The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-28
Unity Of Action Among Paper Mills
In Advancing the Prices Of Print Paper

In IA
WASHINGTON, April 27.-Evidence
tending to show that there has been
unity of action among paper mills in
the matter of fixing the price of
paper as well a an understanding
that none OF them shall sell to the
customer of another; that contracts OF
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
to-day by Mr.. John Norris, Of the
American Newspaper Publishers AS
ISOLATION before the select House COM
mtttee which Is Investigating the price
OF print paper as affected by the tar
1T and the question OF whether or
not there Is a combination in restraint
of trade
Mr.. Norris was the only witness and
he was on the stand the entire day.
The hearing was abruptly ended short
~ before 5 o'clock by call OF the
rouse. The committee adjourned until
10 o'clock tomorrow morning
The evidence which Mr. Norris offered
was In the shape of replies by mem
bers OF the Publishers Association to
number of questions propounded to
them by the association. This evidence
included statement of a variation In
the price of paper of from 80 ton
to SIT ton. and induced Mr.. Mann to
make the assertion that it disclosed
Just the reverse of the contention that
there is a combination to maintain u1i-
form prices. Mr.. Norris however, de-
r ha Styaf NJ = e
of the papermakers to regulate the
price at the time of the hearing be-
fore the Dingley committee in 1896.
and he commended that their present
course was in harmony with that
ayowal.
Shows Unity of Action.
Mr.. Norris laid before the committee
large number of replies of newspa-
pers to the query, Have any agents or
made to YOU. or have they neglected
or refused to quote prices to you, or
have they changed previous offers?"
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make offers, others had withdrawn or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 the price of paper was attested by
to queries by the Publishers Associa-
ton. These replies Mr.. Norris read
at length Almost without exception
the publishers made the positive state
ment that they had observed such unity
of action. In but a few instances the
publishers declared they had no in
formation on the subject.
Still another set Of replies was sub
mitted by Mr.. Norris. by which he UNI
dertook to prove that practically every
member of the association had been
refused contracts for more than one
year. and that in some instances pub
fishers had been forced to live from
hand to mouth" In the matter of their
paper supply. In answer to Mr.. Mann
Mr. Norris said that these replies all
were received the latter part Of Sep
TENDER or early in October, 1907.
Evidence was also adduced to show
that in many instances changes had
been made in selling agencies and that
contracts now We're being made direct
with the mills.
Mr.. Norris read list Of newspapers
to which the price of paper has been
raised, apd the amount Of the increase
per ton to each. including the follow
ing.
Georgia-savannah Press. Sill;
Macon News. $1,000; Augusta
Chronicle, $40.
North NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Rec
Chronicle. IS.
South. Observation-Disclosures Mail.
s11: Columbia State, $40.
observation-disclosures News, $ll;
Bristol Herald Courier, Sill.
notwithstanding Register and
Bee. s12: Lynchburg News and Ad-
vance. IS.
Mr.. Norris closed his testimony for
the day by submitting evidence from
great number of newspapers that
paper mills had shut down or restricted
their output, 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 shut
down of several months
The Advance In Prices.
On resuming his testimony this
morning Mr.. Norris read number OF
statements made at the meeting Of the
publishers in September, 1907. as bear
| ing on the determination OF the paper
makers to raise prices.
Mr. Norris submitted to the commit
I'tee list of 202 newspapers to whom,
1.-the price of paper has been raised
| from So to IL a ton, according to a
report made to him.
Asked by Mr.. Mann If he knew how
much print paper Is used annually BY
these coz papers, Mr.. Norris said he
had not the slightest idea. For the
most part these papers We're published
In the smaller cities Of the country. y
was not altogether accurate, said MI
Norris to say that as rule the large
newspapers have been able to buy their
,paper supply at less cost than tbs
small papers; because the small paper
could get tho net benefit of 2competitior
between thirty or forty small mills
while In the case Of the big papers
| this competition was restricted by the
smallness Of the number OF mills
CAPABLE of manufacturing In individual
quantities sulficient to supply the large
users. Mr.. Norris said the average Of
increase In price to the a0a listed pub,
lications was substantially $3.50 a tor
in the last two years.
\ Representative Stafford objected
THAT the striking of such an average
Twas not n fair epitone of the list. In.
asmuch asB#the list showed for the
,most. part that the increases to thu
small papers We're much LAM ger than
1.-THE increase t. the biz concerns,