OCR Text |
Show llH PIES OF NEWS PRINT AREJOD HIGH Large and Small Publishers Meet With Manufacturers and Members of Federal Trade Commission. WASHINGTON, Der. V1.A conflict of Interests between large and small newspaper news-paper publishers developed at conferences today between the federal trade commission, commis-sion, I lie publishers and news print manu-(acturers manu-(acturers and jobbers, held to consider a proposal that the problem of an apparent news print shortage tie solved by dlstrl-0j0 dlstrl-0j0 bntion uf the available supply under supervision of the com mission and to work out some arrangement, if possible, concerning prices and Increased production. produc-tion. ' A plan proposed anfi apparently favored fa-vored by the trade commission, the manufacturers manu-facturers and the small publishers, under ivhich large publishers would relinquish i per cent of their 1017 nuola to the smaller publishers, met with immediate opposition. The lare:e publishers declared they were being made the victims of manufacturers, man-ufacturers, who by diverting machines no- on wall paper ;ind wrapping vPRi" hark to malting news print con id sole the shortage problem within a few day.-. Koth large and small publishers insisted (hat the plan called for no concessions by the manufacturers. Details of Plan. The plan proposed would provide that the ri per cent turned ba k yy the large e&iahiUhmenis would be apportioned among the small publishers at the average aver-age contract price charged the large pu Ml ahem. This would b between 3 and 4 cents a pound. The jobbers would receive re-ceive In addition about 1 per cent for handling. O-njnmUtees d publishers, manu facturers and jobbers were named to continue con-tinue conferences with the trade commis-Hiou commis-Hiou next week in an effort either to perfect per-fect the plan proposed or to work out Mme other acceptable plan. The publishers' pub-lishers' committee will begin Monday to PMnd out ciuestionaires to the newspapers, ascertaining thi needs of the small publications pub-lications and learning if the la.rge pub-Hishers pub-Hishers will agree to give up a part of their paper. Trices Beyond Reason. ' In today's meeting the large publishers argued tliat an increase in production would be a. simple matter if the manufacturers manu-facturers displayed a willingness to cooperate. co-operate. In this they were supported by the small publishers. Both classes of publishers, pub-lishers, too, insisted that prices were be -vond reason, and assurance was given by the trade commission that perfecting nf anv distribution rlmi would not stop the enmmission'fl investigation of that Fiiblecl. Commissioner tavlns declared i f he commission was of the opinion that print paper was a public necessity and I hat prices now charged for it were cx-tortionale. cx-tortionale. i " On tlw committee of publishers to , fuprt next week with the trade commis- I i!lon F. P. OlHbs and U B. Palmer were named to represent the large publishers and A. W. Dunn and J. 1L Hoover to represent the small publishers. Manufac- turers will be represented by J. B. Pot- i tcr and A. T. llou. k. The jobbers will : name a rommitiee later. Increased Prices. It vas brought out today that, although al-though the cost of production as disclosed dis-closed by the trad commission's investigation investi-gation has remained about stationary, prices to the large publishers have advanced ad-vanced from 2. 1C cents a pound on 1916 contracts to an average of 3.10 cents on j 3 1 7 contracts, with a n added item in that mills next year quote prices at the factory instead of at the place of delivery. deliv-ery. A prospectus issued by one manufacturing- concern was piescnled to nhow that the manufacturer endeavoring to f.-ell Btoik in his mill claims a profit of ?16 a ton on paper manufactured this rear, in addition to a surplus accumulated. accumu-lated. Manufacturers opposed every suggestion today that production be increased by putting put-ting on news print work machines that now are turning out other classes of paper. The committee reprcsontlng the smaller publishers issued a a to to men t tonight paying its members were hopeful the trado commission and those concerned wore about to find a solution of the situation. |