New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-18
PRINT PAPER REPORT IN
Cost in Canada SIS 50 a Ion
Less Than in United States.
TARIFF BOARDS FINDINGS
Gives Results of It's Compre-
hensive Investigation OF
Costs of Production.

Washington. Nav 17-President TAR
to-day sent 10 the Senate the Iarhi
Boards fun report OF its Investigation
Of the pulp and news print paper Industry
in the United States and Canada.
Summarized briefly. the report says tna'
a ton of news print paper is made IN
Canada for s. 81 less than ii is made IN
the United States. The average CANADIAN
cost is given at s27 SO and the average
cort in the United States at sS2 S.. the
duty on n ton of news print paper under
the present tariff is 81 IS.
The document presents extensive tables
comparisons and other tabuations. II is
declared to he the most complete thing
force of the Tariff Board has been en-
gagged on IT for months.
Several factors entering into the in
creased cost Of manufacture in the United
States are taken up oxhaustively in the
report The principal increases are said
10 he due TO the fact that a ton of pulp
wood costs nearly twice as much In the
United States as 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 largely increased
manufacturing cost.
Little Difference in Labor Cost.
In the cost of labor employed the diff
ferences In the two countries are shown
20 be small. Taking all the Items INTO
consideration. As the report enumerates
them. the comparative costs follow:
The total average cost Of ton Of
ground wood pulp in bulk al a mill I'm the
United States is sl4 50; in Canada It Is
1916
The total cost Of ton of suIphte fibre in
the United States Is s31 80: I'm Canada il is
S2s &. The total materials entering into
the manufacture OF ton OF news print
paper i'm Canada are shown as SIG g. and in
the United States as SO "a
United States is shown to he 81 q and in
Canada 1919. All other allowances for
manufacturing costs in the United states
are Sc s.. and in Canada s. g.. Labor costs
in all the items concerned run closely
alike.
One feature Of the report shows that the
cost of manufacturing news print paper in
the United States varies widely. The low
est cost recorded is S2i 70 A ton: the high
est is s43. From this the tariff board
strikes an average Of s22 S..
At the Canadian mills the lowest price
recorded for producing a ton Of news print
paper Is sag and the highest is $50 IS
Average. s27 80.
In accounting for the increased cost Of
the pulp wood, II is shown at an American
mill the average cost for A ton of wood
for ground wood pulp is 80 %, IN Canada
g. % The average cost Of the ground
wood pulp entering into a ton of news
print paper in the United States is given
al sl3 q: the Canadian value is S 20. The
average cost of the sulphite fibre i'm a ton
of paper at a mill in the United States is
given at $3.50: Canadian valuation. 81 Al
manufacturing labor in the United States
SO o, and in Canada. 50 n.
MIL equipments Of the Canadian paper
makers are much newer than those Of the
United States. although the machinery for
both countries was made in the United
States
More Efficiency in Canada.
To the question Of how far American
mills are on an equal basis for competi-
ton with the Canadian mills in the mat
ter of equipment. the report presents the
answer that the total average Of equip
ment and efficiency is slightly better for
Canada than for the United states.
1t is declared that in a. per cent ~ the
American mills investigated a condition
exists as 10 machinery and equipment
which would force them, II Obliged "a
meet really extensive competition from
Canada. greatly 10 curtail other expenses,
greatly Increase their investment for
equipment or shift TO making other kinds
OF paper.
In treating the subject Of labor efficiency
in Canada the report says.
Il would seem then that with modern
mills American machinery. American
trained managers and superintendent and
American skilled operatives, together with
| lower rates of wages for unskilled men,
| the Canadian manufacturing labor cost per
init Of production IN the modern and we'll
equipped mills of Canada would he consid-
erably lower than in the modern and well
| equipped mills Of the United states.
! The tables show. however that the Ca
madam labor cost per ton Of news prin,
paper II only slightly lower on the aver
| age That AS per cent Of the tonnage
! reported i'm the United States carries a
ton. while 547 Per cent I'm Canada falls
under s. The total average for the United
States f. So p, as against 3l9 in Canada,
notwithstanding Canada's advantage I'm
average equipment This indicates that
there is greater efficiency and experience
in the first class mills ~ the United
| states.
With the exception Of the machine ten
| ders the labor employed I'm Canadian mills
| is French Canadian. The mass Of French
and in the forests ard almost entirely out
Of touch with industrial life in shops. mills
O. factories.