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Feliciana Sentinel
Saint Francisville, Bayou Sara, West Feliciana County, Louisiana
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Mr. Fort of Illinois has introduced a bill in Congress to place printing paper and its manufacturing materials on the free list, addressing high prices from domestic mills despite low production costs. The article urges publishers, school boards, and citizens to petition Congressmen in support against monied opposition.
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The last few months has doubtless demonstrated to every thinking person the absolute necessity of legislative action relative to printing paper.
While the labor cost of manufacturing newspaper has not materially advanced, and while it can be profitably manufactured at seven cents a pound, and but for the duty could even be imported at seven cents a pound, the mills in this country have put their price to nine, ten, and eleven cents, and are talking of making it twelve cents or more.
As the matter now stands, every publisher in the United States (for the tax must ultimately be borne by the people) are at the mercy of the paper-mill combination--and the past few months has shown they have no mercy.
The present high price of print paper, if persisted in, will necessitate an advance in all classes of periodicals and books. School books, the cost of which is already a burden scarcely to be borne, will be higher. The advanced price of periodicals will reduce their circulation thus working injury to both publisher and reader.
Every cent levied upon paper is a tax upon the intelligence of the people. The stability of the nation depends on the intelligence of the people, and therefore it is a matter of national importance that all duty should be removed from print paper, and from all articles used in its manufacture.
In order to remedy this matter, Mr. Fort, of Illinois has recently introduced in Congress a bill which calls for the placing of printing paper and all material used in its manufacture, on the free list.
Great opposition to this bill is being made by monied influence, consequently Congressmen from the various Districts of the different States should at once receive instructions from their constituents. A petition, from every Parish or County in the United States, signed by every publisher and by every member of a school board and private citizen should at once be forwarded to the Congressman from the District in which the document originated, instructing him to use his influence in favor of the Fort Bill.-Patriot-Democrat,
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bill introduced to remove duties on printing paper; calls for petitions to counter opposition from monied interests; potential higher costs for books and periodicals if prices persist.
Event Details
Rising prices of printing paper by domestic mills, despite low manufacturing costs and import potential, prompt Mr. Fort of Illinois to introduce a congressional bill placing printing paper and materials on the free list. The article argues this is essential to avoid taxing public intelligence and harming education and publishing, urging widespread petitions to support the bill against opposition.