The Washington times., 1909-06-17
HIGH PAPER DUTY
SCORED BY BROWN
Nebraska Senator Calls 1t
Inexcusable'' Needs
No Protection.

Declaring that the amendment Of the
Finance Committee increasing the low
rate fixed by the House on print paper
lis inexcusable and inoefensIble from
any standpoint Senator Brown. tRep.
Neb) today attacked that schedule of
the tariff biz in a speech in the Senate.
THE print paper mill industry in this
country needs no protection. he declar-
ed. Those mills already have an ad-
vantage over every foreign print mill
whether it stands in Scandinavia, Ger
many, or Canada.
Canada is our only competitor in
this market The seas and the inferi-
or product Of other countries than Can
ada protect the mills of the United
States against all competition worth
mentioning
This question depends on the cost Of
production at home and abroad. If for
eigners can manufacture print paper for
less than it costs Americans, that
amendment of the Finance Committee
might find justification.
Is Made Cheaper Here.
If the fact be. as I shall prove it is,
that print paper can be made and is
being made at less cost here than else
where. then any duty in any amount is
wholly wrong in principle and utterly
unehdurable and extortionate in prac-
tice"
Quoting from the report of an investi-
cation mIde by Canada on the subject
in 1901. Senator Brown said that it had
then been shown that the American
mills had an advantage of s. per ton
in the cost Of production OF print paper
Tor the reason that they are so much
nearer me great market for the finished
product, thereby allowing them to NIL
large orders near the factories.
THE statement of the Booth Mills, in
Canada" the Senator declared, shows
the cost of production to be S341l per
ton The testimony before the House
Committee shows the cost per ton Of
the print paper made by the Interna-
tional paper Company of the United
States To be 1914.
Our consul ia the province Of Quebec
reported that the iabOTeTs in the Cana
dian mills receive as high If not higher,
wages than those In American mills.
II the committee cannot argue for a
protective duty by reason of the old re-
liable demand to protect American Ia
Dor from the ruinOus competition of
cheap Foreign labor, on what do they
base their anxiety for an increase in
the rate over that fixed by the House
after an exhaustive Investigations
Should Be Considered
surely the number OF laborers on the
newspape rs and periodicals OF this
country which are demanding a lower
rate ought to be considered. The print
paper for these men is the raw mater
ial and the finished product goes into
100000 homes as the great practical
means for education and culture. The
newspaper has become common ne
cessity in every American home.
Why, there are ffty-nine news print
paper mills an told in the country.
compile from the report of the Census
Bureaus for 1905. and the House COM
mittee hearings. In those mills were
employed approximately I9.449 persons.
In conclusion. Mr. Brown called at
tention to the fact that the pulp wood
supply in this country is nearly ex-
hausted and that the combination which
controls the print paper market has
raised prices unreasonably and uncon-
sCionably.