Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-07-07
MAGAZINES SUED
FOR COMBINING IN
TRADE RESTRAINT
Uncle Sam Seeks to Dissolve
Organization as Being Viola
tion of the Trust Law.

New York. June 2S.-A civil suit was
hled in the United States court today
Tor the dissolution OF the Periodical
Clearing House, and about a score of
other magazine defendants. The petit
ton filed by District Attorney Wise al
leges unlawful combination and con-
spiracy 10 restrain interstate tradea n
foreign IN in magazine and oth-
er periodical publications.
The petition charges that the defend
ants since July, 1909, nave been en-
gagged in an illegal combination, a dis
solution of which is asked for.
The proceeding in Ell uity is against
the Periodical Clearing House, Double
day, Page q Co, Crowell Publishing
company, S. S. Mcclure company, Cur
rent Literature Publishing company,
Phillips Publishing company. Harper &
Brothers, Leslie-Judge company, Re-
view Of Reviews company, Information
al Magazine company, New Publication
company, Butterick Publishing COM
pany, Standard Fashion company, New
Idea Publishing company, Ridgeway
company, American Home Magazine
company, Short Stories company, linn
tied; Frank N. Doubleday, Herbert S.
Houston, Frederick T.. Collins, Charles
ID. Lanter and George Won Utassy.
The Periodical Clearing House, in the
petition, is described as a corporation
~ e'iNAN AA' VI liS Sldlt
Of New York, carrying on business
throughout the United States m for
eign countries, with its Offices and
principal place OF business in this city.
Its authorized capital stock is of the
Par value Of $4,000, consisting of 90
shares of the par value OF 500 each, OF
which IA are issued and outstanding.
The Suburban Press, a New York
corporation; Good Housekeeping, a
Massachusetts, corporation, and Hamp-
n Magazine, a New York corpora
ton. together with the defendants. arc
the stockholders OF record OF the de-
PENDANT Periodical Clearing House.
Doubleday, Collins, Houston, Lanier and
Won Utassy constitute It's board Of d.
%rectors, and Houston, Won Utassy and
Lanier are respectively it's president,
vice president n secretary and treas
urer. These officers OF the Periodical
Clearing House are officials of one or
the other defendant corporations en-
gagged In the publication OF magazines.
Coercion Is Charged.
The petition recites that prior to
600 corporations and individuals pub
fishing and selling periodicals In free
competition, but following the organi-
iZation Of the periodical clearing house
In July, 1909, notices were sent to sub
scription agencies and agents notify
ing them that they would have to sign
the contract with the periodical clear
ing house IL such agencies intended to
conduct further business with the
members Of said periodical clearing
house"
The petition then recites that the
periodical clearing house prepared q
so-called official price list OF maya
zines and periodicals containing rules
governing sales Of subscriptions" and
the publishers wholesale price list"
The petition continues:
THE contracts force upon the agents
and require them 10 sell ali periodicals
not listed in the aforesaid lists at the
regular publication price without any
reduction whatever. The publishers OF
many Of the periodicals listed in said
lists ave been and are willing that the
agencies shall sell their periodicals to
the public at prices less thar those
fixed by the defendants in said price
list. but said agencies have been and
are prevented by the aforesaid con-
tracts from selling subscriptions at less
than the prices ixed by the defendants
and set forth in said lists"
= T. "Nngcd that the clearing house
haC u sy3tsm Of fines for offending
agents.