Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-12-29
PUBLISHERS ARE
CR|T|CISED At
TARIFF HEARING
New Yorker lntimates the
Press Controls Legislation
in Order to Get Paper on
the Free List.
nv The Associated Press.N

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2s.--Senate
tariff hearings were enlivened to-
day by an attack on newspaper
publishers by Col. William e. Has
kell, of New York. vice president
of the International Paper com
many and n counter attack on the
news print paper manufacturers by
William j. Pape, publisher OF the
Waterbury, Conn, Republican,
speaking for small publishers, who'
he said, organized a buying cor
noration. because they were una
Bile, single handed to assist them
selves in an endeaVor to OBTAIN
fair priced news print"
Urges Tariff Protection.
Urging n tariff protection FOR
his industry against European
competition, Colonel Haskell SAID
congress had gradually yielded 10
the clamors of the paid agents of
the publishers "until finally all
tariff on news print had been re-
moved and the industry was
Obliged to drift into the ebb and
flow of the international Compel
tive tide"
Asserting news print was the
only product of the paper making
industry (which has been de-
prived of all protection and be-
deviled by inspired federal regula-
tien and interference" the witness
said, that the reason for the In
vidious treatment of this branch
of the industry has suffered is OBJ
vious" He added that "the fact
that the press can control leglsla-
ton and invoke unwarranted resu-
lation, restrictions and Interior
ence for its own selfish interests,
constitutes a grave charge OF I'M
due influence and special priv
ilege."
Charge Is Denied.
The charge that any undue In
fluence" had been used by the
publishers in arguing for the plac-
ing of news print paper on the
free list was denied by Emery
Thompson of Chicago, speaking for
the American Newspaper Publish
ers' association. He declared that
the publishers had based their ar
gument on the economic ground
Of the inability of American news
print manufacturers, to supply do
nestle consumption. This inabil-
ity was stated by Colonel Haskell.
Mr. pape said that the question
before congress in determining as
to the retention of news print pa
per on the free list was whether
the publishers should again have
imposed on them such a condition
as was found by n senate commit
tee, which reported last year that
certain manufacturers had taken
advantage of news print short
age ito exploit the purchasers
and "hold them up for excessive.
unreasonable and wholly unfair
prices"
Publishers who. as class,
largely dominate public opinion af-
fecting business policies through
direct appeal to readers, he added,
have been violently weak when
fighting for fair price news
print" He added that on less than
three occasions in ten years,
prices had scared to undreamed
Of heights" and that nothing, in
GLIDING the federal commission,
congressional and court action had
stayed the demands imposed by
certain of those who control the
supply of news print
Industry in Bad Shape.
Colonel Haskell suggested no
definite rate of duty for news
print, saying he would leave that
TO the committee. He contended
that the industry was in bad shape
az a result of competition from
Germany, Sweden. Norway and
Finland, asserting paper made in
those countries could be sold here
for fro7n ten dollars to twenty
dollars below the cost of prodUc-
ton here.
On the other hand, Mr.. Pape ar
gued that the prices Of the foreign
made paper brought about tho
level in this country; that 1t was
the price here that attracted man
ufacturers in the foreign ooun-
tries and that the imputs from
Europe had proved the salvation
OF the small inland publishers after
the war, when. he said, both con-
tract and spot prices for paper