Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-08-03
SENATOR JOHNSON EXPLAINS
V0IE0NPAPERIAR|FFS SCHEDULE
Has given the Subject Careful Study
in all It's Phases
DEMANDS THAT THE PUBLIC OFFICIAL
INTERESTS OF ALL THE PEOPLE
SPECIAL INTE RESTS OR FAvORITsM

Washington, D. c., July 30.-Hon.
M. N. Johnson, United States Sena-
tor from North Dakota, having voted
for a 81 duty on print paper, in the
face of requests from many publish
ers to vote for a lower duty or no
duty at all makes the following ex-
haustive statement regardin:, the
matter:
I'm a recent issue of several Of
the state papers, articles have ap-
peared that have been either inspir-
ed or written by Mr.. John Norris, Of
New York, who is Chairman of the
Committee on paper Of the American
Newspaper Publishers Association.
and their paid attorney, represent
ing their exclusive interests, before
congress and the American people,
stating, that the United States SEN
ate had voted to raise the duty on
printpaper, above that fixed by the
house bill, for no other reason than
senatorial courtesy to Messrs. Hale,
and Frye Of Maine. i
"It is evident to any man who has
followed the tariff debate in the
senate, that his statement is not in
tended for the purpose Of throwing
any light on the subject, so that the
public might judge for itself, wheth-
er or not the senate was justified in
increasing the house rate, but was
intended simply to ridicule these
senators who voted for the in
crease. :: -
ut is rather curious that Mr..
Norris, should select the two ~,sena-
tors from Maine as the benefactors
Of this senatorial courtesy at the
state of Maine has only pulp and
paper mills, while New York has u,
Massachusetts 43, Wisconsin 81,
Pennsylvania 30, and seven other
states that have higher number of
pulp and paper mills than the state
Of Maine, with more capital invested,
but it goes to show the falsity of
his statement, and proves that he is
not presenting any facts in support
of his argument. ,"'
'"The paper Industry is one o. the
large industries in the United States.
The estimated figures as compiled
by the Bureau Of Census, shows that
in 1909 there are 761 factories, with
a capital aggregating 1868. 1926, ooo;,
these mills employ $1,000 men, earn
ing in salary $42,692,000, and the
value Of the output by these mills
amounts to s25s, 2s2,s16 per annun.
"In 1890, in free trade Great Brit
ain, paper was selling at $77.72 per
ton. In the same year it was SELL
ling in France at $77.95, in Germany
at $64.6S, and in this country at
$6S. In 1908 the price in England
had fallen to $44.2O, in France to
$44.S6, in Germany to $46.35, and in
this country the very highest price
was $44.41. In France the duty on
print-paper Is $3.50 per ton, in
Germany, $3.50. in Sweden 324.12. in
Mexico 1882, in the United States
the present rate Is. $500 and in Can.
ada the duty is 12h per cent, or
approximately. $3.50 per ton. In
comparing these figures we. find that
the price of print-paper has not adj
vanced under the Dingley law. and
that the present duty is low as COM
pared with that of other countries.
Canada is our chief. competitor:
The afidavits submitted to the FL
nance committee Of the senate show
that the average price of wood de-
livered at the mills in the United
States cost $1o.31 per cord, as against
1921 in Canada, the difference An IA
vor of Canada being $4.10. AS 4it
takes IN cord OF wood to make q
ton of paper Canada has the advan-t
'tage in wood of $7.6b. HaLt ri: -
'The Newspaper Association in:
pressing their demand for free pa
per and pulp, have advanced the fol-
lowing reasons in support Of their.
argument. That it viii prevent the
destruction of our forests; that there
is a monopoly OF production in this
country; that there are combinaticns
in restraint Of trade, resulting In
|extortion: ana that the alleged high;
price Of paper Is a ''tax on fintelli-
gence." s ~; 2c'' sye.sS 's'
.sTn answer to these statements, Il.
may be said that less than . per;
cent OF the total consumption Of
timber in this country Is domestic
pulp wood, and that about ONE
third Of the pulp wood now consum-.
ed In the manufacture OF paper by.
our mills Is imported from Canada