Show pAPER TRUST AND TARIFF Discussion of the operations of the paper trust has served one admirable purpose in showing the tho absolute de df dependence dependence of this combination on the tariff as a means moons of establishing and preserving Its monopoly When the newspaper publishers of the country asked congress to remove the tariff on paper and the raw row material used in Its manufacture Chairman Payne of the th ways and anil means committee d de declared jared dared the tariff had had h d nothing to t do with the formation form of o the trust and that no representative of the newspapers newspapers newspapers pers had protested tested r against the increase of the tariff on paper when that was under consideration by the th commit committee committee t tee Replying to this Congressman Gil Gilbert Gilbert Gilbert bert Hitchcock of Omaha himself a publisher made a speech In the house which completely silenced the advocates all advocates 0 cates of the trust Citing the schedule of paper prices furnished the th commit committee tee by the director of the census Mr Ir Hitchcock showed their absolute fatal falsi falsity ty tv Then he proceeded to quote quat from tile the records of the committee at the time Urne It had an Increase In the duty up for discussion Thos Those record records show that John Norris then publisher of the New York World now manager of the Times appeared before the men meno w Wio o now flow defend the trust and ml saM snI saMI I II hI I do not appear before e the fee ee to present any request either eith for for forthe the he newspaper or tor for the t h rS generally but I ii felt that it was due du to t this committee that some one on should sh uld come ome here l to to dIse formally of Q the u fact tact that the news paper manufacturers ors ers of the United States have perfect perfected ert t ed fd their arrangements for a combination combination combination tion by which which every ever newspaper shall be at the mercy of a central cental selling agency and by which the price of news newspaper newspaper newspaper paper shall be raised and by which these gentlemen shall derive an addi additional profit of from to 6 out of their Investment and an thereby tax knowledge and diminish the educational possibilities of the newspaper press So It seems Mr Payne was in error when he said no one appeared to ad advise advIse advise vise the committee on this subject Just six months after atter Mr Ir Norris made his statement the paper truer true was an accomplished fact and today tolay the neWspaper publishers of the country are aro paying the millions of or additional I profits which are the direct result of the terra tariff t Ostensibly the duty dut Will wan raised to enable the paper makers to t 1 exist as a matter of fact It enabled them to float millions of f watered wat rod se securities to buya bUY out competitors sup suppress suppress press Pes such as would not sell to re reduce res duce production and otherwise folio Tolle the common practice of all trusts once firmly established Ina In a monopoly It I has been urged that the duty on par pal pa paper l r per p r is for protection to labor the truth iR the paper mills have fought every overy effort to advance wages In 1890 the wages paid in the business amounted 1 to 16 per cent of the vali valto all r ot of t the pro product products I ducts duct in 1900 the wag wages ages s amounted to only 15 per pOl cent but the th salaries s l ri f j 2 to trust officials o from to t It is estimated t d that of in insecurities Insecurities insecurities securities issued by the tr trus at lea least Is water wat r In other words the trust capitalized ca its tariff favor a at t tjust Just this amount and nd now defies con congress gress grass to touch it H Whether the stand patters in con eon congress congress gress take any action or no trey oy cy have their choice of dilemmas the they can place themselves on record re ord as aspre pre preferring erring ferring the interests Of ot an illegal al com combination combination com combination to the welfare of the reading public or they qan Gan reduce r duce the and admit that in this Instance instances at least the tariff has been responsible for as cold a game game of robbery as ever masqueraded in the name n name me of ot Amer American ican industry |