Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-08-03
FIGHT PARTLY WON
Newspaper Publishers See Tri-
umph in Changes in Paper
Duties.
THOUGH TAFT is SCORED
Presidents Arbitrary Declaration
that ~ Ton Was Necessary
Attacked by Norris.

New York, Aug. 3.-IOhn Norris,
chairman of, the committee on pa
per of the American Newspaper Pub
fishers association, has issued /; bull
letin relating to the tariff on pulp
and paper in which he says:
IN the proposed tariff bill pub
fishers have secured the abolition of
the duty of $l.67 per ton on ground
wood. They obtained reduction
from Sc per ton to 1878 per ton on
print paper-a saving of approx
mately $2.700,000 per annum in the
cost of news print paper to consum-
ers. The publishers had asked for
free print paper. The select commit
tee of the house had recommended
50 per ton. The senate raised the
rate to "a per ton. and the confer
ees had substantially agreed on a
compromise rate of So per ton when
President Taft announced to con-
gressional callers on or about Satur-
day, July %, that a 81 rate was nee
essary for the application Of the pro-
lection to print paper.
Bigger Increase Seen.
THE president made this an
nouncement without that full and
impartial ascertainment of cost to
which the consumers were entitled
and in disregard of numerous and
voluntary assurances that he had Civ
Ell in favor of the lower rate In
accordance with that intimation from
the president. the conferees reported
S3.T3 per ton which will probably be
adopted. If the publishers had not
inaugurated their campaign for a
reduction of duty 1t is likely that the
paper makers would have secured an
increase from Sc per ton, TO IS or
$40 per ton on print paper upon their
representations that American wood
had increased in cost to the extent
of Sc per ton Of paper produced.
Each Province "a Unit.
Under the new schedules, each
province of Canada is regarded as a
unit SO that Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick which have no restric-
|
| of pulp paper. can Immediately avail
themselves of the new tariff rate.
Quebec has stumpage tax of 25
cents per cord of wood cut from
| crown lands for expectation. from
which the province obtains a revenue
of $25 900 per annum. There is nc
stumpage tax in Quebec on wood cut
| rrSN lay1 .,.;r Ia, IL. 80
| absolutely the expectation of wood
cut from crown lands. Newfound-
land also prohibits the expectation OF
pulp wood.
Trouble is Feared.
American paper makers hold
leases on 10000 square miles OF
crown lands in the province of Que
bee for which they pay an annual
rental and in addition fixed price
of 60 cents for every cord cut. These
leases expire in 1910 and it is given
out that within three weeks from the
date of the signing of the Payne bill
| the terms of the new Quebec leases
Twill be promulgated.
| 1T is barely possible that Quebec
may regard the new legislation as
the best obtainable and abolish its
stumpage tax. If it should prohibit
the expectation of pulp wood cut
| from crown lands the American own
ers of timber rights are prepared tC
set up complaint of confiscation
a serious tangle is threatened Will
possibilities of pulp wood shortage
and trade war between Canada ant
the United States which have bust
ness interchanges to the extent o
500, 900 per annum'