The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-26
PUBLISHERS TURN TO
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Evidence Clear That Manufacturers
of News Print Are Guilty OF
Conspiracy.
ATToRNEY-GENERAL TO ACT.
Charge EmphaticaIly Made That
Paper Makers Have BY No Means
Exhausted Facilities For Increasing
Their Output.

Washington. Dec. 25.-Arrange-
ments are being made to shift the in
vestigation of the price OF news print
paper from the Federal Trade Com
mission to the office of the Attorney
General
1t is the view of the representatives
of the newspapers from every part
OF the country who have gathered
here to present the facts concerning
the extortionate prices for paper ask
ed by the manufacturers of news print
that facts developed are of such a
nature that they should be laid be-
fore that department OF the govern
ment. which would have charge OF
prosecutions under the antitrust law.
The most important piece of evil
dence that is to be presented TO the
AttorneyGeneral. as proof Of q con-
spiracy In restraint of trade on the
part of the paper manufa cturers is
that an agreement has been made and
now exists whereby no paper manu-
facturer will bid for the business OF
any customer of another paper manu-
facturer
No Real Competition.
In plain English. the publishers
charge that the agreement is that
there will be no competition.
They assert that no publisher can
get a bid to supply him with paper
from any manufa cturer other than
the one with whom he now has con-
tracts
Testimony will also be offered TO
the Attorney General to show that
Federal Trade Commissions nvesti-
ga tons demonstrate that the cost OF
manufacturing paper in the first six
months of 1916 was practically the
same as the manufacturing cost IN
1915 when there was no attempt to
advance the prices.
The publishers will show the At
torney- General that prices for paper
now quoted by the manufacturers are
from 80 per cent to 200 per cent
higher than prices that have prevail
ed for past years.
They will show to the Attorney
! General that publishers who have
had the temeritv to antagonize the
paper manufacturers by frankly
voicng their opinions of the attitude
OF the paper manufacturers have
found themselves without any bids
for paper whatsoever. No manu-
ia cturer will sell il to them.
Forced Out OF Premises.
The publishers will show the At
torney- General that In the period OF
high prices, already more than two
hundred country newspapers. having
no contracts with manufacturers and
| being unable to secure paper at a
price that would permit publication,
had been forced to suspend.
The publishers will show the At
| torney- General that when they have
| protested against the high prices OF
paper quoted by the manufacturers
| they have been told:
Pass il on to the consumer. Rase
the price of your paper"
The publishers will show that in
order to continue publication. news
pa pers in Minneapolis. Buffalo. Pitts
burg. ST. Louis and many other cities
have been forced to raise the sub
scription prices OF their paper 10 the
| public.
The publishers will show to the At
| torney General that in some case.
| manufacturers who cannot possibl.
show an increase in the cost of pro-
| duction of their paper of more than
| three dollars a ton. have actuall,
! raised the price to consumers S25 q
ton and more.
Manufacturing Other Kinds.
The publishers will show that ir
| order to prevent the supply OF news
print paper from increasing, ana III
| order to enable the manufacturers to
keep up their price. many mills which
have been manufacturing news print
| paper are turning part OF their equip
| ment TO the manufacture OF other
| kinds of paper.
The publishers will show the At
| torney- General that the possibility OF
| increase in production of news print
paper has by no means been exhaust
| ed by the news print manufacturers
and they will charge that there 10 nc
| desire to manufacture news print
paper in the quantities. in which II
| could be manufactured.
Federal Trade Commission will
soon be ready to fix the responsibility
| for the paper situation as 1t sees II
and all information which this com
mission has gathered will be at the
| disposal OF the Attorney Generals OF
| flee.
In the meantime. the committee
| representing the American Newspaper
| Publishers Association and individual
| publishers will remain on duty II
| Washington to assemble information
that is gathered by correspondence
| all over the country and to send ou'
| inquiries to the newspapers to Ascer-
! tain the needs of small publisher!
and devise ways and means whereof,
| they may be supplied with paper. fr
| order that they may continue publ
| cation.