The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-06-08
THE PAPER TRUST
GRIEVANCES OF PUBLISHERS BE-
ING POINTED OUT.
New York Publisher and General
Manager Stone Makes Earnest Ap-
peals for Canadian Agreement.


Public hearings on the Canadian
reciprocity bill we're concluded by
the Senate finance, committee Mon
day, representatives of the American
Newspaper Publishers Association
and of the Associated Press being
the last to- appear before the com.
mittee.
Secretary of State Knox, at the re-
quest of Senator Bailey, has been
asked to explain to the committee
whether the Root amendment to the
paper section of the bill, providing
that it shall not he in force until
the President is satisfied and has
issued proclamation to the effect
that paper and wood pulp are being
admitted free into all the provinces
of Canada, is in full accord with
the agreement, as understood by the
commissioners from both countries
who prepared the treaty. On Wed
nesday the committee will take up
the bill in executive session to dis
cuss committee action.
Both Herman Fiddler, until recent
ly president of tF- American News
paper Publishers Association and
Melville E. Stone. general manager OF
the Associated Press, testified Mon
day, in answer to queries from vari-
GUS Senators, that in their opinion
no effort had been made by the
newspapers of the country to present
only one side of the reciprocity argu-
ment to color their reports on the
question or to suppress any facts
which were of news value. Bruce
Haldeman, president of the publish
ers' association, and Frank B. Noyes,
president Of the Associated Press,
also appeared.
The chief interest which the
newspapers Of the country have in
the matter, Mr.. RIdder told the COM
mittee, is their desire to free them
selves from the paper manufacturers
trust which now, he added, has the
publishers at it's mercy. The read
ers of the country would benefit by
cheaper paper, as we'll as the publish
ers, he declared, because the money
saved on paper would be used to fur
nish larger and better news service.
Mr.. Ridder acknowledged that the
publishers association had sent out
bulletins and kilograms urging the
passage of the reciprocity measure,
But I would not have. favored the
measure" he said, "if I had not
thought it would be of benefit to the
country as a whole, Independent OF
my interest in it as newspaper
publisher
When Mr.. Ridder attacked the pa
per trust, which, ne said limited the
output, fixed the price and told a
publisher where he must buy his pa
per, both Senators McCumber and
Bailey, opponents of the bill declared
that If there was such trust they
wanted to see prosecuted by the
government. Mr.. Ridder insisted, in
answer to numerous questions, that
any amendment to the bill would, in
his opinion, endanger and probably
kill the measure and that. therefore,
he was in favor of seeing the bill
passed exactly as it came from the
House.
Mr.. Stone testified that no instruc-
tions. had been sent out to Associated
Press correspondents as to Canadian
reciprocity, except that they had been
told to send any important matter
connected with it because of the gen.
eral interest Of the subject. He
was questioned in detail as to the
Associated Press service by number
of Senators. All reports, he said,
we're supposed to be absolutely fair to
both sides; to be a recital of facts
on their news value only.