The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-13
PAPER men next
Manufacturers Will Appear Be-
fore the Mann Committee.
New York Times Refuses to
Show It's Contract.
HE CALLS 1T A BLUFF
Chairman of Com mittee Cues
tiOns Sincerity of Complaint,
Charging Certain Publishers
With Failure to Produce Facts.

Washington, May ~13.-The case OF
the newspaper publishers has been
presented to the special committee OF
the house investigating the wood pulp
and print paper question. When the
committee adjourned yesterday John
Norris. the representative of the Amer
lean Newspaper Publishers association
announced that he had finished his
statement, but he will be on the stand
again, as members of the committee
desire to question him. The next wit
nesses to be examined probably will
be the paper manufacturers. Mr.. NOR
ris rescribed the formation of the In
ternational Paper company and claim
ed that the cost of manufacture OF
paper is greater under the consolida-
ton than under the individual owner
ship of the. paper mills
The request of the committee for the
contract which the New York Times
has with the paper company was de-
MED by the Times company and in this
connection Chairman Mann took oc-
casion to state that while the newspa-
pers are insisting on speedy action by
congress on the question under in
vestigation, a great majority of the
larger papers are showing disin-
clination to furnish the committee
with the necessary information on
which to base any just conclusions
This raised the question in his mind,
he said. whether the papers are not
we'll satisfied with the contracts they
now have and are putting up this re-
ques. as a matter of bluff.
Mr.. Norris stated that last year the
International Paper company's i'm
ports of wood pulp from Canada were
10000 tons. He quoted from news
paper article to show that the COM
pany took the pulp that was imported
and put it into its export paper in
;~I,% hn of
reduced cost which would save four
fifths of $1.67 on every ton imported
by reason of rebates from the govern
ment.
At this point the committee was met
with the refusal of the New York
Times to produce its contract with the
International Paper company. Mr.
Norris had said that the Boston Her
aid, according to his understanding,
had contract with the international
Paper company calling for shipments
on the basis of cost of manufacture
and providing for audit to determine
the cost.
rs this similar to the New York
Times contract?" asked Mr.. Sims.
$50 1 understa nd replied Mr..
Norris.
"By the way" interposed Mr.. Mann,
1--WE have not yet had that Times con-
tract"
ct have been asked to state that the
New York Times company declined to
furnish it's contract" replied Mr.. Nor
ris. 81 am, however, willing to answer
freely and fully every question nut to
me within my knowledge and to give
all the information 1 have"
yet the New York Times is un-
willing to furnish testimony on which
relief can be granted" said Chairman
Mann.
ST do not think / Would state the
case in that way" replied Mr.. Norris.
cit might be said that it is unfair to
take out one newspaper and make it's
business and it's contract the basis for
this entire investigation while there
are other newspapers with larger con-
tracts and larger prices about which no
inquiry has been made. If you take all
of them and make all show up it
would be on an entirely different
basis
Then it was that Chairman Mann
declared the newspapers had failed to
aid the committee in supplying all the
information desired.