Omaha daily bee., 1908-04-27
PRINT PAPER INQUIRY BEeINs
Publishers Committee Appears BefOre
Special Heure COM
mittee.

trust to determine whether or not it is.
as alleged by the American Newspapers
Publishers association. combination in
restraint of trade and msintsing mon
opoly of the print paper supply in the
United States, was begun Saturday by tine
select committee appointed by Speaker
Cannon. whose chairman is Representative
James r. Mann of Illinois. and the other
members of which are Representatives
Miller. Kansas: Bannon. Ohio, Stafford.
Wisconsin,; Sims, Tennessee and Ryan.
New York
Representatives OF committee OF fifty
appointed by the American Newspaper
Publishers association arrived in WASH
ington today in response to a telegram
sent yesterday by Chairman Mann to
President Hermann Ridder OF the associa-
ton and General Manager Melville Il.
Stone of the Associated Press, inviting tes-
timony. The delegation from the commit
tee appeared before the Investigating body
at o'clock in the afternoon and the pres
entation of the publishers case was at
once begun by John Norris of the New
York Times.
Mr.. Norris said that he and his associates
had come before the committee in answer
to its summons of yesterday I'VE appear"
said he. "as representatives. of all the daily
newspapers of the United States we con-
sumo at least 50 per cent OF the newspaper
print paper used in the United States. We
appear as representatives of the seventh
largest industry in the country; an in
dustry that has been menaced by an ex-
traordinsry aggregation OF law breakers"
Mr.. Norris declared that his association
had appealed to the house. to the president,
r..
gress for immediate relief and for months
had been asking an opportunity to tell its
story to congress. In reply he said his
association had been told at least twenty
times and in various ways that it could
not look for any relaxation OF the oppres-
sions which the paper makers, "As the OBJ
jects Of congressional favor had imposed
upon the vast public interests Of the coun-
try and that congress would not aid at this
time in correcting gross public wrong"
Therefore, he said. the association was
apprehensive that the investigation be-
cause it had been started late in the ses-
sion. could only have one meaning, post
ponement and continuance for another
year of conditions which are intolerable.
Mr.. Norris said that the association did
not intend to imply any mistrust Of the
committees intentions. and he asked under
what program the committee win proceed.
''will it demand" he inquired, that mar
row, technical legal proof, which is usually
obtainable only by the granting of an Inn
munity bath to one Of The participants in
the crime. or will II act firmly when the
moral certaiilR OF wrongdoing is estab-
lished?''
He assured he satf tao burden Of
proof would be upon the association ''t0
show that the favor granted by congress
to the paper makers has been thoroughly
abused."
Mr.. Norris said further that the associa-
tion intended to explain upon what theory
congress should discriminate in favor of
newspapers and make correction OF the
abuse upon print paper consumers in ad-
vance of an effort to revise the entire
tariff.
I'm short" he said, I'VE will show you
why you should at this time make a piece
meal revision. Also that you can do so
without precIpitating a general revision of
the tariff"
Mr.. Norris then asked what was to be
the range Of the committees inquiries at
the present stage.
do you mean TO cover the ground OF
ali the allied groups that comprise the
seven companies OF paper manufacturers,
all OF which are more or less independent %
he asked.
Shall we begin with the story of the
Baltimore publisher whose price was arbi-
trarily raised s12 a ton or Of the Bangor
publisher who was made to put up $3.50
per ton more because he was within seven
miles of a paper mill? Or OF a Paterson
IN. J) manager who was told he could only
buy from one maker? or of the Ohio rep
resentative who was refused quotation
and forced to go to Canada, or OF the 200
other stories in the whole ffle have
brought with me2 Shall l tell you the
story of the Transformation of the Ameri-
can Pulp association from tame debating
society with an annual dinner and an
amiable intermingling into a group of law
breakers with power to force an Immunity
bath from the government whenever caught
in its agreements? Shall I tell you the
story OF the Parks pool and OF John II.
Parks. who is now in Europe?"
The association, Mr.. Norris declared
promised to satisfy the rumor that there
had been no material Increase in the labor
cost Of paper per ton per output The in
creased cost OF wood he said had been
only artificiaily stimulated by the specu-
lations of The paper makers and is with.
the largest paper maker. which discIoses
an increased cost OF production OF only
81 cents per ton, gives no excuse for the
rise Of S2 ton on the product. or threat
ened further increase OF So ton Mr.
Norris charged that the increase was made
by the International Paper company IN
the face OF an announcement in 1907 that
famine was due in August, "a famine
that came according to schedule. a famine
that had been foretold by paper manu-
facturers and paper Journals
After Mr., Norris had concluded his pre-
liminary statement, Mr.. Mann OF the COM
mittee said in answer that what the COM
mittee wanted was information and he
added that IL was investigating facts.
Mr.. Mann said that what the committee
desired TO get at once was whether the
publishers claim that removal OF the duty
on wood pulp would cause decrease in
the price OF print paper and whether the
publishers proposed TO support before the
committee the charge that the so-called
Paper trust Is conspiracy in restraint OF
trade within the meaning of the law. Mr..
Sims suggested;
4 should like TO hear your reasons why
we should pass the Stevens bill. and what
the effect would be If We passed II. /
ask this question as one who is I'm a