Evening star., 1948-05-23
Trade Group Denies
Advertising Boycott
OF Federation Paper

A spokesman for the Merchant
and Manufacturers Association
denied yesterday that there was
any conspiracy" on the part of
members to boycott" advertising
in the monthly publication of the
Federation of Citizens Associations.
The charge that the trade as
ISOLATION was enforcing the alleged
ban in violation Of antitrust laws
was made in a suit for $225, 900
damages filed In District Court
yesterday by attorneys representing
the District OF Columbia Citizens
Publishing Co. and Paul P. Walsh,
president Of the company, and ed
itor OF the publication, District
Of Columbia Citizen"
The suit was brought against
the association and four members
of the trade group. the Hecht Co.,
Kann, Inc, Woodward and Lothrop
and the Young Mems Shop.
did Not Act As Group"
Attorney Ringgold Hart, who rep
resents the association, said yester-
day that while he had not read
the suit, he could state as general
policy that members of the associa-
ton did not act as group but
made their own individual choices
of the publications in which they
advertised.
The suit. filed by Attorneys Eu-
gene E. Ditto and Harold L. Schilz
set forth that Mr.. Walsh was the
sole owner and publisher" Of the
District Of Columbia Citizen" prior
to assumption of ownership by the
District of Columbia Citizens Pub
fishing Co., corporation organized
under the laws of Delaware.
The petition said that Mr.. Walsh
continues to solely finance and own
the said newspaper and all its
plant and equipment" although last
March he transferred his contrac-
tural rights in the paper to the
publishing company.
Publication Contract.
It. was pointed out that the Fed
Grafton of Citizens Associations last
March contracted for the publication
of a monthly newspaper of general
circulation, with Mr.. Walsh. who
was described as IAN experienced
publisher"
The suit alleged that the Citizen"
has q regular mail circulation OF
$4,000 monthly, and more than &c.
900 copies of its 12-page April, 1s4e.
edition were issued and distributed"
Such circulation would be very
much larger and substantially more
widespread" the suit alleged. but
for the restraints practiced by the
defendants and co-conspirators."
The petition stated that the COM
mittee on donations and advertis-
ing" Of the Merchants and Manufac-
turers Association represents "the
membership of the association in its
dealings with publishers Of news
papers, including the District OF
Columbia Citizen"
Alleges approved List" Kept.
It was alleged that this committee
maintains an approved list" of
newspapers and publications "in
which it allows membership Of the
association to advertise" The suit
contended that members of the as
sociation comply with rule Of the
association that they will not ad-
vertise in any publication not ap-
proved by the committee.
Mr.. Walsh told reporters that his
newspaper goes regularly to at least
SO per cent of the members Of the
various citizens associations afiili-
ated with the federation.
"1t was recognized by both the
federation and publisher" the suit
continued, that the circulation Of
such an official organ Of and spokes-
man for the federation among the
membership would provide a field Of
desirable advertising which would
be of great benefit to advertisers
using the space"