The periodical "Hindu Nesan", questioned the timing of the new association. The "New Age" (Home Rule Movement's newspaper) dismissed it and predicted its premature death. By February 1917, the SIPA joint stock company had raised money by selling 640 shares of one hundred rupees each. The money purchased a printing press and the group hired C. Karunakara Menon to edit a newspaper which was to be called "Justice". However, negotiations with Menon broke down and Nair himself took over as honorary editor with P. N. Raman Pillai and M. S. Purnalingam Pillai as sub–editors. The first issue came out on 26 February 1917. A Tamil newspaper called "Dravidan", edited by Bhaktavatsalam Pillai, was started in June 1917. The party also purchased the Telugu newspaper "Andhra Prakasika" (edited by A. C. Parthasarathi Naidu). Later in 1919, both were converted to weeklies due to financial constraints.