New-York tribune., 1907-10-20
PRICE OF WHITE NEWS PAPER.
Correspondent Says 1t Has Risen Because of
Increased Cost of Labor and Pulp.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: As A lawyer who has had more than thirty
years OF practice At the bar in most Of the states
in the Union. thoroughly sympathize with the
policy and programme Of the sherman antitrust
act % protect trade and commerce against unlaw-
fl restraint and monopolies. which act is Chapter
647 Of United States Statutes at Large approved
by President Harrison. July . 1880
But there IS "a way in which that statute be
used by combinations Of skilful 10 defeat it's
own purpose An example Of such has lately
been presented the public in the resolutions
which were adopted at recent meeting in the
WaIdorf-Astoria by tho American Newspaper
Publishers Association relevant 10 the prices OF
white news paper. one Of those resolutions IN
structed the associations committee paper To
invite the attention OF the President and Depart
mont of Justice to what the resolution states the
association regards couspraCies IN restraint Of
trade among paper manufacturers, in order that
the authority tho existing statute for repression
OF trade combinations might be invoked
attorney for any news paper manu-
facturer person partnership, corporation or trust,
but IT has happened TO me 10 acquire good deal
Of information about many kinds OF manufacturing
businesses In this country, including the manu-
featuring OF white news paper That iufor-
nation Includes the fact that there is not In
existence In the United States any such combina-
tion Of such manufacturers Is prohibited by tho
sherman antitrust act; II there is any such
combination it is a very small one, and does not
produce enough paper appreciahly To affect the
general market prices Of news paper.
The fact IS that the prices of white news paper
have been advancing. and may be expected To- ad-
vance somewhat mere, not at all as the result 90
any combination OF newspaper manufacturers. but
entirely the necessary result OF largely increased
labor cost due the Introduction into paper mills
CT the eisht-hour system OF labor and a largely
incrc1S5d cost ~ material due 10 the fact that
nature is not supplying spruce wood for paper pulp
as fast that necessary material is being de-
manded for paper manufacture But IL now
pears that the American Newspaper Publishers
Association being ignorant cf these facts. or
choosing to ignore them. seeks to hulldoze the
pa7er manufacturers into reducing paper prices by
threatening those manufacturers with prosecution
under tho sherman antitrust act II such reduc-
tt"n is not erontcl The fact that there is
foundation for any such prosecution does not rem
dcr the threat harmless. any more than the fact
that an individual business man is entirely out Of
debt renders harmless to him widely published
account that he is lnsolv"nt
New ! hold that when the American Newspaper
Publishers Association adopted their resolutions.
of which have spoken. they themselves violated
the sherman antitrust act. because the members
of that association thereby engaged in comhina-
ton I'm restraint OF commerce among the several
states contrary to the express prohibition of that
statute. Their union In the passage and publication
cf those resolutions certainly a combination;
and those resolutions. far published. and be-
lIcved to be true would naturally operate to re-
strain commerce among the several states in
white news paper. because they would operate to
seriously emharrass the manufacturers Of such
paper in its production and sale No restraint Of
particular kind OF interstate commerce can be
more effective than successfully to propagate and
the public believe false report that those
who are engaged in that commerce criminals.
who are likely account cf their crimes. to be
tried. convicted and imprisoned fined
It is not probable that the American Newspaper
Publishers Association thought of all these con-
siderations when they passed their resolutions;
and indeed il is possible that the gentlemen pres
ent did not investigate or reason very extensively
relevant 10 the subject. but simply voted in favor
Of what superhciay appeared TO be an effective
means with which TO compel the news paper
TO reduce prices II they ought
to be thankful TO for explaining the subject to
them in this letter and they ought to be thankful
TO YOU for publishing my suggestion that they did
not know when they passed their resolutions that
they themselves were violating the very stat
ute that they invoked.
ALBERT II. WALKER