The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-06
Ridder and Stone Testify Before Senate Finance
 Committee
SAY PAPER TRUST
 CONTROLS PRICES
Trust Has Grip on Publishers and the Reading Public Is Affected By Cost of Wood Pulp and
 Print Paper

washington. June 6-Public hearings l on the Canadian reciprocity bill were concluded by the Senate finance commit | tee today. representatives of the Amer ican Newspaper Publishers association l and of the Associated Press being the last | to appear before the committee. 1 Secretary of State Knox, at the request of Senator Bailey has been asked to explain tomorrow whether the Root amendment to the paper section of the bill, providing that it shall be in force until the President is satisfied and has issued a 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. Wednesday the committee will take up committee action.
 Both Herman Ridder, until recently president of the American Newspaper Publishers association and Melville E. Stone, general manager of the Associated Press. testified today in answer to queries that in their opinion no effort had been made by the newspapers of the country to present only one side of the reciprocity argument, to color their reports on the question or to suppress facts which were of news value. Bruce Haldeman, president of the Publishers association and Frank B. Moves, presi- dent of the Associated Press, also ap- peared.
 The chief interest the newspapers of the country have in the matter, MT. Rid der told the committee, Is their desire to free themselves from the paper manu- lecturers trust which now, he added has the publishers at it's mercy. The readers of the country would benefit by cheaper paper as well as the publishers. he declared. because the money saved on paper could be used to furnish larg- CT and better news service.
 Instruction vs. Sensation The hearings wound up with a friendly philosophizing between Sena- tors Bailey, Smoot. LaFollette and tClark on one hand and MT. Stone on the ether, as to whether it would be better for the public if the newspapers gave
 
 structive sort of news and less of the sensational.
 | Mir Ridder, who occupied the better part of the day before the committee | acknowledged the Publishers associa- l tion had sent out bulletins and letters urging the passage of the reciprocity measure. But I would not have fa- vored the measure" he said, If had | not thought 1t would be of benefit to | l,a try tV n | of my interest in 1t as a newspaper pub | lisher.''
 When MT. Ridder attacked the paper trust" which he said limited the out put. fixed the price and told pub fisher where he must buy his paper, both Senators McCumber and Bailey, opponents of the bill. declared if there was such trust they wanted to see | 1t prosecuted by the government. MT. Bidder insisted in answer to numer- ous 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 biil passed exactly as 1t came from the l House
 MT. 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 con | I | lirterest in the subject. He was ques- | toned in detail as to the Associated | Press service by a number of senator's l All reports, he said. were supposed to be absolutely fair to both sides, to be re- cital of facts on their news value only | MT. Ridder in reply to questions from members of the committee declared that he as president of the Publishers associa- ton had sent out word to members of the association saying the reciprocity agree ment was of vital importance.
 Benefits All
 But I would not have favored agrev-
 nent," added Mir Ridder. 'if I had not thought it good for the whole country, Independent of my interest in 1t as newspaper publisher"
 Mir. Ridder declared that while he was in favor of reciprocity as a whole, his
 reason newspaper man for urging it's passage was so that he might get out Of the clutches of the paper trust"
 Have you ever made an effort" asked Senator Bailey, Ito have the paper trust punished by the department of justice?.
 Yes replied MT. RIdder. "I had g. paper makers in New York indicated and
 they paid s2eoo piece These were manu- lecturers of various, kinds of paper all though it has not been possible as yet to prove legally that a white paper trust exists ,
 Would you be satished, asked Senator deyburn, If the paper trust were pun ished in some other way than by the pas sage of the reciprocity agreement?"
 1T want help during my lifetlme,'' said MT. Ridder. T have not yet seen any trust masnate go to jail I favor the measure so that I may buy paper in the open market. I don't intend. if can help it. 10 let the paper trust dictate to me what I must pay for paper" | Senator Stone asked Nh, Bidder if the
 socalled paper trust did not limit the
 amount Of paper manufactured, fix the
 price and tell the public here from what misunderstanding concern he must buy his