Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-28
PROBE CUT SHORT.
The Democratic Fi|ibuster
Holds Up Investigation
Begun by House Committee
Concerning Paper Trust.
Evidence TO Show Unity Of Action
In Fixing Price Of Paper.

tending to show that tnefe mas peeil
unity of action among paper mills IN
the matters of fixing the price OF pa
per as well as an understanding that
none of them shall sell to the CUSTOM
er of another, that contracts for pa
per cannot be obtained for a perlod
longer than year and that the mills
are either shut down or their output
restricted was presented today by John
c. Norris of the American Newspaper
Publishers Association before the Sc
lected House committee which is inveS-
tigating the price of print paper as al
fected by the tariff and the question
of whether or not there is comblna-
ton in restraint of trade.
Mr. Norris was the only witness and
he was on the stand the entire day.
The hearing was ended abruptly be-
fore 5 o'clock by a call of the House
and Chairman Mann announced 1t was
adjourned until 10 o'clock. He said to
Mr.. Norriss:
your allies" referring to Mr.. Will
liams and his Democratic colleagues.
'are forcing us to stop the hearing in
order to lie present in the House IN Or
der to make quorum
The evidence which Mr.. Norris Of
fered was in the shape of replies by
members of the Publishers Association
to number of queries propounded to
them py the association. This evidence
included statement of variation in
the price of paper of from 81 to SIT
ton and induced Mr.. Mann to make
the assertions that it disclosed just the
reverse of the contention that there is
a combination to maintain uniform
prices. Mr.. Norris declared that it was
the purpose of the papermakers to reg
ulate the price at the time for the
hearing before the Dingley committee
in 1896 and he contended that their
present course was in harmony with
that avowal.
Towards the close of the day. Mr..
Norris laid before the committee q
large number Of replies of newspa
pers to the query, 'have any agents or
mills withdrawn quotations previous
ly made to you or have they changed
previous offers?"
These replies all tended to show that
some paper companies had declined to
make offers, others withdrew or chang
ed their quotations and others an
nounced their product as entirely sold
The fact that there was unity of action
by selling agents or uniformity in the
price Of paper was attested by several
hundred newspapers, in reply to queries
by the Publishers Association. These re-
plies Mr.. Norris read at length. Almost
without exception the publishers made
the positive statement that they had OBJ
served such unity of action. In but few
instances the publishers declared they
had no information on the subject. Still
another set of replies was submitted by
Mr.. Norris, by which he undertook to
prove that practically every member of
the association had been refused con-
in some instances publishers had been
forced to live from hand to mouth" as
regards their paper supply.
In answer to Mann, Mr.. Norris said
that these replies all were received the
latter part of September or early in Oc-
tober. 1907. Evidence was also adduced
to show that in many instances changes
had been made in selling agencies and
that contracts were now being made di-
rect with the mills.
Mr.. Norris furnished list of papers
to which the price of paper has been
| raised and the amounts of the increase
per ton each. This list included the fol-
lowing:
Maine-Bath Times. $40; Portland Argus,
SO
achusetts-Haverhill Gazette. s12;
North Adams Herald. 160; North
Adams Transcript, S.; Springfield Union.
S.; Taunton Gazette. S..
Rhode Island-Providence News-Demo-
crat.
Observation-Disclosures Free Press. $1O5O
Mr.. Norris closed his testimony for the
day by submitting evidence from great
number Of newspapers that paper mills
shut down or restricted their output, CIV
| ing various reasons therefor.