Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-24

CONGRESS.


are compelled To pay higher prices
than necessary for their news print
paper because the international Paper
Co. is in practical control of the in
dustry in this country. We're made to-
day at the Canadian reciprocity bill
hearings before the Senate finance
committee by John Norris, represent
ing the American Newspaper Pub
fishers Association. The papermakers
Mr.. Norris declared. have made obvi-
Gus efforts to restrict production and
ito starVe the print paper market in
order to maintain an agreed figure
have sold paper abroad cheaper than
in this country. and have arrayed
themselves against open prices and
against public quotations.
Mr.. Norris accused the international
Paper Go. of selling paper abroad
cheaper than here, with having
Launched a gigantic woodland specu-
lation," with having an inflated capt.
talization of at Least $40,00O,000, and
with keeping down production by
maintaining a capacity of only IS per
cent. of modern equipment"
Yet the International Paper Co.
he added, lis asking Congress to put
d premium upon the antiquity OF
plants in mills that We're verging ON
bankruptcy 10 years ago"
Mr.. Norris was questioned by Vari-
Gus members of the committee as to
the purposes of the American News
paper Publishers Association. He de-
clared that his work as chairman OF
the paper committee had been to do
missionary work among senator's and
in other places. The work all had
been in the open, he added, no effort
having been made to conceal any
thing.
When Smoot asked him If his
bureau had not sent out various
pamphlets urging the passage of the
reciprocity BILL Williams interrupted
by asking:
You did not consider it any crime.
did you, Mr.. Norris. to send out liter
azure in favor of placing things on the
free list ."
ION the contrary" replied Mr. Norris
When Mr.. Norris declared that the
American Senate undertook to bulldozt
the Canadian provinces . Bailey and
Hepburn objected to the word "bulldoze'
and had it stricken from the record
Mr.. Norris sought to show that the In,
ternational Paper Co. is Coordination
in restraint of trade" He declared thai
he had been unable to procure paper al
market prices at any paper mill east Of
the Rocky mountains. The American
Paper and Pulp Association. he said wa.
a "so-called bureau of statistics to ena-
bic the papermakers of the country tc
maintain prices at an agreed figure"
Mr. Norris declared the Internationa
Paper Co. had absorbed nearly all tn,
paper mills in the United States. that il
controlled much undeyeloped paper mil
power, that il had started immedately
after its organization on woodland spec
ulation" and that it had reduced its out
put SO as to increase the market price.
The corporation had an excessive cap,
itaH2ation said Mr. Norris which was
inflated at least $40 o00 He declared II
frequently sold paper for from s. to ST.
a ton cheaper abroad than in this coun
try
Mr.. Norris declared the newspaper pub.
fishers in the same city are Obliged to
pay different prices for the paper they
purchase from the International Co
When MIR Norris read figures rom the
tariff boards report, showing that five
mills in this county manufacture at about
s25 per ton more newspaper than the Ca
| madam mills manufacture at $3.50 pei