The Connecticut labor news., 1923-12-15

By International Labor News Service. l Washington, D. C., 15-Suspicion tha
 sinisters financial interests are more an
 more seeking control the press for thei own selfish ends has been strengthene, l by charges recently made by Senate La Toilette and by the Federal Trad l Commission.
 Senator La Toilette, in. La Toilette, Magazine, charges that the press has be
 trayed the people by permitting coal op orators to use its columns to deceive tn public. He declares that certain news papers frighttned the public by false re ports of coal shortage and backs up hi: charges with quotations from testimon, taken by the Senate Committee on Man ufacttIres. In outlining his charges Senator La Toilette says:
 A mere amazing indictment of cer- tain of the newspapers of the United
 States has neber been made than that found in the records of the National Coal Association, the organization of the
 bituminous operators.
 ''The only transcript of the .associa-
 tion meetings which has reached the pub
 lie contains indisputable evidence that
 the coal operators set out on campaign
 to subsidize the press and use 1t Is a me ditnn to creat shortage scares, and to
 induce the people to buy coal at high
 prices.
 The object of the National Goal As sociation was not merely to use the ad- vertising columns of the newspapers, but to obtain the publication of inspired news stories and editorials. The record shows that in this object the association was eninently successful"
 The Federal Trade Commission makes its charges affecting improper in slash ing attack on the methods of the Utah Idaho Sugar Company and the Amalga- mated Sugar Company which largely con trol the beet sugar industry of the Far West
 After outlining how the two compa- nies obstructed, suppressed and elimina- ted competition in the purchase of su- gar beets and the manufacture and sale of beet sugar, the trade commission charges that the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company sought by the use of great wealth to influence the editorial policies of weekly and daily newspapers in Utah and Idaho. The following extracts
 om the findings of the commission tell the story:
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 "On or about March 8, 1920, the re- spondent Utah Idaho Sugar Company caused to be published and circulated in nine newspapers in the state of Idaho, and in g newspapers in the state of Utah, all circulating in the territory wherein competing independent eI1terpri- ses and factories were and are operating, certain advertisements addressed to far merS and beet growers, containing 1nS1n- ating statements to the effect that such companies were unreliable and financially irresponsible, and suggesting that farmers could safely contract for growing beets only with corporate re- spondents.
 "On or about February 25, 1920, re spondent, Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, purchased advertising space in several weekly and daily newspapers circulating in Utah and Idaho where competing in dependent enterprises and factories were operating and dvised the publishers of said newspapers that it was planning to extend its advertising activities and would choose, as a medium, the paper | friendly and loyal to its, Said respon- ient's, organization, thus seeking to in ,ditorial policies of said newspapers to | ,e in favor of corporate respondents as against competitors in regard to the beet ugar industry"
 Labor men say that the cnarges in the oregoing show the urgent need of a trong, independent fearless and ably dited labor press. As long as news apers can be inhoenied and controlled y financial or business interests, the bulic will be misled and deceived, they ay. A strong labor press, vigilant in efense of the rights of the working masses, would protect the pubIic's right 3 unbiased information and serve as deterrent to dishonest practices by venal ewspapers,- they add.