Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-09
PAPER COMBINES
DUE TO Get JOLT
Government Ownership OF Mill TO Sup.
ply Printing ONCE is Proposed in
Bill Introduced.
CONGRESSMAN TAvESSER IDEA
Show How They Are Being Held
Up BY the Trust.

Washington. Sept s.-Government
ownership Of pulp and paper mill for
the manufacture OF print paper for the
government printing Office is proposed
in a bill which Representative Clyde
II. Tavenner of Illinois introduced in
the house OF representatives. Mr.. Tav-
enner intends TO make every effort to
have the bill reported favorably at an
early date in the next session from
the committee on printing of which he
is a member.
1t is proposed to construct a mill of
sufficient size to produce so tons of
paper a day, which is about double the
present requirements of the govern
ment printing office for print paper,
and for this purpose an appropriation
OF Sl,000.000 is authorized.
The bill requires that the mill shall
be located with special reference to
utilization Of the forests. minerals,
waterpOwer and other resources of the
public lands and the president is auth
OriZed 10 set aside such sites as NAV
be selected on the public lands for that
purpose. The bill further directs that
The secretary Of agriculture and the
secretary Of commerce shall assist the
public printer in the construction and
operation OF the MILL which insures
for the new enterprise inasmuch as
he department. of agriculture and the
department of commerce have already
done cons tderabIe work along the
lines proposed by the Tavenner bill.
MIR. Tavenner states that his princi-
pal purpose in urging the government
manufacture Of paper are as follows
FIRST, to provide an adequate supply of
print paper at all times and at a fair
price, thus protecting the government
from the grasping combines that now
refuse to furnish necessary paper for
the operations of the government ex-
Cept at exorbitant and non-competi-
tive prices. Second, to obtain for
newspaper publishers and the print
ing trade in general definite informa-
ton as to the cost of the manufacture
of print paper so as to likewise pro-
tect them from excessive charges by
INSCRIPTIONS manufactures who seek.
under abnormal conditions, to advance
their own selfish interests, entirely re
CARELESS of the public service per-
formed by newspaper and other pub
fishers in the distribution of necessary
information to the people. Third, to
utilize the forests and water power on |
the public lands in the economical
manufacture of paper for the benefit Of
luTInGE -
waste OF these resources which the pa
per interests are seeking to have with !
held from competition with their mon
opol1sttc ownership of wood pulp and
power sites. Fourth, to furnish ade-
quate and practical means for the de-
veIopment OF the manufacture of pa |
per from corn and cotton stalks and /
similar agricultural products, which I.
would be of vast benefit to the farmers
or this country in providing a prof.
table market for a large portion Of /
their products which now go to waste.
The use Of new fibers, other than WOOD.
would also be of inestimable value in
the conservation of the forests of the
United States, the destruction of which
is largely chargable TO their extrava-
CANT use in the manufacture of paper.
At Mercy of Combine.
The government of the United
States has long been at the mercy of
paper combines and monopolies that
have prof1ted greatly in
furnishing paper to the government
printing office, which is one of the
argest consumers Of paper in the
world. This situation has become all
he more intolerable during the past
ear, when the paper manufacturers I
lave taken advantage of conditions al I
eseu 10 De que 10 the war to demand
I'LL more eXorbitant prices for their {
PRODUCTS. Some of the manufacturers I
re even attempting TO repudiate their ]
ontracts with the government, though !
hese contracts provide in several in 5
tances for increases amounting to {
lore than so per cent above the price I
aid for the same paper last year. c
'hese contractors, while refusing to I
lrnish paper under their agreement c
or the year ending March l, 1917, are S
two and three times their c
price when the government @
eeks to make open market purchases +
the paper necessary TO continue op- O
-attons of the government printing z
ice. Even at these outrageous prices c
lie public printer is unable 10 obtain D
ny real competition, practically only J