Omaha daily bee., 1911-05-24
PULP PAPER AND RECIPROCITY
Agent Of Publishers Appears Before
the Senate Committee.
OoMBME CONTROLS PRICE
Only Hope OF Keeping Industry in
United states and Breaking Up
Monopoly Lies IN Paper
Clause of Treaty

WASHINGTON, May 2S.-only by the
adoption OF the paper clause of the reciproc-
ity agreement with Canada can cheap paper
and the retention OF the print paper In
dustry In the United States be secured. ac-
cording to John Norris, representing the
American Newspaper Publishers associa-
ton, who appeared before the senate
finance committee today.
THE Canadian provinces which control
the raw material OF paper manufacture,
Mr.. Norris said, ARE trying to force Amer
lean paper mills to move to the other
side Of the boundary line They have pro-
hibited the expectation of pulp wood from
provincial land; they believe they. can
starve out the American paper makers,
whose domestic supplies are nearly ex-
hausted.
In 1901 the American paper makers had
chance to consummate an arrangement
with Canada, whereby the supply OF wood
from the province OF ouebec would be con-
tinued indefinitely But the American sem
ate at the instigation of former Senator
Hale and of the extreme , 'standpatters'
among the paper makers. upset that arr
rangement and undertook 10 bulldoze the
Canadian provinces so that IL could force
them by the imposition Of retaliatory duties
States without restriction. Instead of com
posing the situation they provoked an
ugly complication, to which the paper
clause OF the reciprocity treaty offers the
only immediate and promising solution. =, !.
American paper makers. said Mr.. Norris,
own over 12O0o square miles of timber
rights Son the crown lands OF Quebec, for
which they cannot now ship WOOD pulp
because of the prohibition OF May J. 1919
Mr.. Norris referred to Clifford Pinchot's
estimate three years ago of the available
supply of wood pulp timber in the United
States which would last as follows;
| New York state, eight and one-half years;
PENNSYLVANIA. nine years: Minnesota, nine
years. Vermont. eleven years; New Hamp-
SHIRE twenty-five years. ana Maine, TWEEN
ty-eight and one-half years
Concluding. Mr.. Norris said that nearly
20 per cent Of the wood and pulp which the
United States now uses as the raw ma
terial or cheap paper comes from abroad
The paper industry" he said, paid Sls,-
4O6,O14 TO foreigners in 1910 for pulp woods
and for pulp to keep American paper mills
going The consumers paid penalties OF
tl50.000 in retaliatory duty because there
was an adequate supply of free wood in
Canada available for the needs of this
market
Senators Ask Questions.
Mr.. Norris was questioned by various
members OF the committee as TO the pur-
poses OF the American newspapers pub-
fishing association. He declared that his
work as chairman of the paper commit
tee had to do missionary work among
senators and In other places"
The work all had been in the open. he
added, no effort having been made 70
conceal anything.
II his bureau had not sent out various
pamphlets urging the passage Of the rect
proeity bill. Senator Williams interrupted
by asking: ~
You did not consider Il any crime, did
you. Mr.. Norris, TO send out literature in
favor OF placing things on the free list ~
! "On the contrary" replied Mr.. Norris.
! When Mr.. Norris declared that the
! American senate undertook to bulldoze
the Canadian provinces Senators Bailey
and Hepburn objected to the word bull
doze' and had it stricken from the record.
| Mr. Norris sought TO show that the In
ternational paper company is a "Somblna-
ton IN restraint OF trade"
He declared that he had been unable TO
procure paper at market prices at any
] PoPSi hhh casN OF the hocky mountains.
The American Paper and Pulp company,
he claimed was "a 50 called bureau of
statistics to enable the paper makers OF
the country to maintain prices at an
agreed figure $50
In attaching the international Paper
company Mr.. Norris declared Il had abb
s0rbed nearly all the paper mills in the
United States; that II controlled much
undeveloped paper mill water power that
IL started immediately after it's organlza-
ton on wood land speculation" and that
Il had reduced It's output so as 10 In
crease the market price.
The corporation had an excessive capt
talizatOn. said AR Norris, which was
inflated at least tlo.0O0.OOO. He declared Il
frequently sold paper for from IS TO SlC
! try. gHt