Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-18
Tariff Boards Report Of
Cost U. S. and Canada.
Saving Of S5.35 on Every Ton
OF News Print Article.
Concise Exposure Of Some Papers
Approval Of Reciprocity"

sent to the Senate today the Tariff
| Boards full report of its investigation
OF the pulp and news print paper in
dustry in the United States anG
| Canada.
Summarized briefly. the report says
that ton of news print paper is made
in Canada for $685. less than it is
made in the United states The aver
| age Canadian cost is given at $27.5s
and the average cost in the United
States at $3Z.S8. The duty upon a ton
of news print paper under the present
tariff is 1915.
The document presents extensive
tables comparisons and other tabula
tons. It is declared to be the most
complete thing of its kind ever at
tempted The entire force of the Tar
| if Board has been engaged upon it for
months.
Several factors entering into the in
creased cost of manufacture in the
United States are taken up exhaustive
ly IN the report. The principal in
creases are said to be due to the fact
that ton of pulp wood costs nearly
twice as much in the United States az
it does in Canada and that many of
the American mills have much older
and much less efficient equipment than
the Canadian mills, which is said to
be responsible for a large increased
manufacturing cost.
In the cost of labor employed the
differences in the two countries are
shown to be very small Taking all
the items into consideration, as the re-
port enumerates them, the compare
tive costs follow:
The fotal average cost of ton Of
ground wood pulp in bulk at a mill in
the United States 81 $14.59; in Canada
it is 1855. The total cost of a ton of
sulphite fibre in the United States is
s3139: in Canada it is s2647 The total
materials entering into the manufac-
ture OF ton OF news print paper in
Canada are shown as S16.S9. and IN the
United States as S22.T4. The labor cost
of a ton of paper in the United states
is shown TO be S3.27. and in Canada
S319. All other allowances for manu-
featuring costs in the United States
are s6.S7. and in Canada s7.45 Labor
costs in all the items concerned run
very closely alike.
one feature of the report shows that
the cost of manufacturing news print
paper in the United States varies
widely. The lowest cost recorded is
$24.50 a ton: the highest is $43. From
this the Tariff Board strikes an average
of $92.sS.
AT the Canadian mills the lowest
price recorded for producing ton of
news print paper is s24.97 and tie
highest is S30,1S. Average S21.55
In accounting for the increased cost
of the pulp wood. it is shown at an
American mill the average cost Of a
ton of wood for ground wood pulp is
sfO.93: in Canada $50 The average
cost Of the ground wood pulp entering
into ton of news print paper in the
United States 81 given at $i3.21; Cana
dian value. $S.49. The average cost of
the sulphite fibre in a ton of paper al
a mill in the United States is given at
$3.50: Canadian valuation. $l.41; man
ufacturing labor in the United States
s3.27, and in Canada 1918.
Although the mill equipments of the
Canadian paper makers are much
nearer than those of the United States,
tie machinery for both countries was
made in the United states.
To the question Of how far Amcri-
can mills are ON an equal basis for
competition with the Canadian mills
in the matter of equipment the report
answers that the total average of
equipment and efficiency is slightly
better for Canada than for the United
States
1t is declared that in "A per cent. of
MILLS investigated
condition exists as to machinery and
equipment which would force them, if
obliged to meet really extensive COM
petition from Canada. greatly to cur
tail other expenses, greatly increase
their Investment for equipment, or
else make other kinds of paper.
In treating the subject of labor eff
cheney in Canada, the report says:
1T would seem then that with mod
ern mills. American machinery. Ameri-
can trained managers and superin-
| tendents and American skilled opera
| tiyes together with lower rates of
wages for unskilled men, the Canadian
manufacturing lavor cost per unit OF
| production i'm the modern and well
equipped mills of Canada would be
considerably lower than in the mod
ern and well-eduipped mills of the
United States.
THE tables show, however. that the
| Canadian labor cost per ton of news
print paper is only slightly lower or
the average; that'41.5 per cent. of the
tonnage reported in the United States
carries manufacturing labor cost o.
less than So per ton, while 54.7 pei
cent. in Canada falls under SO. TIL.
total average for the United States Ii
1927 as against 1919 in Canada, not.
withstanding in Canada's advantage il
average equipment. This indicates
these is greater efficiency and expert
ence in the first class mills of tn
United States.
With the exception of the maehin
tenders the lobor> employed in Cana
dian mills is French-Canadian TIL
mass of French Canadians have bee
! workers on the farm and in the for
Continued on Page Twelve.)