New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-10

INVESTIGATING THE SUGAR TRUST
INQUIRIES BY AN OBSCURE COMMITTEE.
THE ATTEMPT TO MAKE POLITICAL CAPITAL FOR
FRYE TRApERs-IQE DAYS TESTIMONY.

THE ATTEMPT TO MAKE POLITICAL CAPITAL FOR
FREE TRADERs-TuE DAYS TESTIMONY.
WASHINGTON, March CSpeciaD.--A good many
members of the House harbor strong suspicion
that the investigation OF trusts by the House
Committee on Manufactures will be conducted with
a view to make political capital for the free
traders, if practicable and that it will be dropped
when that end has been achieved, or if it shall
appear to be unattanable. prominent Dem
ocrat to-day said
Three members Of the majority of Ways and
Means are members of the Committee on Manu-
features. Such thing was never heard Of be-
fore as assigning three members of Ways ana
Means to the hitherto obscure Committee on MAN.
ufactures These three members-Brec kinrldge, oil
Arkansas; Wilson, of West Virginia. and Bynum,
of Indiana-wil dominate the committee OF which
the amiable Mr.. Bacon, OF New-York, is chairman.
The other two Democratic members are new men
in Congress, as also are three of the fve members
of the minority. Two Of the four republican
members have served a single term in Congress.
The composition Of the committee tends TO support
the assertion made at the time 1t was announced
that the committee had been packed for some
purpose. l do not suppose the Whlskey trust or
the Standard Oil Trust need fear rough handling
by the committee, whatever may be done as 10
some other trusts. / am opposed TO all comblna-
tOns TO raise prices or prevent free domestic COM
petition. and do not think that one trust or
pool should be shielded when others are ex-
posed. Neither do | consider trust any worse
or any less Objectionable because 1t is on foreign
soil. The foreign Tin-plate Trust for example,
which not only controls prices paid by American
consumers but supplies them with inferior, and
in many cases with poisonous goods. since our own
tin-plate industry was destroyed by too heavy a
reduction Of duties, is no less Objectionable than
if 1t were composed Of American manufacturers.
/ hope that Chairman BacOn's committee will make
a thorough investigation of all and every trust
whether based imported commodities on which
Internal taxes imposed, articles which are
not taxed by the Government at all. If the com
mittee shall do that without fear or favor, shall
be most agreeably disappointed
1t was the opinion Of several impartial onlookers
to-day that Mr.. Parsons, OF the Sugar Trust car
ried rather too many guns for Mr. Breckenridge,
of Arkansas
Mr.. Parsons on resuming the stand said that no
sugar refneries had been purchased by the board
but that members of the association had since
the formation of the trust purchased the entire
stock of refnerics in which they had not previous
" been interested. Several questions followed
relative TO the actual and market yalne OF the
North River Sugar Refinery, of which Mr.. Moller
was chief owner This was purchased by Mr..
Searles for 1923 900, but when 1t was taken into
the trust he recei ycd 800, 900 Of trust certif-
Gates less 5 per cent. based on the actual value
of the property.
Chairman Bacon then called Mr. Parsons's at
tention to the decision of the committee yester-
day, that it would insist upon the amount OF GER
tiicates at which each company entered into the
agreement being given, and the witness thereupon
said do not own that deed. have no con-
troll of it. 1t is the property Of the board. L
came here with authority to furnish a cory COM
plete with the exception of the certificates !
have no authority TO furnish that distribution L
hope that the committee will be satisfied to take
the deed as IL exists for the reason that there
are large private interests which might be hurt
nv such an inquiry The matter considered
in executive session and ii decided not 10
insist upon an answer for the present. The agare-
CATION of capital. and the concentration Of the
business. witness believed. would cheaper sugar,
give fair profits and admit OF higher wages beng
paid the labOrers The wages were higher to-day
than ever before for such work. Witness was
ac1-a bic oppfI Of
monopolies and thus increase prices lie replied
that such would be the case where the Govern
ment granted monopoly, but that it was generally
imS2ssihle in the case Of sugar because the slight
est advance would bring in foreign sugar. would
tempt the erection Of new refneries and the en-
larCement of existing ones not parties TO the
a greement.
John w Dodworth, managing editor Of The
New-Yorl1 Commercial Bulletin" submitted
tabulated statement giving the prices OF sugar
for the past four years New-York, he testified,
largely fixed the prices in this country. Rrmors
in regard 70 this trust began to assume definite
shane in October last, followed by declining
in raw sugar and higher tendency in
refined sugar Both had advanced since the forma-
tion of the trust; but the latter had advanced
more than the former The common understand
ing in New-York. he said. was that the trust was
the only buyer Of raw sugar and importers had
frequently felt themselves more or less at the
mercy Of the trust buyers.
Francis B. Thurber. the New-Yorlz grocer, tes
tilted that, granulated, the standard OF refined
within the last five months He said that this
trust could control the New-York market to a
certain extent. Other markets would step in
and refneries might be started in opnosltion II
the trust nut prices up too high: DurlnG the
last fifteen or twenty years witness knew OF eight
cen refneres which had failed. or gone ont Of
business. n larger percentage than had taken
place in other businesses
James f Nichols n large wholesale grocer, OF
New-Yorl< city. testified that practically all the
sugar he sold was bought from New-York reflners.
who were all members Of the trust The existence
of the trust made no difference in his relations
with the reiners nor did he any material dlt-
ference in competition between refiners. Francis
n Leggett, Of New-York city corroborated Mt
Thurber's statement as TO there nor belng
difference enough between prices in Boston and
Philadelphia and those in New-York TO warrant
the payment Of transportation charge