The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-07

 GIVE FACTS Tell Committee of Paper
 Contracts. SHOW ExoRBHANT ADVANCE Probe of the Paper Trust Co.,
 tinues. Hr. Hummer Says the International Company is @Lining Things Up"
 to "Get All There
 Is in It.o

Washington. May s.-The House committee inquiring into the question of wood pulp and print paper heard the statements of publishers and man. agers of newspapers today as to the Increase in the price, of print paper. They all told practically the same story-that the price of paper had been raised from year to year and they practically were unanimous in asking for the passage of the Stevens bill re- moving the duty on wood pulp and print paper.
 the American Newspaper Publishers Association. informed the committee that all the association asks of Con- gross Is the repeal of the duty on mechanically ground wood pulp and oi print paper valued at not over 2 cents a pound.
 The question of the tariff on the aner grades of paper. he said. was not under consideration. He also explained the reason why the newspaper pub fishers ask for legislation at htis time and ask that an exception be made Iii tariff legislation on print paper and wood pulp.
 During the course of the day Chair man Mann made statement of the sit- uation as it appeared to him and elicited from Mir. Norris the remark, ''We could not present a better state ment than you have made for us." The committee will resume its ses- sions tomorrow.
 Frank W. McLennan, publisher of The Daily State. Journal of Topeka, Kan, was the first witness. He stated that when the commercial combination of paper makers was formed the pub- fishers were told not to get excited as 1t would result in their benefit in the end. His contract for paper at that time, he said, was s1.34 per hum dred pounds at the mill. This con- tract, he said, ran from September 1897. to September 1898. When the contract expired he was unable to re- new it at that price. The best figures he could get in making a new contract was Sfs5 at the mill. On that and preceding contracts he had been al- lowed per cent. discount for cash. but during the last i've years the prices have been net.
 Mir. Mcfennan told of his dif1culty in securing new contracts and submitted to the committee figures which were furnished to Representative Calder head of Kansas a member of the Ways and Means Committee, by Frank Gil- bert, President of the Frank Gilbert Paper Company of Waterford. N. r., and also a stockholder in the Interna- tional Company.
 These figures MT. McLennan said. as- tonished him because of their incor- rectness. According to them, the sell ing price of news paper in 1907 was S2.34. Mir. McLennan said that in that year he was paying $1.34 at the mill. The figures referred to showed that in 1907 the selling price was $2.15. In that year. said the witness. there was a great huctuation in the price of pa per. In the early portion he bought No~ nd ia ri for S2.29.
 Samuel Bowles of The Springfield (Mass) Republican, said he was now paying $2 per hundred pounds on a three years contract, which expires July 1, next. The best price he could make after July 1 was $40. This was for paper delivered on the side walk at Springfield. The lowest price he ever paid for paper, he said, was s1.S5 per hundred pounds. This was before the international Paper Com pany was fully organized.
 Mathew S. Dwyer of The Providence (R, Io Tribune, stated that his com pany was now paying $2.50 for paper beginning on March l. In 1907, he said, the price was $2.20. Previous to that time, the contract was for $l.90 deliv- cred.
 John D. Hummer, of the Springfield, Mass. Union stated that on October Is, 1907 he had received letter from the sales agent of the International Paper Company stating that that company would be unable to furnish him paper at the expiration of the existing con- tract, as the tonnage for that division had been curtatled.
 After much trouble. he said. he had obtained a contract from the J. R. Booth Company. of Ottawa, Canada, for S23O delivered in Springfield. or $l.S0 at the mill. That contract also pro- yided that in the event the duty was removed. the newspaper should receive fifty per cent benefit of such reduction. He did not anticipate that the removal of this duty would inure to the injury of the American mills.
 "It is very evident" he said. that the International Paper Company is taking advantage of this situation and is lining things up so they are get ting all there is in it."