The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-20
Congressional Committee, in
Making Its Report Recon-
mends a Reduction of From
$6 to 81 per Ton.
WOULD PLACE GROUND
WOOD ON FREE LIST
Thorough Investigation of the
Existing Conditions Results
In Unanious Report to the
Lower House. r

Washington, Feb. pa reduction
In the duty on news print paper from
Sc a ton to So a ton, the placing of
establishment of a duty of 1-l2 cent
per pound on mechanically ground
wood pulp are the recommendations of
the select committee on pulp and paper
investigation which made it's report
yesterday. The report states that 1T
represents the unanimous opinion Of
the committee.
There are three processes generally
used in this country for the production
of pulp or fiber from wood" says the
report. These are the ground wood
process, sulphite process and the soda
process. The cheaper grades of paper
are usually produced by mechanically
mixing ground wood pulp with other
kinds of pulp in different percentages.
The ordinary news print paper is gen.
orally produced by about 80 per cent
Of sulphite fiber. Whether other kinds
OF wood besides spruce can be profita-
bly, be used for the production of cheap
print paper is matter concerning
which there is some difference of opin-
aou."
State Of Wood Supply.
The report states that it would seem
that production of news print paper
or the other very cheap grades of pa
per. are today dependent upon the con-
tinuatiOn OF cheap ground wood pro-
dnced from spruce trees and that that
condition is likely to prevail for the flu
ture. The amount Of spruce consumed
in the United States in 1907 accord
ing tot he report, was about 100000
cords for the ground wood, / ,42O, 600
cords of sulphite fiber and about 3d.
$4,000 cords of lumber. The amount
of standing spruce is variously esti-
mated, but it Is roughly guessed to be
about 7O,OOOOOO cords east of the
Rockies.
The paragraph recommended for in
sertiOn in the tariff bin, placing duty
of one-twelfth of a cent per pound on
mechanically ground wood pulp, pro-
vides that this article shall be admitted
free OF duty from any country, depend
ency or other subdivision of a govern
ment which does not forbid or restrict
the expectation of or does not impose
an export duty or charge upon mechan-
ically ground wood pulp for use in the
manufacture of wood pulp. The duties
recommended for print paper are: On
print paper valued at not over pa
q pound, and on paper valued at over
anpound. and on paper valued at over
214 cents pound and not over 21a
cents a pound, two-tenths of cent per
pound.
On motion of Mr.. Mann, Illinois. the
report was referred to the committee
on ways and means.
Constant and uninterrupted growth
of thecost of public printing has in
creased this item of public expense
from 100000 in 1910 to more than
$7.O0O.OOO In 1908, according to the
printing investigation commission Gre
ated four years ago which submitted
today to congress a report covering its
inquiry. Under recent legislation 2I9,
sos, 1877 printed pages, including such
expensive publications as the Congress
sional Record, the publications Of the
geological survey and the year book of
the department Of agriculture were
eliminated from the surplus printing
which had formerly been piling up in
warehouses to be finally sold as waste.
These publications had been piling up
until there were more than $500 tons
in storage. enough to fill an ordinary
railroad train more than three miles
long. recommendations are made for
a discontinuance of bulk" appropria-
lions and providing for reports from
the public printer shoying the product
OF the office. ..