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Show ilLttlilti UN PFP!PPHfiT BiLUiKULm One of the Senators Offers anilnsuit to Newspaperman Washington, June 5. Tho Senate finance committee today resumed hearings on the Canadian reciprocity bill, Herman RIdder, until recently president of tho American Newspaper Publishers association, being called to the witness chair. Mr. RIdder had not proceeded far when Senator Mc-Cumbcr Mc-Cumbcr of North Dakota startled tho committee by chellonglng one of Mr. RIdder's statements as nn "absolute falsehood." Senator McCumbor's action brought a quick protest from Senators Stone and Bnllcv, who declared that witnesses wit-nesses should not be insulted. Md. Ridder had made the statement that the newspapers of the country and the publishers association had not attempted to suppress facts or to color stories sent from Washington on tho subject of reciprocity Sena-tor Sena-tor McCumber Interrupted with his charge of fnlsehoo.d, x Several senatorsiinslsted that Mr. McCumber's reniar'js should be stricken strick-en from tho record. "If any witness appearing before this committee." said Senator Bailey, "wore to Imply that some Senators ' had told a falsehood, ..I would .insist Mint It be striqkei)' from tho record." 'Mr. .McCumber agreed to have his remnrklc.kauged sosaRbtto make it read that he bollcearwhat Mr. RIdder" said was "unfounded." Mr. RIdder, In rpply to questions from members of the committee, declared de-clared that he, as president of tho Publishers association had sent out word to the members of the association associa-tion telling them the reciprocity agreement was of vital Importance. "But I would not have faored tho agreement,' added Mr. RIdder, "If I had not thought It would hnve been good for the whole country, independent independ-ent of my Interests lu It ns a newspaperman." news-paperman." Mr. RIdder declared tlint while he was in favor of reciprocity as a whole, his reason as a newspaperman for urging Us passage was that he might get out of the clutches of tho paper trust which he said was robbing the newspaper publishers of the country. "Have you ever made an effort," asked Senator Ballev, "to havo tho 'paper trust' .punished by the depart-'mont depart-'mont of Justice?" "Yes." replied Mr. Ridder, "I had fifty-two papermakors In New York Indicted and they paid $2,000 apiece. These w-erc manufacturers of various kinds of paper, although It has not been possible as yet to prove legally that a white paper trust exists. ''Mr. Wallnck,' vice president toC the International Paper company, swore bciore the Mann paper committee commit-tee that there was no combination of any sort although reports were ibelng mado lo him every month as to what the vnr'ous paper mills of the country coun-try we'fc1 doing." "Would you be satisfied," asked Senator Hoyburn, "If the paper trust were punished in some other way than by the passage of the reciprocity reciproc-ity agreement?" "I want help during my lifetime." said Mr. RIdder. "I bave not yot seen any trust magnates go to jail. I favor the measure so that) I may buy paper In the open market I do not" intend, if I can help It, to let the paper trust dictate to mo what I must pay for paper." Mr. RIdder said ho wus opposod to all trusts. TAFT OPPOSED TO CHANGE. Washington, Juue 5 To Senator Stono of Missouri. President Taft again made It clear today that ho Is opposed to any amendment whatuo-'cver whatuo-'cver to tho Canadian reciprocity agreement. Sonator Stone had heard a report that tho administration opposition oppo-sition to tho Root amendment was not entirely sincere and that Senator Root had been assurred privately that the President would not be displeased If his amendment were adopted "I came to the Wbltc House," said the Senator, "to find out for myself whether the President was In oarnest In opposing tho Root nmendmenL And ho told me that ho was ngalnst the amendment proposed 'by Senator R.oot and would bo against amendments proposed by any other Sonator, Democrat or Republican. That settles it for mo. I am going back to tho Seuate to carry tho fight along those lines. Every friend of icclproclty will do tho same thing If As'e begin by taking on "harmless amendments' we will end by tne,klng on others, which will destroy tho bill." oo . . |