New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-05
Price of Print
Paper Is Set
At $3.50 a 100
Commission Names Higher
Figures for Less than
Carload Lots

Washington. March 4.-The Federal
Trade Commission accepted to-day a
proposal by news PRINT paper manu-
facturers to fix a price for their proc
uct and named $3.50 a hundred POUNDS
as a reasonable charge. =.
Higher prices were set Tor paper III
less than carload lots and Tor sheet
paper. ,..o.;o, Dlar
was announced BY the commission In q
preliminary report to Congress on lVs
news print investigation, saying there
had been no real shortage Of paper, put
that important manufacturers OF the
limited States and Canada had banded
together to secure unreasonable prohls'
The commissions findings were out
lined briefly in the following sum-
mary: ,.-. II
"The increases in the selling price OF
news print paper for the year 1871 was
in most cases greater than could be
justified by the increases in cost.
There is not now and has not been
a serious shortage of news PRINT. Inc
commission finds that there IS enough
news print paper TO meet all the strict
lv necessary demands OF publishers
ouring 1917. There is, however, a close
balance between supply and demand
and the commission recommends the
strictest economy.
The system of distribution OF news
print paper is faulty. By reason of
this fact this close balance between
supply and demand could easily be de-
veloped into local shortage, and thiS
situation was taken advantage OF ana
exaggerated by artificial means. Re
ports of the alleged shortage were
widely circulated for the purpose OF
justifying high prices.
"The commission directed its eforts
10 a discovery of the facts affecting
the economic and legal sides of the
question and within limitations of ITS
power sought to restore also compeu-
tive conditions in the industry and al
the same time to bring such immaculate
practical relief as would prevent seri-
Gus financial distress and injury while
the processes OF competition were
being restored
The prices fixed will be in force for
six months and contracts calling Tor
prices higher than those set VIII De
abrogated. Besides the price OF s2.oO
at the mill in carload lots the commits
sion named these prices: Less than
carload, 1915; news print sheets IN
carload lots. 1926; less than carload
$3.50. Jobbers will charge not more
than per cent on carload lots, l2i7
Der cent on less than carload lots, ana
20 per cent on less.
Wants Smaller Papers
an accepting the responsibility here
exercised the commission recognizes
the grave difficulties involved" says
the report. at may not bring all OF the
relief which may be expected from IT,
but all publishers will be given an op-
portunity to participate in the plan. In
the opinion Of the commission, the
most certain remedy for immediate re-
ief of the present situation is for all
The metropolitan dailies still further Ia
reduce the size OF their papers and the
number of their editions. and for those
VINO have not done so TO cut out such
wasteful practices as allowing full
credit to newsstands for the return OF
uEsold papers"
Its final report, the commission as
serts. will recommend to Congress
remedial legislation suggested by facts
disclosed by the inquiry.
Contemporaneously with it's economic
| Investigation the commission also con
| Quoted an inquiry into unfair trade
practices or violations of the Fedora
antitrust laws. The full powers of The
commission were invoked, and The
books. papers and private correspond
ence pertaining TO the industry OF the
Manufacturers Association were ex
amined. The facts so gathered were
transmitted TO the Department Of Jus
tice.