Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1880 — PAPER DUTIES. [ARTICLE]

PAPER DUTIES.

Mr. Fort’s BiU to Repeal Taxes on Soda-Ash and knowledge. Washington, Feb. 10. The bill of Representative Fort, the purpose of which is to place certain chemicals which enter into the manufacture of paper, glass and woolen fabrios on the free list, and to reduce the duty on printing-pa-per, has not yet been formally considered by the Ways and Means Committee, and, owing to previous engagements of the committee, probably will not bo considered for some timo to come Col. Fort, in speaking of the causes which induced tlie bill, and of its prospects, said in subslanco that his attention was first called to the matter from the fact that the increase in the price of paper was likely to result in greatly increasing the price of schoolbooks and in placing a burden upon intelligence ; and, believing that there should be as few obstacles placed in the road to knowledge as possible, ho commenced considering the case. • While doing so, he saw statements in tee newspapers that the Dapormanufactiirers were combining to indorse t e price, but he has not had any conference with newspaper publishers. He immediately examined the tariff question at the treasury, and discovered that while many articles which enter into the manufacture of paper are on the free list, soda ash is not. He also found that a groat many articles taxed for other purposes are free, if used in tho manufacture of paper. He was led to believe, therefore, that the paper manufacturers were using tho existence of the tax on soda-ash for increasing the Eriee of paper. He accordingly introduced a ill, of which the following is the text, providing for the reduction of the tariff on unsized printing-paper from 20 to 5 per cent, ad valorem ; A BILL to place certain articles imported and used in tbe manufacture of paper, of class and of woolen fabrics on the free list, and to reduce tie import duty on printing paper used for books.

pamphlets, magazines and newspapers: He it enacted, etc., 'Jliat on aud after the Ist day of July, 1880, all soda-ash ard impure carbonate of soda imported to be used in the manufacture of paper, or of glass, or of clotlts or fabrics composed wholly or in i art of wool, shall be admitted free of duty. sec. 2. That all unsized printing paper used for books, pamphlets, magazines and newspapers exclusively, shall be subject to an import duty of 5 per cent, ad valorem. It will be noticed that Mr. Fort does not include in the bill the more costly classes of paper—fancy 'paper of any kind, or what are known as papers of luxury—but simply covers the regular printiDg-paper of which the children’s school-books aud the poor man’s newspapers are made. A number of articles, such as alum, sal-soda, chloride of lime, and others, upon which there is a small tariff, he did not inolude in his bill, although those articles are, some of them, taxed, and many of them are used in the manufacture of paper. The heaviest burden on the paper manufacturer is the duty on soda-ash, which yields an annual revenue of about $500,000. Rags, grass, and jute butts, and other material entering into the manufacture of paper, although otherwise dutiable, are free under the drawback system, if used to make paper. Mr. Fort has already been visited by representatives of the tariff interests, who oppose the bill. Some paper-makers, while admitting that tho duty on the chemicals is the same as it was a year ago, and that the price of labor has not materially advanced, say that they will oppose by every possible means the reduction of the tariff for the reason that they think it just that they should reap a harvest now with other surviving industries, and for that reasou they have increased the price of paper. Fort is of the opinion that, as a practical fact, the increase of price has been arbitrarily done by tho manufacturers, and is not required by any necessity of manufacture, as the essential elements of cost are practically the same. Foreign rags are not higher, and are duty free, and it is very doubtful whether the laborers receive higher wages.