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R. A. Pringle, K. C., Paper Controller for Canada during the war has resigned.
His successor is Mr. Breadner of the finance department. It is said that
Mr. Pringle's resignation is due to the fact that the government has placed
an embargo prohibiting the export of paper from the Fort Frances mills.
That Mr. Pringle had ordered and embargo only on a percentage of the company's
output in order to supply western publishers. This limited embargo we understand
has been placed on eastern mills, but the minister of finance, Sir H. Drayton
made the embargo a complete stop on all export. Mr. Pringle has taken the
stand that the Fort Frances mill has during the war and since its conclusion
carried out his orders even supplying double its quota, and for which the
company has received no recompense either in money or paper from the eastern
mills. The Fort Frances company therefore claim that it was unfair to take
away the United States market from the Fort Frances mill without which it
can not be successfully operated.
The American publishers have contracted 85 percent of the paper output here
and want their paper.
The Dominion government up to this date have not yielded to their demands,
and the Washington authorities have interested themselves in their behalf.
The paper is sold f.o.b. here to American publishers and the government
of the United States claim that it's citizens should not be discriminated
against. That when they buy paper in Canada and pay for it, they should
be allowed to ship it.
Report was received here yesterday that a bill had been introduced into
congress to stop the export of coal until this embargo on paper was lifted.
This will make the whole question and International one. It is to be hoped
that it will be speedily settled, as it affects vitally the interests of
Fort Frances and district as well as that of Western Canada.
The American government claims that at the Fort Frances mill all coal and
sulphite used comes from their country, also 90 percent of the pulpwood.
This latter estimate is about correct. No pulpwood for this mill is cut
off crown lands in Ontario, as the provincial government has never granted
a pulp concession to this company, although it has been applied for. The
only pulpwood from Canada comes from the settlers along the railway line
which of course could not keep the mill running one day per week.
It is claimed on the other hand that the orders of the government as to
shipment should be obeyed and the matter adjusted afterwards.
Mr. Breadner is on his way to Fort Frances and will arrive here on Friday
afternoon. The seizure of paper which Sheriff Baker made has been released,
and the company is continuing to ship its quota of paper to western publishers.
They shipped five carloads on Tuesday to Winnipeg, Regina and Saskatoon,
but they cannot continue to ship if the embargo is kept on indefinitely
as the mill will be compelled to close.
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