Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-18
Letter From Herman Riddsr,
President of Association,
Discussed.
REVIEWS TRUST WAR
Calls Attention to Success of
Efforts to Block the Pros
ecutiOn.

Oyster Bay, July 1S.-President
Roosevelt will hold a conference to-
day with Attorney General Bonaparte
md several other government officials,
ne of whom probably will be Assist
Sant Secretary of State Bacon.
1t is thought probable the appeal
which Herman Ridder made 10 the
president in behalf of the American
Newspaper Publishers association to
restrain news print paper manufac-
turers from combining ana maintain
ing high prices may be the subject OF
the conference between the president
and Bonaparte
The appeal was made direct to the
president who turned .he letter over
to the department of justice.
Text of the Letter.
New York, July 1S.-The following
letter to the president about paper
combinations has been sent by Pres
dent Ridder of the American News
paper Publishers association:
To the president-May we invoke
the aid of your powerful Office in our
effort to stop the expressions of pa
per combinations? When the Amer!-
can Newspaper Publishers association
applied to congress for relief. We were
told that the courts would provide
adequate and prompt remedy. Eight
months ago. we submitted to the de-
partment of justice all the material
which we had. relating to seven groups
of paper makers. The outcome of
eight months effort in that direction
is Insignificant Twenty-four paper
companies, acting together in the fibre
and manila association, added SIG per
ton to the price of fibre and manila
paper on an annual output of 100000
tons, in successive raises of S., 81, 81,
So. and 81, so that an average addi-
ton OF, $40 per ton or S2.000,000 per
annum was imposed by that combina-
tion upon consumers. When they
were subjected to inquisition by the
federal grand jury, the paper makers
admitted that they had placed their
records beyond reach, but subsequently
all but two of the participants pleaded
guilty. They were fined $4,000 each,
or $4,000 in all. The maximum pen
atty is $4,000 for each offense. I'm
munity was practically granted to
, every individual who participated in
4 that pool-only one man, the treasur-
N, and originator of the pool, John H.
4 Parks, now fugitive in Europe, was
included in the Indictment. All the
other defendants were corporations or
partnerships. We maintain that such
finish to the procedure is miscar-
riage Of justice. When fine of $4S,'
900 is imposed for an eXtortion OF
$2,000,00G it places premium upon
lawlessness, and brings vividly to us
realization, of the. hopelessness OF
relief under methods that prevail, es-
pecially when the United States dis
erict attorney, while granting immun
ity to the individuals, urges leniency
for the corporations which employ
them. How different this case is from
that of the ancient law, when the
wrongdoer lost not only the property
which he had wrongfully taken, or the
value of that which he had destroyed
but also all the rest of his property
was forfeited to the state. Here, {
corporation breaks the law, and i
secures immunity for the offending in
dividual
No Steps Taken.
So far as we have been able t
learn. no steps have been takel
against the box board pool, operated
from the same office of John H. Parks
or against the sulphite pulp association
whose bylaws and membership wer
submitted to the department of jus
tice eight months ago, or against tn
other offenders.
The operations of the box board poo
in 26 months included invoices c