opinion as to the
tariff on paper and pulp"
We'll" said Mr.. Backus, II think
the paper business needs protection
like other businesses. If you removed
the tariff on paper it would practically
wipe out the American business add
ing that he thought to remove the duty
on pulp would not be so hurtful.
Mr.. Backus said his mill would have
q capacity of 200 tons. From others in
the room it was learned that the total
capacity of the four mills now operat-
ing is only 14N tons. The spruce, he
said, ran from three inches to ten iches
at the butt, mostly of the smaller sizes,
but that all was practically second
growth. When asked why he intended
to grind pulp in Ontario as we'll as
Minnesota he said the object was to
employ more of the available power,
and that duty would have to be paid on
the Canadian ground.
Now Cut Forests Clean.
From Mr. Kline. the commission
learned that it was no longer Mime
sofa practice to cut special kinds OF
timber, but that each section of the
forest was cut clean, no effort beng
made to select only the mature stock.
When asked whether Minnesota spruce
would not attain large growth if left
alone, he said he supposed so. Mr..
Bacl1us held the contrary. Mr.. Kline
said that from 100 to 400 cords of pulp
wood were frequently cut to the forty
acres.
Every now and then Mr.. Mann and
Mr.. Kline were unable to agree what
particular kind of wood the other was
talking about, as Mr.. Kline could not
determine what the chairman meant by
"cottonwod," even with the assist
ance Of long Latin names, and MI
Backus was likewise Informed that
what he called white poplar" must
be something else.
"Do YOU think there is any white
nine left in Minnesota" asked Mr..
Mann.
81 think So" replied Mr.. Kline
"Where?"
Cali over the northern part of the
state.'
"well," said the chairman, dryly, II
hope somebody will show it to u.s."
Investigate Entire Industry.
The questions covered not only the
subject of pulp woods, but brought out
detailed information as to the entire
logging industry cutting, hauling, eX-
penses and the character of the growth.
11o,, tn po toni