The sun., 1916-12-13
NEWS PRINT POOL
SUGGESTED FOR US
Manufacturers and Publishers
to Offer Plans for Equi-
table Distribution.
PAPER PROFITS INCREASE
Federal Agents Also Report
Much Larger Production
- This Year.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-1n an effort to
tribution Of the apparently limited sup
ply Of print paper the Federal Trade
Commission agreed to-day to hear Joint
ly next Saturday representatives Of the
paper manufacturers. Of the large news
papers and the country dailies and week.
lies.
1t is apparently the hope Of the COM
mission that q way will be found by
which the publishers OF the country
papers may obtain a limited supply. 1t
was suggested that IL all the interests
got together a plan might be agreed
upon for pooling the available supply
and distributing II eQuitably.
Representatives Of the country news
papers who testified ut the commission's
hearing to-day all %recountcd their dif-
crtities In SECURING paper. They said they
were Obliged to pay from $50 to s cents
a pound In the open market and that in
some cases the price offered went up to
. ~ pOuiIu. u itiIpItSslOu setfIfCt
to prevail among them that the paper
manufacturers were looking after the
interests Of the large newspapers first
and hat the smaller papers were left
largely to shift for themselves. Statistics
made public by tho commission show
that recent renewals Of contracts for
900 tons and more have ranged from
50 20 $3.50 a hundred. and market prices
have been reported as high as SO.
Cost Of Production Lswsr.
The commission also nds that the
cost OF production for the first six
months OF 1916 was $3l.92S per ton. as
compared with &S2.207 for 1915 and
$33.oso for 1914. The profits per net ton
Of news print were $4.941 In 1914. s5.5s7
In 1915 and 3s.7+6 for the irst six
months OF 1915.
The commissions statistics show a
marked increase In production and i'm
ports and the mounts available for do
nestle consumption. For the first six
months Of 1915 the latter figure stood at
s76.69l tons. For the last half Of 1915
II was sos. 039 tons and the first half
Of the same year 7ls.S2O.
At the conclusion Of the hearing the
manufacturers proposed to meet n COM
mittee Of the National Newspaper Pub
fishers Association to work out. for the
commissions approval, q plan for an
equitables distribution Of the stocks Of
commission asked the publishers. manu-
facturers and jobbers to hold separate
meetings Friday TO frame their plans
and appoint committees to meet with the
commission Saturday.
The manufacturers proposal came as
an unexpected development. Counsel for
the News Print Manufacturers Associa-
ton. which controls n large share Of the
output. declared It had been impossible
TO analyxe In so short a time statistical
facts presented by The commission's in
vestigators ut the outset of the hear
ing. that the chief complaint was from
small publishers unable to get paper be-
cause of the increased demand. and that
the manufacturers after comforting had
decided they were open to any proposal
for an equitable distribution OF their
product.
Agreement to Cooperate.
At first there was an inclination on
the part OF some OF the publishers pres
ent to hold back on the ground that dis
tribution was but one Of the problems
and that high prices and greater produce
ton were more important questions.
When told by members OF the Trade
Commission that an agreement to accept
he commissioner services In meeting the
distribution problem did not interfere In
any way with the investigation into price
conditions they agreed to cooperate with
manufacturers. Jobbep and tho commits
sion in solving first the distribution
problem.
At the outset to-day investigators for
the commission presented for the first
time facts uncovered In their inquiry
into news print prices. This information
nae to do with profits in the mills and
in jobbing houses and with the question
of supply and demand. Fronts have in
creased. II was shown. and the output
has grown although growing consump-
ton has taken up much Of the increased
manufacture.
Attorneys for the manufacturers oh.
Jected to presentation of the figures
without previous notice. and declared
they had no means OF proving they were
wrong without extended. investigation
for themselves. They declared II was
unfair to force them to answer the
charges without preparation and asked
a brief adjournment to permit q confer
ence.
The commission instead proceeded
with the hearing. permitting voluntary
testimony by publishers. Representa-
tives OF the manufacturers then sug-
gested the plan agreed o n
Eject on Country Papers.
Most OF the newspapers OF the coun-
try. including some 10000 small dailies
and weeklies. were represented directly
or through national and State publish
ing associations. 1t was brought out
that the increased price OF news paper
to them amounted to about $50 a ton,
and that to papers using fifty tons a
year II meant an increased cost OF 1000,
which In many cases would wipe out the
papers entire profit.
Witnesses told the commission tina
already many papers had been forced
out OF business by Increased paper prices
and that hundreds had no chance for
survival unless there Is an immediate
reduction.
II. Il. Warner, chairman OF the news
print paper committee OF the North
Carolina Press Association. a witness
before the commission. fled with the
Department of Justice during the day a
request that paper manufacturers be
prosecuted. His charge was that NORTH
Carolina publishers who formed q com
mittee to purchase paper were told by
the big paper making concerns that the
mills could not supply them, because the
manufacturers had sold all their 1917
output to their old customers.