OCR Text |
Show HEARINGS OPEN . IN WASHINGTON Investigators of Cost of News Print Paper Place Facts Before Be-fore Commission. Washington, Dec. 12 The interstate commerce commission began its hearings hear-ings here today in its investigation into in-to the rise of news print paper, presenting pre-senting facts gathered by Its investigators investi-gators in the plants of American and Canadian manufacturers, jobbers and paper users were heard. Tables prepared pre-pared by the commission were brought out at the hearing to show the following follow-ing conditions: Both Canadian and United States averages show no increase in cost of paper manufacture m the first half of 1916 as compared with 1916. Selling expenses in the first half of 1916 were lower than In 1915 and profits per ton were higher. The percentage per-centage of profit on investment, figured fig-ured on book investment, Increased from 5.92 per cent in 1915 for nineteen companies to 9.34 per cent for fifteen companies in tho first half of 1916. Rates of profit on the cost of investment invest-ment would have been even higher could the figures have been obtained. Marked prices increased in 1916 to a much greater extent than contract prices. Canadian Mills Lower. Canadian mills are manufacturing print paper at about $4,50 a ton less than American mills. Both production and imports increased in-creased in the first half of 1916 over 1915 and 1914. Atter deducting exports ex-ports the quantity available for domestic do-mestic consumption in the first half of 1916 was 17 per cent greater than in tho first half of 1915 and nine per cent greater than in the second half of that year. Delivery, however, more than took care of the increase and stocks on hand at all points decreased 10,430 tons in the first half of 1916. The statistical data presented by the ! commission, phases of which those who testified were asked to explain, concluded with a series of questions as to possible remedies. They were: What measures can be adopted to bring about a more equitable distribution distri-bution of paper among publishers? What measures can be adopted to pre-cent pre-cent prices rising to prohibitive levels? lev-els? Is co-operation between large publishers and manufacturers feasible feas-ible Would an embargo on exports be advisable? Would publishers profit in the long period of time at a fixed price? Can small publishers profit by adopting adopt-ing tho plan of co-operative buying? nn |