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Show The Newspapers and Paper Stock. The recent hoarlngs before tho Federal Trade Commission on tho prlco of print paper hit a vital issue. Taper producers and representatives of tho Publishers Associations aro now trying to work, out soma plan for a moro equitable distribution of tho supply. Tho high prlco of paper has been a condition virtually affecting ono of the most important industries. Many of tho Bmaller papers have had to suspend. Still moro aro using us-ing a grade of stock they would havo been ashamed to pul in a few years ago. The producers of paper should not kill tho goose that lays tho golden egg. Thoy should not stick on hlgh-or hlgh-or prices than aro necessary. If they do they will hurt their own industries. in-dustries. Many publishers who havo been running now on very cheap grades of paper will quite likely continue to uso theso grades after the pxfgency has passed. They will arguo that tho public has becomO used to cheap paper, that It Is satlsflod It It gets tho nows, and Is not fussy about tho kind of material It Is printed on, If, as seoms likely, this results In a permanent per-manent uso of cheaper grades of stock In thousands of olllces, tho manufacturers will suffer moro than nip ono 'else. It iu tho usual rulo in all procosses that tho cheaper tho stock the less profit In It. Tho suspension ot a largo number of tho smaller papers Is a loss to a grcnt many localities. Thoso llttlo shoots did their work as expononts and leaders of community life. Tho fact that thoy had been able to exist ex-ist on a basis of modcrato paper prices showed that they' performed n sorvlco and filled a need. Public sentiment should sustain them. In so far as tho public authorities havo nny control over tho paper trade, thoy can bo suro that public sentiment senti-ment will demand tho most liberal treatment possible for tho publishers, publish-ers, and will feol that high prlcos aro a tax on popular education and Civic, botterment. i a n |