Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-22
PAPER MAKERS
IN CONFERENCE
One-Third of Manufacturers
Have Signed Proposal to
Allow Fixing of Prices

Washington, d. c., Feb. 22-News
print paper manufacturers began ar
irving here to-day for conferences
with the Federal Trade Commission
on proposal that the committee fix
news print prices for a period of six
months Manufacturers representing
about one-third of the production of
the United States and Canada have
signed the proposal. Those coming
did not join in the suggestion and are
here at the request of the Commission
which wishes their views on it.
Restoration of free competition in
news print paper manufacture is the
aim of the Commission and If it ac-
cepts the proposal it will work with
that purpose in view. The Commits
sion, it was stated to-day, is bent on
finding a cure for conditions and not
a mere palliative. At the end of six
months the Commission feels that
conditions in the news print industry
will so have been shaped that unre-
strained competition will insure fair
and equitable prices.
Surrender in Face of Indictments
Acceptance of the proposal hinges
on the attitude of the manufacturers
who are arriving here. Those who al
ready have signed the proposal repre-
sent about thirty per cent. of the
news print output of the United States
and Canada. Their surrender in the
face of criminal indictments, officials
believe, will break the news print
market and force prices to an equit-
able level whether all other manufac-
turers join in or not. Members of the
Commission are hopeful that most of
the other big manufacturers will
come in.
Discontinuance of the Department
of Justices criminal investigation has
not been promised any manufacturers,
1T was made clear to-day, but it is not
believed if indictments are found the
cases ever Will come to trial if, in the
meantime, competition is restored.
The attitude of the Commission to-
wards offenders is that corrective
measures sometime sare more in the
interest of the public than are puni-
tive measures.
Many Difficulties i'm Way
Many difficulties are seen in putting
any price-fiXing plan into operation
III the cost of production was the same
in all mills 1T would be q compara-
lively simple matter and flat rate
would be put on paper, but costs are
different in all mills and a scale of
prices will be necessary. The question
or redistribution also presents a puz-
zle. The Commission probably would
work out some arrangements whereby
newspapers as far as possible would
purchase their news print from the
nearest mill and thereby cut freight
rates to the minimum
Publishers. will be called into the
conferences if the price-fXing pro-
posal is accepted and it is considered
likely distribution plan might be
proposed under which they would be
asked to use a minimum of paper to
conserve the supplies. While the
Commission holds there is no actual
shortage of news print it does not
wish to encourage an extravagant use
OF 1T and create a real shortage. Manu-
facturers, it is understood, are willing
under a distribution plan to keep
enough of their machines on news
print to care for all necessary news
paper uses.
A census of pulp wood consumption
made by the forestry bureau in CO.
operation with the News Print Manu-
facturers' Association announced TO-
day, show that 100 mills reportinp
used in 1916 about 3,419,00O cords of
wood and produced approximately q
$4,000 tons of pulp.