Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-11
SPRECKELS SUGARS.
Will Their Price Knock the Trust
Out of Water in the West?
VIEWS PRO AND CON HEREABOUT.
Will Claus Play the Role Of Santa Claus
Pro Bono Publico?
SWEETS MAY OR MAY NOT BE CHEAPER


| tance to the people of the United States, not
one of whom is independent of it. Tariff
reformers will tell you that,it costs the peo-
pie from $50, ,0O0. 900 to SIC, ,OO0, 900 a year to
make one-tenth of the sugar the country
consumes. This feature adds interest to
Claus Spreckels' professed determination to
get away with the trust which not only in
vaded his preserve on the Pacific coast, but
has lately put the price of sugar up to an
extent that means millions of dollars to the
people of the United States. The big re-
inery at Philadelphia is about complete.
and an idea of its immensity may be had
from the insuran nee on the building, s, ,6OO,-
900. 1t is said to be the largest sugar re-
fnery in the world, and its capacity is
4, ,O0O, 900 pounds, or IL, 500 barrels, day.
1t is fitted up with over 200 Westinghouse
engines instead of the usual arrangement of
betting, and when anything gets out of
order with one or more engines. that part OF
the works can be shut down without inter-
fering with the rest.
There has been great rivalry among
brokers to get the agencies for the sale OF
the product, and there are said to have been
27 applicants for agent in this city. A cir
cular letter addressedito iobbers states that
II
Pittsburg brokers. 1t is said the applica-
tions for agencies in the West, South and
Southwest foot up over l., 900.
THE TRUST AFRAID OF HIM.
While some people affect to treat Spreck-
els pronunciamentos with contempt and in
sinuate that he is man who likes to be in
terviewed, others say the Sugar Trust is
afraid of him, and point to the fact that its
II Ioa - ic coll
at So or "a, and that the trust has been pull
ing prices down lsc at time for weeks
past.
1t is claimed that the Philadelphia loca-
tion has all the advantages of New York
and Boston, and added to them a difference
of cents per cwt. in its favor as to New
York and cents as to Boston in the matter
of freight to the West, Northwest, South
and Southwest On the full output of the
factory the 2 cents would represent an ad-
vantage of about 81, 900 day as to New
York and twice that amount as to Boston,
giving them but the New England and
portion of the Middle States in which 70
contend on equal terms, and this difference
in freight rates is established by the Inter-
State Commerce Commission. AS the Penn
sylvania Railroad, Baltimore and Ohio and
Reading Railway tracks all run into the re-
fnery it does business on the ground floor
in this respect.
The Spreckels' party profess to believe
that he is animated by philanthropy or
pride in his war on the trust, but there are
others who think him of the earth earthly,
and predict an early wedding or subsidiza-
ton.
AN ADVANTAGE TO PITTsBURG.
Mr.. D. W. Llewellyn, of T. c. jenkins,
said the effect of the competition would be
to put this city on the same footing as some
other distributing points, which have here
tofore had an advantage. He opined that
consumers would eventually get the benefit.
Mr.. James Flood, of Arbuckles & Co.,
supposed that Mr.. Spreckels was only
human. Mr.. Flood hadn't any doubt that
Spreckels could get trade as large as his
soul desired if he undersold other refners.
but doubted the existence of such disposi-
tion on his part. Mr.. Flood thought the
trust able to fight Spreckels if it felt like it,
and didn't believe it had pulled down
prices either because of fear of him or from
philanthropic motives, but simply because
it was able to dictate prices to the owners of
raw sugars.
Mr. John A. Bower, of Dilworth Bros,
said that if Spreckels wanted to get Pitts
burg jobbers out OF the arms of the trust,
he must do it by selling sugar cheaper than
it does. Mr.. Bower attributed the decline
in price of sugars to the prospect of very
large crop next season. He said Spreckels
was rich, but the trust was richer, and what
he might possess in the matter of certain
advantages might be offered in other direc-
tions by facilities within reach OF the trust.
Mr.. Scott, of Allen, Kirkpatrick & Co.,
did not believe that Spreckels had any
notion of playing the role of bull in china
shop. Said Mr.. Scott "He, Spreckels,
doesn't ask for all our trade, but only for q
share of it.
CURRY IS IN DOUBT.
Mr.. Curry, of Curry & Metzgar, said he
did not know what the effect of the rivalry
would be. 1t can only be told by its opera
ton, and it has not yet begun to operate.
Mr.. Dewhurst, of Haworth q Dewhurst,
said: "I have no doubt Spreckels will
waken up the sugar trade, but it's too early
to predict results"
The infantile part of the community has |
no opinion to express, but hopes that Claus
Spreckels will prove a Santa Claus, who |
will fill stockings on Christmas Eve with |
sugar plums and sweetmeats so cheapIy that |
the hearts of all good little boys and girls |
will be made sing with joy on Christmas
morning. And the most extreme high-tariff |
man will not kick if he can sweeten his cof-
fee with cubes at nickel pound, or even
less. In Cincinnati it is reported that Santa
Claus has talked as though the trust pole
might be long enough to knock the perslm-
mon andth there were only $4,000, 900
distance in altitude between one end of that |
pole and his virtue, and it is supposed by
some that bagatelle of S2.000,000, per
cent Of sugar makers profits, will not long