The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-08
SENATE COMMITTEE FAVORS REGULATION 0F PAPER INDUSTRY Reports Arraigns Defiant Attitude of the Man.
 ufacturer "UNJUST BURDEN IS IMPOSED BY GREED' Federal Trade Commission is Unable to Provide Relief Because of
 of Lack of Authority,
 It Is Asserted

Washington, October TIA report rec omlnending government operation of the print paper and pulp industries during the war and arraigning what it calls the defiant attitude of print paper pro- ducers was filed today by the Senate printing committee. It will await action at the December session.
 The report says the federal trade com missions finding show "beyond any question that the print paper industry, in it's greed for excessive profits has imposed a most unjust burden on the American press. which faces serious disaster if relief cannot speedily be had from the oppressive prices now exacted for print paper.' It adds that the com mission, in it's recent investigation, ex- hausted every resource at it's command to obtain relief for the publishers, but has been able to get only a small meas ure of relief owing to the defiant atti- tude assumed by the principal producers of print paper and lack of authority of the commission to enforce it's findings as to fair and reasonable price,
 WOULD GIVE CONTROL POWER
 Under resolution introduced by Sen-
 Y ator Smith of Arizona and reported Ly the committee for passage, the trade commission would be empowered to con trol the production and distribution of print paper and mechanical and chemical pulp in the United States. All print paper and pulp mills and agencies would be operated on government account and their products pooled in the commission s hands during the war emergency and equitably distributed at a price based on production and distribution cost plus a fair profit, to be determined by the commission. Provision Is made in the resolution for cooperation with the Ca nadian government for limiting imports Into the United States during the war to shipments for government account
 The committee report points out that as a result of the commissions investiga- tions seven leading news print manufac- turers have been indicted for violating the sherman antitrust law. and the cont mission has entered formal complaint against the book paper manufacturers bureau of statistics and 23 member conn panies of that bureau, but that up to this time neither the indictments nor the complaints have afforded any measure .)f protection to the publishers.
 MUST RENEW CONTRACTS
 Most of the newspapers of the country, the report says, are now up to the point where they must soon renew contracts and if adequate relief Is to be had 1t must be without waiting for the prose- cution of the indictments and com- plaints.
 The committee" it concludes. "sub- mits to the Senate whether it is better to safeguard the continuance of free press in this country but assuring 1t an adequate supply of print paper at fair and reasonable price or whether to per- init further increase in the excessive profits of the paper industry. which the federal trade commission declares is about to exact 500.000 more in excess sive profits from the American publish ers, who are loyalty and patriotlca.,y supporting their governcent in this fatc- ful hour"