The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-05
A SUGAR RErINER's SUIT.


Theodore A. Havemeyer, OF New York,
probably transacts the largest sugar refining
business that Is carried on In America. Last
winter, after an official investigation OF the
alleged sugar frauds in the custom-houses OF
New York and Baltimore as to false coloring,
etc, certain State officials of New York in
vestigated the subject OF sugar adulteration
by the New York refiners. Testimony was
elected from many refiners and merchants
engaged In the sugar business, and it was
shown to be an almost universal practice
among refners to adulterate the refined
products they put on the market with sew
eral poisonous chemicals, and that the addi-
ton to refined sugars of large quantities Of
glucose and terra alba was common prac-
tice with these men. Numbers OF refiners
testified that they had been driven from the
business because, without resorting to like
fraudulent processes, they could not compete
with the refineries then In operation.
The result of this investigation aroused
popular Indignation to such o pitch that q
public meeting was called In Chlckering Hall
to denounce the fraudulent refining processes
specified, and to discuss proper measures for
preventing their continued practice. This
meeting was principally made up OF the re-
finers who had been forced out Of business
and sugar merchants.
The proceedings were very riotous and
nothing was accomplished, owing, 1t was
alleged to the turbulent interference of
several hundred Of Havemeyer's employees,
who eventually broke up the meeting.
Lawson N. Fuller was one of the callers of
this meeting, and before It's irregular adj
journment managed to make speech against
the leading New York retiners, Havemeyer
among them. The following Is the sequel to
Fuller's speech:
New York. May 3.-Suit has been commenced
Fuller In the Superior Court. Plaintiff says
that In January, 1879. defendant caused a meet
Ing OF persons Ia the. sugar trade 70 be held at
there that plaintiff aduiterated sugar, and in
his sworn statement be Ind taken an oath that
he DID not do SO. Plaintiff claims these state
they would be published In the newspapers,
and that he injured plaintiffs business 500 900.
He sues for that amount OF damages The de-
Tense IL that the only statements made concern
ing Havemeyer by defendant we're taken from
testimony before the Committee Of Ways and
Me- Of the House OF REPRESENTATIVES, De-
malice. A motion by plaintiff to have portions
Of the answer stricken out was denied.
The results of the Investigations as to the
adulteration Of sugar were so astounding
when they were first brought out as to have
been received with incredulity By sugar con-
sumers all over the country It was expected
at the time that the discovery OF such glaring
frauds as were resorted to In placing the re-
fined product on the market would have
largely increased the demand for and raised
the price Of the Louisiana crop. which was at
that time being manufactured. This from
the fact that consumers knew that they could
rely on the absolute freedom from adul-
iteration OF the Louisiana article. The effect
of the disclosures OF the New York frauds
were barely perceptible on the market here
contrary to expectation, and probably owing
to the fact that the discussion OF the matter
was hushed up after the Chickering Hall
meeting.
The evidence in suit involving 100000
damages Is likely to bring this matter promi-
nently before the people again, and some of
the practices and processes by the employ
ment of which New York refiners are enabled
to sell their sugars in the New Orleans mar
h5b WILL NO l6AIHGu.
The continued agitation of this fraudulent
sugar adulteration must finally result to the
benefit OF our planters. Their pure products
must eventually command premium over
all Northern authorizations Subjected to the
polariscope our Louisiana sugar shows
higher saccharine per cent than similar
grades from any OF the Northern refneries.
The polarization test has reached 1902 on the
product Of plantation in st. Mary's parish,
while the sugars turned out Of several of the
complete apparatuses In Louisiana show
above 97o on the polariscope
These accurate and wonderful tests show
our sugar to be perfectly free from adultera-
ton, and in that respect to be superior to any
sugars manufactured or refined in America.