Show II I pAPER TRUST AND A D LABOR I Newspaper publishers rs tend rind the hear hearings hearings ings of ot the Mann congressional com committee committee committee mighty Interesting reading these days because e It is evolving Information that sheds a good deal of or light on oa the tho th operations of the paper trust hust All of ahem them have known that the trust has as boosted prices clear out of oC sight on very short notice and with no assigned rea reason reason reason son except that the trust needed the money mone but they the know how hOv much of oC a margin of ot profit the robbery left for the robbers or how easy it had been to victimize the whole publishing inter interests Interests interests ests with the aid of oC the tariff For Instance the trust mills have claimed that they needed a duty for the benefit of American labor The figures figure furnished the lann Iann committee taken from the official records of the bureau lof of manufacture show Just how much benefit the trust has given Its em as a result of the tariff Paper mill nill workers in New York state where a large proportion of the news paper Is made averaged 1094 a week In wages and this tills does not take into account wo women women men or minor In Massachusetts Massachusetts including children av averaged averaged averaged a week No Xo wonder the paper trust had to raise prices on paper enormously enormous in or order order order der to meet the exorbitant wages It was compelled to pay its labor no won wonder wonder wonder der der it insists on a tariff that will en enable enable enable able It 11 to provide so generously for the comfort and welfare of the men and children it uses in Its business Now compare the paper manufacturIng Ing ng business and the printing and bind bindIng binding Ing ng business which is injured by b the monopoly Official figures show that the printers and binders of the country countr the consumers of paper pay 78 per percent percent percent cent higher wages than does the paper trust they employ a much larger num number numer number ber er of workers ranking sixth In the nations important industries and yet they have no protection from the tariff and are getting none from the congress to which they have appealed for relief from rom the exactions of oC the trust Accurate figures show that news newspaper newspaper paper can be made for about abo t 20 a ton the trust is charging from 43 to 50 a aton aton aton ton and higher for its product pr duc When an infant Industry reaches the point where it can make from to 1 O per percent percent percent cent can pay pa dividends on enormously diluted securities can suppress compe competition competition by predatory predator methods is superior to the courts and to the common law of or competition the publishers have a right to demand the removal rem ova of the tariff on paper and and the wood pulp of which paper Is made Congressman Manns committee committe which was appointed by Speaker ker Can Cannon Cannon Cannon non to prevent any action on the tariff question affecting paper at this ses session has done its best bt st to too carry out the pur purpose purpose pose po e for which it was named If the speaker and the th have their way the trust will go ahead se serenely serenely serenely In Its own appointed path But the publishers will wm have the satisfaction satisfaction tion of knowing that they have turned the light on the trusts methods and that the approaching congressional ional elec eke election election tion promises to compel action in the near future that will repay them for their trouble |