The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-28
MAGAZINE TRUST' PLACED UNDER FIRE
 .sti. .-.s s#f#.=,.. Suit for Dissolution of
 Clearing House
 MANY DEFENDANTS
DEFENDANTS
Prominent Publishers of Country Charged With Entering Into Agreement To Stifle Legiti-
 mate Competition

New York, June 37.--A civil suit was filed in the United States court today for the dissolution of the Periodical Clearing house and against a score or other magazines as defendants. The petition filed,by District Attorney Wise, allges unlawful combination and con spiracy to restrain interstate trade and foreign commerce in ma ga2ine and oth- CT periodical publication. The petition charges the defendants since July, 1909, have been engaged in an illegal com bination, a dissolution of which is asked for.
 The proceeding in equity is against the Periodical Clearing house, Double day Page & Co, Crowell Publishing Co., .S S Mcclure Co.,. Current Literature Publishing Co., Phillips Publishing Co, Harper & Brothers, Leslie-JudSe Co, Review of Reviews Co.,, International Magazine CO, New Publication Co, But terick Publishing Co, Standard Fash ion Co., New Idea Publishing Co, Ridge way Co., American Home Magazine Co.,, Short Stories Co.. limited (hereinafter referred 10 as defendant publishers; Frank H. Doubleday, Herbert s. Hous- ton. Frederick L. Collins, Charles b. Lanier and George Von Utassy.
 The Periodical Clearing house ir the petition is described as corporation organized under the laws of the state of New York. carrying on busine throughout the United States and for eign countries, with its offices and prn- cipal place of business in this city. Its authorized capital stock is of the par value of s2oOo, consisting of 20 shares of the par. value of $1oo each, of which IA are. issued and outstanding.
 Stockholders of Record
 The Suburban Press a New York cor poration; Good housekeeping, a Massa- : chusetts corporation, and Hampton's Magazine, a New YorlS corporation, to- gether with the defendants are the stockholders of record of the defend- ant Ieriooleal Clearing house Double day, Coilhs, Houston, .l.anier and Won utassy constitute it's board of direct ors and Houston, Von Utassy and Lanier are respectively it's president. vice pres ident and secretary and treastir These officers of the Periodical Clearing house are officials also Of one or tbe other defendants engaged in the pub- lication of magazines. f
 The petition says that prior to July. 19O9 there were and are now in this country upward of 10000 corporations. co. partnerships and individuals engaged in producing, publishing and selling periodi- calls in open and free competition: that following the organization of the period- ical clearing house in July, 1909, notices were sent to the principal subscription agencies and agents in the country, ''no- tifying them that they would have to sign the contract with the periodical clearing house if such agencies intended to further business with the members of said Periodical Clearing house. s-1
 Official Price List
 The petition then recites the Periodical Clearing house prepared so-called off cial Price List" Of magazines and period- icals containing rules governing sales of subscriptions and the "Publishers' Whole sale Price I.ist.' The petition continues: 1.-The contrakt forces upon agents and requires them to sell all periodicals not listed in tic aforesaid lists at the reg ular publication price without any reduction whatsoever. The publishers of many of the periodicals listed in said lists have been and are willing tliat the agencies shall sell their periodicals to the public