COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS, BOSTON, November 19, 1908. Washington, D. C. DEAR SIRS: The Geo. W. Wheelwright Paper Company are manufacturers of paper with mills producing about 50 tons of paper per day of book grades. These mills are situated in Massachusetts within about 50 miles of Boston. Our location precludes the manufacture of wood pulp, as all forests are distant, and fuel is high. We are using a considerable quantity of chemical wood fibers, both domestic and imported. The soda fiber we use the most of is all of domestic make, but the stronger fiber made by the sulphite process we use more largely of the imported, for the reason that it is of superior quality to the general product of the domestic pulp mills, and is sold at a higher price, and to a great extent is not competitive, as the domestic pulp is an inferior quality and can not be substituted for the imported, which commands a price which certainly averages a quarter of a cent a pound higher. An increase in the duties would be a hardship on us, for the reason that we must continue to buy the foreign product, as the home producers have never supplied pulp of the quality we desire, and we are certain we should be unable to advance our prices to offset increased costs. There are comparatively few pulp mills whose product is sold to mills using but not producing pulp, and the market for domestic pulp is largely controlled by mills producing and using pulp in the manufacture of paper and selling their surplus. It is doubly the interest of such manufacturers to favor the exclusion of imported pulps by higher duties, as it benefits them both in the sale of pulp and of paper. For the foregoing reasons we protest against any advance in the duties on pulp. The present quotations for foreign pulp for immediate shipment are abnormally low, due to the unfavorable business conditions which have prevailed and should not be considered in any adjustment of duties for the reasons of market conditions, as explained by one of our English correspondents, who is well posted. We quote below their letter of October 31: "With reference to sulphite supplies, would you consider the question of picking up what may be considered a bargain for delivery this year? The point is this: Owing to dullness of trade, many papermakers in this country are not able to take out their contracted supplies, consequently some paper mills in Scandinavia have stocks inconveniently large. This condition of affairs will, we think, be only temporary, because the price has now sunk below cost of production. A movement is on foot in Scandinavia to reduce production by 30 per cent for three or six months. All Norwegian mills have agreed to this and more than half the Swedish mills. They are, however, waiting for more complete unanimity before putting this plan into operation. In the meantime several mills will shut down for a month or more on their own account without waiting until the pulp associations have come to a decision. It is to be expected, therefore, that during next year the supply will adjust itself to the demand, but in the meantime, for financial reasons, there are stocks which will be going cheap. If you could take 2/300 tons for this year we could probably make you a special offer. We have dispatched to you a sample of our 'G' pulp, and we have to-day sent you a further sample of our 'T' pulp. You have already a sample of the HX. These three brands all run much the same and are popular in this country as being easy bleaching, suitable for printings. From one or other of these mills we could possibly supply you with cheap lots for this year. We can not quote at present until we know that you will be open, but on hearing from you we would lay an offer before you." Respectfully, yours, GEORGE W. WHEELWRIGHT PAPER CO. MIDDLETOWN, OHIO, November 16, 1908. COMMITTEE OF WOOD PULP IMPORTERS, 5 Beekman Street, New York City. GENTLEMEN: We notice that there is considerable agitation up in reference to the revision of the tariff on pulp, and that you are filing a protest against any advance. We wish to join you in this, and state that we consider it a great injustice to the consumers of pulps to increase the tariff on foreign, that the domestic manufacturers might increase the price of their present product, which we consider too high now. They attempted to raise the price away beyond reason a year or so ago, and had it not been for the foreign importation we would have been forced to pay at least $3 or $4 a ton more for domestic. If anything is done, we consider that the schedule should be reduced, rather than advanced. We hope that you may be able to place the matter before the proper authorities at Washington in such a light that they will see what an injustice would be done the consumers if any advance is made. Yours, truly, THE PAUL A. SORG PAPER COMPANY, MARCELLUS FALLS, N. Y., November 16, 1908. COMMITTEE OF WOOD PULP IMPORTERS, New York City. GENTLEMEN: Replying to your favor of the 14th, would say that we, as paper manufacturers, consider it would be a great mistake to increase the tariff on such grades of chemical pulp as are being imported into this country, including the high grades of sulphite and sulphate pulp, such as is used in all superior grades of wrapping specialties, for the very reason there is very little, if any, made in this country that comes up to the requirements of this class of paper. The manufacturers of sulphite and other grades of chemical pulp in this country are satisfied to make a grade of stock that will answer for news paper and the lower grades of wrapping paper, but do not make a quality that will answer for the better grades of paper. Consequently the paper mills confining themselves to the better grade of wood papers, as a rule are buying imported stock, simply because the home product that is on the market will not fill the bill. Increasing the tariff will not increase the consumption of the home product of chemical pulp, but it will increase the importation of the foreign high-grade paper, to the detriment of the mills now making these high grades at home in our own country. For these reasons we are opposed to an increase of the tariff on imported stock, especially as our own supply of wood is now SO limited. GENTLEMEN: With reference to the hearing before the Committee on Ways and Means in the House of Representatives on November 21, we would desire to protest against any increase on the present importation duty on pulp. We are convinced that an increase on this duty would work to the detriment of American manufacturers using pulp or sulphite, not only because the higher cost of production and relatively higher cost of labor in the country is in itself a handicap against the American manufacturer, but because the rapid depletion of our own forests, particularly of spruce, which is the best wood for the manufacture of pulp board, makes it vitally important that we be able to obtain pulp from the Canadian market. This not only protects our own forests, but is also a protection against the flooding of our market with pulp board from Sweden and Norway. Very truly, yours, TONAWANDA BOARD AND PAPER COMPANY. BOSTON, November 17, 1908. COMMITTEE OF WOOD PULP IMPORTERS, New York, N. Y. GENTLEMEN: Learning that there is an agitation to increase the tariff on wood pulp, we desire, as manufacturers using this kind of stock, to protest against such proposed increase. We are convinced that to raise the duty would benefit only a few individuals, and would be detrimental to the whole paper-making industry. More than this, it would have a very prejudicial effect upon the forests of the United States, which need the most enlightened legislation and care to save them from practical extinction." Hoping that your committee will most seriously urge that the present schedule be diminished rather than increased, we are, Yours, very truly, MUNROE FELT AND PAPER COMPANY, CLEVELAND, OHIO, November 16, 1908. COMMITTEE OF WOOD PULP IMPORTERS, New York, N. Y. GENTLEMEN: As we buy considerable tonnage of foreign sulphite, we are greatly interested in the proposed revision of the tariff. It seems to us that it would be a grave mistake to advance the present duty and thereby discourage importation of wood pulp at a time when this country needs all its domestic timber, which is being rapidly exhausted. The present duty affords a reasonable protection to domestic producers, and yet permits considerable importations to supply the paper and board mills of this country. We wish to join you in expressing our protest against any advance in the pulp schedule. Yours, respectfully, THE OHIO BOXBOARD COMPANY, VICKSBURG, MICH., November 17, 1908. COMMITTEE OF WOOD PULP MAKERS, New York, N. Y. Of DEAR SIRS: Your letter of November 14 received and noted. course it goes without saying that the paper mills do not wish any advance or any change of any kind in the duty on wood pulp. The mills are, as a rule, perfectly satisfied with the present tariff on both pulp and papers, with the exception that the present tariff on importation of papers is very indefinite and allows many times high-priced papers to be imported under a low tariff. At the meeting in Chicago last week the fine writing mills appointed a committee to represent them at the hearing in Washington. and it would seem as though a conjunction of your committee with that would be a good idea and work out to the good of all concerned. Mr. C. A. Crocker is the chairman of this committee in question. Yours, truly, LEE PAPER COMPANY, HIGHLAND PARK, CONN., November 17, 1908. COMMITTEE OF WOOD PULP IMPORTERS, 5 Beekman Street, New York City. GENTLEMEN: Your circular of the 14th came duly to hand. We are but small consumers of sulphite pulp, and therefore it would not make as much difference to us if the tariff was increased or decreased as though we were larger users. We may, perhaps, be able to give nearer to a disinterested opinion in the matter than as though we were larger consumers. We think, however, it would be very unwise to increase the duty on pulp, in view of the rapid disappearance of the forests in this country, also the agitation which has sprung up among the newspaper men for a lower price on their paper. While we do not have any great sympathy with them in their contention, from some of the editorials we have read, and they do not seem to know what they are talking about, only that they want a lower price on paper, still we think it would be unwise to do anything that would necessitate an increase of price in news. We should recommend, if there is to be any change at all, that it should be decreased rather than increased, in view of the facts stated above. Very truly, yours, CASE BROS. (INCORPORATED), Per R. N. STANLEY, Secretary. MANAYUNK, PHILADELPHIA, November 17, 1908. COMMITTEE OF WOOD PULP IMPORTERS, New York, N. Y. GENTLEMEN: Replying to your favor of the 14th instant, we don't think it advisable to change the tariff on pulp and paper, and certainly not to increase it, as we are very large users of imported pulp, both bleached and unbleached. Our reason for using this pulp is that we were forced to buy it on account of the domestic sulphite manufacturers getting together and putting a prohibitive price on the domestic pulp. If there is any change to be made in the tariff, we think there should be a reduction made on the bleached pulp, as it is too high, or, better still, if the Government desires to protect our own forests we don't see why there should be any duty at all on the imported pulps, as it certainly would encourage the use of them and protect our own forests and not affect the domestic sulphite manufacturers, as they have at present virtually no competition outside of the imported pulps. Yours, truly, MCDOWELL PAPER MILLS, HOLYOKE, MASS., November 16, 1908. COMMITTEE OF WOOD PULP IMPORTERS, New York, N. Y. GENTLEMEN: We have your favor of the 14th instant with reference to the present duty on pulps and would state that we are in favor of a reduction in present duties, and in view of the rapidly decreasing amount of pulp wood in this country we trust that the congressional committee will report in favor of such a reduction. Very truly, yours, C. E. POPE PAPER COMPANY, MILTON, N. H., November 16, 1908. COMMITTEE OF WOOD PULP IMPORTERS, New York. GENTLEMEN Regarding the tariff on mechanical and chemical wood pulp, this company is very much opposed to any increase of the duty; it would work an unnecessary hardship on consumers. We are paying now $42 for unbleached sulphite, the highest price I can remember. The duty on mechanical pulp should be taken off entirely. |