Crown Zellerbach Corporation v. Federal Trade Commission

In June, 1953, the petitioner Crown Zellerbach Corporation acquired the stock and assets of St. Helens Pulp and Paper Company. On February 15, 1954, the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against the petitioner charging that such acquisition of St. Helens by Crown Zellerbach was a violation of § 7 of the Clayton Act, ( 15 U.S.C.A. § 18 ) as amended and approved December 29,1950, in that “the effect of the aforesaid acquisition by respondent [Crown Zellerbach] of control of St. Helens may be substantially to lessen competition or to tend to create a monopoly in the lines of commerce, as ‘commerce’ is defined in the Clayton Act, in which respondent and St. Helens were engaged in the Western States and more particularly in the Pacific Coast States of the United States, and in each of them.”

After answer was filed admitting the acquisition but denying that such acquisition violated § 7 of the Act, hearings were held before an Examiner from January 10, 1955 to November 20, 1956. The Examiner found that the allegations of the complaint had been sustained. Upon appeal the Commission made findings of its own modifying certain of the findings of the Examiner, but adopting the…