The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-28
PRICE OF PAPER IS
 UP FOR HEARING
Representative of Publishers
 Gives History of Prices
MILLS ACT ARBITRARILY Y
Chairman of House Committee De- clares Facts Do Not Show That Price of Paper Was Result of
 Combine But This is Disputed.

Washington, April 27.-Evidenee tending to show that there has been unity of ac- ton among paper mills in the matter of fixing the price of paper, as well as an understanding that none of them shall sell to the customer of another; that con- tracts for paper could not be obtained for a period longer than one year, and that the mills had arbitrarily shut down or restricted their output was presented today by MT. John Norris of the Amer ican Newspaper Publishers association before the select House committee which is Investigating the price of print paper, as affected by the tariff and the question of whether or not there is a combination in restraint of trade
 MT. Norris was the only witness and hearing was abruptly ended shortly before o'clock by call of the House, and as Chairman Mann announced adjournment until 10 o'clock tomorrow, he said to MT. Norris:
 Your allies" referring to MT. William and his democratic colleagues, "are fore ing us to stop the hearing in order to be present in the House to make d quorum"
 Variation in Price. The evidence which MT. Norris offered was in the shape of replies by members of the Publishers association to num- her of queries propounded to them by the association. This evidence included d | statement of variation of the price of ! paper from $2 a ton to ST a ton and induced MT Mann to make the assertion that it disclosed just the reverse of the contention that there is combination to maintain uniform prices MT. Norris, l however declared that it was the avowed purpose of the papermakers to regulate the price at the time of the hearing be- fore the Dingley committee in 1896, and he contended that their present course was in harmony with that ayowal To- ward the close of the day MT. Norris laid before the committee large number of replies of newspapers to the query:
 Have agents or mills withdrawn quota tions previously made to you, or have they neglected or refused to quote prices to you, or have they changed previous offers?'
 Different Replies.
 These replies all tended to show that some paper companies had declined to make offers, others had withdrawn or changed their quotations, and others had announced their product entirely sold
 The fact that there was unity of action by selling agents or uniformity in price of paper, was attested by several hun dred newspapers in reply to queries by the publishers association. These re- plies, MT Norris read at length. Almost without exception, the publishers made the positive statement that they had observed such unity of action. In but a few instances, the publishers declared they had no information on the subject. Still another set of replies was submit ted by Mir Norris by which he under- took to prove that practically every mem Der of the association had been refused contracts for more than one year and that in some instances publishers had been forced to live 'from hand to mouth in the matter of their supply. In answer to MT. Mann MT. Norris said that these replies all were received the latter part of September or early in October, 1907
 Selling Prices Vary.
 Evidence also was adduced to show that in many instances changes had been made in selling agencies, and that con- tracts now were being made direct With the mills. MT. Norris finished a list of papers to which the price of paper has been raised and the amounts of the in- crease per ton.
 Among the list are the following:
 Arizona, Tucson Star, $7.50; ArlSansas, Little Rock Democrat, BIO; Indian Terri tory, Muskogee Phoenix, SIP; Louisiana, Lake Charles American, $13; New Or leans Picayune. $9; Shreveport Times, $7SO; New Mexico, Albuquerque Citizen, s3S0: Oklahoma Oklahoma City Okla lomian, $3s0; Tennessee Chattanooga News, s11; Bristol Herald Courier, $11 Texas, Fort Worth Telegram. $10.4O; Fl Paso Herald, s9; San Antonio Gazette s7.S0; San Antonio Light s7.40; Houston Chronicle, S7O0; Waco Times-Herald, s666; Abilene Reporter, $500; Denison -, $3.S0.
 MT Norris closed his testimony for the day by submitting evidence from a great number of newspapers that paper mills have shut down or restricted their ouput, giving various reasons therefor, such, for instance as that there was no water or that there was lack of wood supply and in some cases no explanation at all for shutdown of several months. See the Holy City" at Amuse U Theatre.