Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-05
GREGORY TAKES OVER
PR|N7-PAPER INQUIRY
Attorney General to Determine
Whether GrandJury Proceed
ingS Will BE Brought.
PRESIDENT MUCH INTERESTED
Department of Justice Prepared to
Institute Dissolution Suit Against
Manufacturers Who Are Believed
to Have Violated Antitrust Laws.
nv Aseoc,a,e,i prcss.l

WASHINGTON. January - .Attor-
ncy-Gencral Gregory to-day took over
the yield OF the Federal Trade Com
missions inquiry into the print paper
market with view 10 determining
whether there is a paper trust. and to
lnstitutinE civil and criminal proceed
inEs against manufacturers or others
laws
rresidcn, Wilson is actively inter-
ested in recent disclosures OF practices
pursued in the distribution of print
ing the inquiry closely. y mass of
complaints and testimony and large
number Of secret reports from the com
missions investigators have been
placed i'm The acknowledgements hands.
FOR scveral weeks. Department OF
Justice officials have been in frequent
consultation with the Trade Commits
sion. and are understood to have under
serious consideration the early snsti-
tuition OF grand-jury proceedings at
which indictments charging violation
Of the criminal section of the law
will be asked
ASKS THE CO-OPERATION
OF DEPARTMENT or JUSTICE
The formal taking over OF the in
quiry by the department to-day was
in response TO the following letter
sent the Attorney-General by Score
tary Eracken, of the commission:
"As you know, the Federal Trade
Commission. pursuant to resolutions of
the Senate. has been conducting AN in
uuiry into conditions in the print pa
per market.
The commission is OF the opinion
that the inquiry has now reach ed a stage
where the further cooperation of the
Department of Justice would be ad-
vanta aseous
The Attorney-General replied:
THE department will at once take
up the matter. and to that end | will
have attorneys of the department meet
with the commission or with attorneys
OF the commission. as may be desired
and go over the data already collect ed
as basis for determining what fur
ther steps to take.
Il know. of course. from what has
already been brought out that a Sc
rious condition exists in this trade.
and that any remedy which the law
WILL. HASTEN ACTION
As MUCH AS POSSIBLE
Beyond asserting that the investiga-
tion and any action the department
might take would he fastened as much
as possible. Mr.. Gregory declined to
comment on the situation.
II is understood however. that de-
partment officials are prepared to in
II a.
against any manufacturers within Fed
eral jurisdiction who are believed TO
have conspircd in restraint of trade
or To effect monopoly. At the same
time. il was made clear that no in
justice would be done manufacturers
innocent Of iilega: practices.
In addition. department officials are
understood to be preparing to ask for
criminal indictments should analysis
OF the evidence warrant such action
and IL is believed The criminal pro-
cecdingS II undertaken, would be
pressed ahead of the civil proceedings
Where such proceedings might be con
Quoted is said To be under considera-
ton.
oficials say they are handicapped by
the fact that more than half of the
print paper consumed in the United
states is produced in Canada by man
ufacturers who would be outside the
jurisdiction OF American courts in any
proceedings ihat might be deemed ad-
visable. This condition. however, would
not apply to American agents OF such
manufacturers.
me Trade Commissions investigation
was conducted III response 10 con-
! sressional resolution. aad a report to
Nnnt
days Publishers charged at the open
hearings that the manufacturers had
combined both to control prices and
TO restrict production. Some testified
that manufacturers had refused to sell
TO them because OF their activity I'm
exposing the manufacturers methods.