Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-06-13

lSOnt1nuc0 FROM f1fSJ rage.
that obtained in many instances
Heretofore.
Situation Serious
"Tbe news print paper situation
Is very serious. not only to the con-
sumers of paper, but to the public
generally and to the government of
the United States. which is itself a
large consumer of paper. The COM
mission has reason to believe that
this situation will be still more ag-
gravated and serious in the ensuing
months. The demand for news print
paper is constantly increasing and
gives promise of still greater in
crease with the continuance of the
war. The supply of news print pa
per available to meet this demand is
dependent upon mills already in eX-
istence.
1T seems probable, therefore, that
with the demand for newsprint
paper increasing and the supply re-
naming constant or possibly dimin-
ishing there will be a repitition of
the panic market of last year and
the exaction of prices that are en-
tirely out of measure with the cost
of production. The consequences to
thousands of smaller newspapers
and to many of the larger ones, and
through them to the reading public
will be most serious.
by reason of this condition and
because of the vital interest to the
public of an efficient dissemination
of news in this crisis, the commission
recommends as war emergency
measure that congress by appropri-
ate legislation provide:
I'D That all mills producing and
all agencies distributing print paper
and mechanical and chemical pulp in
the United States be operated on
government account; that these pro-
ducts be pooled in the hands of a
distributed at a price based upon
cost of production and distribution,
plus a fair profit per ton.
"(2) That pursuant thereto some
federal agency be empowered and
directed to assume the supervision
and control thereof during the pend
ing emergency of the war.
"(3) That, by reason of the fact
that approximately 10 per cent of
the production of news print paper
in Canada comes into the United
States. proper action be taken to Sc
cure the cooperation of the Canadian
government in the creation of simi-
lar governmental agency for the
same function, which shall be cloth
ed with power and authority to act
jointly with the governmental agency
of the United States for the protec-
ton of the consumers and manu-
facturers of print paper and the pub
lie of the United States and Canada.
"(4) That in case the Canadian
government shall not Join in such
cooperative enterprise, then impor-
tation of paper and mechanical and
chemical pulp into the United States
shall be made only on government
account to or through the federal
agency charged with such supervis-
ion and distribution
I'm this connection the commits
sion desires to point out that such
"a plan contemplates the operation of
mills under their present manage
ment and the use of the present dis
tributing agencies, but that such use
and operation shall be far from the
public good, directed by a disinter-
ested public agency to secure equit-
able distribution and a price that is
based up a fair cost of production
and a fair profit per ton to be de-
termined without regard to the panic
market created by unusual and alb
normal conditions. This plan has
the virtue of being analogous to
those plans which have been tried
and successfully operated in Great
Britain. 1t will also insure the max
imum production and greatest facil-
ity in transportation and distribution
and will adapt itself readily to a
return to normal competitive condi-
tions upon the conclusion of the
war"