The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-04-26
BIDDER Boards
CANNON IN HOUSE
Speaker Declares He's Ad-
vertised as Fake by
Publishers.
Thinks Newspaper Owners
Will Apologize When Stew
ems Bill Comes Up.

You've been advertising me all over
the country as a fake" said Speaker
Cannon yesterday TO Herman Ridder
leader Of the fight now being made BY
the Newspaper Publishers Association
10 have wood pulp and print paper put
on the free list
Bring out the Stevens bill and LEI
the House vote on it. Then, when that
is done L will apologize on Blended
knee" responded Ridder.
His reply was charged with an en-
phasis as great as that which gave
the Speakers words the weight of a
rebuke.
This happened in the Speakers pri-
vate office, to which place Ridder had
made his way in order to let the
Speaker know that the representatives
Of the newspaper publishers were in
Washington TO back up with arguments
their demand that wood pulp and print
paper be put on the free list The
colloquy was brief. but both Cannon
and Ridder were at II without mental
reservation and without much atten-
ton to whether or not their strained
the dictionary in expressing their
thoughts.
Suspects Parliamentary Trickery.
What they thought was plain enough.
Ridder told the Speaker he thought the
publishers had been made the victims
of parliamentary trickery. He also re-
minded Mr.. Cannon that they had been
asking a hearing before Congress for
four months. and that it had been
~ cd aF h.
fore a special committee. He made II
plain that he and his association did
not relish the treatment they had re-
ceived.
All Of this did not pIacate the Speaker.
In fact, 1t was what induced in him a
feeling OF frankness and candor. II
was about this time that he remarked
how he had been advertised as a
fake In his turn, the Speaker indi-
Gated. with a few burning phrases, that
ne did not enjoy the treatment he had
received
Mr.. Ridder. however, got away with
out making an apology on a knee that
was Blended or unbended.
Call on Committee.
Following the interview with tEa
Speaker. Mr. Ridder. accompanied 10y
the other representatives Of the pub
fishers association, called on Repre-
sentative James r. Mann. chairman Of
the select committee which has been
appointed to inquire into how much the
operations Of the Paper trust" instead
OF the effects Of high tariff. are re-
sponsible for the high prices Of print
paper IN this country. They demanded
to be heard by the select committee.
Mr. Mann said he was ready 10 give
the hearing. He called a meeting Of his
committee, and the session lasted all
the afternoon The representatives Of
the association were Mr. Ridder: John
D Norris business manager of the New
York Times; Z. II. Baker. Medu Nc
Cormick, Of the Chicago Tribune. and
Frank 3. Noyes, of the Chicago Record
Herald
As soon as the meeting was called TO
order, the speakers got busy.
Mr.. Norris made a strong argument on
the price of print paper, referring 20
conspiracies of manufacturers and at
lacking the policy Of appointing tho Sc
lect committee at such a late dav in
Congress. as one that would result only
in delay in the change of conditions
now Noticeable
Miller Angered by Attack.
Representative Miller OF Kansas was
riled by the attack He said the dis
trust OF the committee was something
that he could not understand. and point
ed 10 TIE fact that ne had said, II given
an opportunity, he would vote for the
removal OF the tariff
Chairman Mann interrupted Norris
arguments by saying that the commit
tee did not want TO make a newspaper
report to the House that it could contra
dict the next day; it wanted facts.
Norris then told about the paper COM
bination organized in 1898. after the en-
actment of the Dingley tariff" He said
at present publishers cannot get paper
for less than $50 a ton, and that only
on one-year contracts.
Would Encourage Canada.
He was asked how much the price 10
the publishers would be reduced by the
removal of the tariff. He replied at
least SIS. The effect of such action. ne
said, would be 10 encourage the estab-
lishment of new mills in Canada TO
compete with those in the United
States
why don't the newspaper men go
into the manufacture of paper for
themselves Chairman Mann inquired.
They seem well organized"
Norris responded that they had trou-
bles enough. and that the water power
of the country had been taken up.
Mann disputed the latter statement
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