Denver labor bulletin., 1917-07-14
FRANK P. WALSH URGES FEDERAL
TRADE COMMISSION TO TAKE ACTION
AGAINST THE PRINT PAPER TRUST
Giving Names of and Corporations
Which Are Hosting of Print Paper and Driving
Hundreds of Publishers and Printers Out of
Business; Calls For Quick Action

of news print paper in such allotted
localities;
Thru unfair and improper combina-
tion and agreement, discouraged and
limited the production of news print
paper;
Used unfair methods to create fic-
titious demand for news print paper;
Falsely alleged inability to procure
sufficient raw materials to furnish
their product to the consumer at fair
and reasonable price;
Made false claims of shortage of
railroad cars and means of proper and
rapid transportation of their mate
rials and product;
Falsely alleged coal shortages for
use in their industry;
Pretended that labor cost was far
in excess of the amounts which they
actually paid to labor;
Thru unlawful combination and con-
spiracy, unfairly, illegally and arbi-
trarily fixed prices of S3.25 per hum
dred pounds and upwards for news
fact, $3.50 per hundred pounds, as
found by this commission in its in
vestigations, is sufficient to pay all
reasonable cost of production and make
a splendid return upon their legitimate
investments;
Constantly put into effect an in
creasing scale of prices to consumers,
regardless of the cost of production
and fair condition of competition;
Violated contracts solemnly entered
into before this honorable commission
agreeing to furnish news print paper
for the price and under conditions
found by this commission to be fair,
legal and profitable.
Force Printers Into Bankruptcy.
Your attention is also called to the
fact that the public is deeply inter
ested in the effect of such unfair meth
ods and the elimination of such unfair,
illegal, unjust and improper methods
of competition, for the reason that
many publishers have been forced into
bankruptcy and if such persons and
corporations are allowed to continue
their unfair, unjust and illegal meth
ods of competition, hundreds of pub
fishers thruout the United States will
have their businesses destroyed and
many thousands of stockholders in
publishing enterprises will have their
investments and savings swept away;
that countless numbers of men and
women will be thrown out of their reg
ular employment and the persons and
practicing this illegal con-
UTOl Will nOlQ tne ueSpOIlC power VI
controlling the avenue of information
mainly relied upon by the public, thus
destroying a free press, one of the
most necessary and sacred guarantees
of the constitution.
Urges a Speedy Hearing.
Moreover, the government of the
United States is itself a large con-
sumner of print paper and it's demand
in that behalf, for the necessary op-
erations of the government, will con-
stantly increase, due to the present
war emergency; that the conspiracy
and combination herein charged oper-
ates directly against the government
as well as against the individuals and
corporations engaged in the publish
ing business, and thus has profound
effect upon the expenditures of gov
ernmental revenues, necessitating an
unusual and burdensome exercise of
the taxing power Of the government.
You are, therefore, urgently request
ed to issue and serve upon each of such
persons and corporations complaint,
stating these charges as well as any
others of like character which your
honorable commission or any individ-
ual member thereof, or it's staff, may
be possessed of, and that speedy pub
lie hearing upon a day certain be
fixed and that proceedings be had
hereunder in all respects as provided
by section of the act creating your
honorable commission.
Respectfully yours,
FRANK P. WALSH.