The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-22
HOLD UP GAME.
John Norris UnfOlds to the Sem
ate Finance Committee.
How American Newspapers Are
Fleeced by Paper Trust.
PAYS S6,OOO,OOO. A YEAR
More Than They Would Under
Normal Trade Condition.
He Submits an Array of Facts
and Figures.

washington, Feb. 22.-The pulp and
paper clause of the reciprocity agree
ment was defended before the finance
committee of the senate today by John
Norris. chairman of the paper COM
mittee of the American Newspapers
Publishers association. He elaborated
the arguments which he presented In
the same behalf before the ways ana
means committee of the house declar-
ing that he spoke for daily newspa-
pers (which pay $55,OOO 900 per annum
for the print paper; $6,0OO,OO0 more
than they would pay II norman cohuI-
tions were permitted" He dWelt es-
pecia1ly upon the following points;
The increase of $3.50 a ton in the
price of print paper by paper makers
since the enc tment of the Payne-Ald-
rich tariff. Notwithstanding the reduc-
ton of $2.25 per ton in the uuly' the
increase of price from $32 to $45 ton
since 80 mills were merged into tne
International Paper company; the al
legged effort of paper makers to starVe
the market and increase prices Inc
complete dependence upon Canada Ior
pulp wood to keep the American paper
mills going; the Inaccurate cnarat &c
of information supplied to senators
about the supply of pulp WOOD IN Va 1,T-
GUS parts of the United States Ine
somewhat higher labor cost In Cahaua
of making ton OF print paper Inc
ability of American mills to make paper
cheaper than can the Canaolans; .i i's
failure of bulldozing methods to OBTAIN
nulp wood from Canada, ana the enec-
five application of the paper clause III
the pending agreement to the serious
situation now confronting American
paper users.
submits Exhibits.
Mr.. Norris submitted an extensive
arguments. These included much that
was brought before the ways anu
means committee recently and also i'm
portant material which he said he sub
mitted to the congressional committee
in 1909 During July, August anu
September last Mr.. Norris said, the
larger paper companies refused to
quote. any prices for the year e ISL,
subsequently, an agreed and uniform
price of $45 per ton was demanded py
them The largest user Of print paper
in the United States whose contract
will soon expire, will probably pay an
advance of 5000, 900 per annum upon MS
present price. Large newspapers whose
contracts are expiring are unable to
obtain bids at any price, except from
the mill now supplying them
What else can We expect, when con-
gress fattens and fosters concerns like
the International Paper company
which gathered together 80 mills. most
of which were tributary to denuded
timber tracts and to exhausted water
courses? 1t consolidated them into
what is now a 500, 100000 corporation,
most of its capitalization representing
water It took over Ill paper machines
but is now operating less than 81 paper
machines In Is years it has added
only two machines to it's equipment
When it was organized half of the ma
chimes were t n out of date. What
must be their condition today? Its
paper machines turn out an average
of q tons per machine per day, while
modern machines turn out IS tons per
day. Why should the newspaper be
load?
Uses Funds to Speculate.
Instead of using it's resource to de-
ve1op it's machinery and improve it's
plant, the International Paper COM
pany has used it's funds to speculate
in wood lands. so that today it con-
trolls between 5000 and 1000 square
miles of timber tracts, and is flirting
with the provincial government of
Quebec about the location of paper
plants in that section. 1t has three
times the wood land necessary for a
perpetual supply of wood to provide its
present production. Its representative
before congressional committee fig
ured that these lands were worth
$13,492,315 and that the company has
made ten million dollars on the ap-
preciated value of its wood land hold
ings.
ITO strengthen it's monopoly of
power sites as we'll as of available
timber areas. it holds 1882 horse