New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-10
little SWEETNESS HERE.
AGAR MEN sTOUTLY REFUSE TO SHOW
THEIR BOOKS
.,,r srNATE INVESTIGATION, ONCE WARMLY
WELCOMED" NOW BITTERLY OPPOSED
A LIVELY SESSION.

- .bn State Senate which has been investigat ne
A.. affairs of the recent Sugar Trust ard Of the Ameri-
nn sugar Rehneries Company, at the Hotel Metropolis
aod IN a lively manner As the committee was about
o. a,onrn the startling statement made that the
-. 20 the trust did not intend to place the books
'. Oh. constituent companies at the disposal OF the
nittse After giving his reasons for the adjourn
n, Senator Vedder said that he hoped that MI
,,.,mever and Mr.. Mathiessen would be present AZ
.na reYt meeting Of the committee with the books
.orv for the investigation proposed by the sen
atOS. -, H.. .,o .-. o,orc ,o bs foot
-. nnce mon hearing this request I've do not con
- I, The province OF this committee he SAD 10
sSam,ne the books of those companies. We enter
,ro,est against such pioposuoh' we couiu h'No ''
~ that three weeks ago
9ou .yer believed quickly replied sidney & Harris.
-, ,or the committee, THAT you intended volun-
IL 20 produce those books. Without them there can
=. M nroper investigation OF this trust. ii We ha'c
,ch,S at all under the resolution of the Senate we
.y ',9 richt to those books. We have been told time
30" .roe again by the learned counsel on the other
n. snd by officers of the trust, that they were WILING
SUE o. oil the information desired; that they
" ,,s,comed this investigation. l was glad 10 near
even dement's There was no true meaning IN
tn''. ,o.ements however l believed at the TIME.
w. ,rers made. in all probability, for the press"
1H'' MR.. HAVEMEYER VIEW.
,o,. A. Havemeyer at this point said that MT
might have learned some time ago that ,ne
nsrs did not intend to surrender the DOORS Vi ua0
noriss had he asked them. He had lhsls'eu
..sver upon examining "a lot OF CLERKS WHO hio"
,h,np about the business. Mr.. Harris repheu ina.
=. had the greatest respect for Mr.. Havemeyer ana
a., NOT wish TO be personal 1t was fact, however
w.. tho snbpoenas issued had included demand lo'
A.. hooks The desire of the committee 70 nave 'hose
hanks was well known to the officers OF inc ""sV "."
,hsr LAWYERS The opposing counsel should nave aue
,bo announcement of their intended refnsal 10 iui'
,h hooks at once Besides, the sergeantatar arms n''
,nn unable to subpoena the officers of the uns' io'
davs The so.called clerks" had less leisure
narrower than the heads OF the companies i"''
had been examined, therefore, hrst'
In answer TO a second similar declaration OF "r.
p.ot Senator Coggeshall replied that the meheeis %
the committee had supposed, IRON 'i'e hou'i''
trnmpets made on the first day. that they "ouiu
receive all the information when the! uosou
have endeayored 10 get at facts added inc senator
a.. is not the first time to my knowledge, thaU l
,ove heard people who represented two sldes oI "
onestion disagree. If the ways OF 'he o""iH''' w
NOT please Mr. Havemeyer and his COUNSEL VIC ",o
CORY But IL is light that we wish TO nave anu hsn'
ue will have do not think that men nave "n'
Won't 10 refuse TO present their books for examination
or TO attempt 10 screen themselves on the ero"nu '
the books relate to private matters IL Is no,
Gov m exnose private matters in TINS eAaHnauoA'
The resolution sets forth that we are 10 ooi.'' Wv
evils which led to the forming of the trust 10 w D"
we must have the books"
THE TRUST, ALSO THE PEOPLE.
This demand of the senator called Ior'h 'A" ~
ren,v from Mr. Root. 1t was wrong ne SAM Io
49,, Stnr M sneak of opposite e.des in this nvesu.
.at3on The committee represented the interests Vi
the people of New-York, and represented lereo,e'
the people Of the trust. 1t was not lus' 'naV ~
nriyate books OF corporations should lie open ioi @
investigation Of the Legislature SO thA' ''ie4, IT,.
con,d he published to the world and 10 their business
rva,s we are prepared to give facts coh'lIucu
Mr. Root regarding the formation OF the tfusI anu
of the New-Jersey corporation III Is ano'he' ''"ie
when this committee treads upon private ana'rs Vi
citizens of this state. We shall defend them"
Mr. Harris answered Mr.. Root He said the eeha'e
in appointing the committee for the avowed PURPOSE
~ Investigating the affairs Of the trust gave the
right also to the examination Of the BOOKS. But
he added that is not ALL The resolution OF the
Senate empowers us to see II these corporaoo"s
properly conducted their business affairs or forfeited
their charters by not properly conducting business
Or II that is not the case, we wish to see II eesia
ton is necessary to prevent such possibilities. The
resolution empowers not only to investigate tie
affairs Of the trust but also the affairs OF It's creatures
The Court OF Appeals and other courts have decdea
that the trust was Illegal. II is preposterous to say
that we cannot require the books Of the constituent
companies That is equivalent TO saying that com
pany after obtaining charter can bar its doors sna
do az IL pleases. There two ways TO accomplish
our desires We can 60 before the bar of the seIate
or we can secure an order from the courts"
Senator Vedder, the acting chairman, AFTER MI.
Harris had taken his seat said that the committee
would decide the question at the meeting next satur-
day. when the actual chairman would be present
until thon" he added, "let us possess our sonls ID
peace and be happy as we can"
The committee met at IL o'clock. Senator Erwin
was called home early yesterday by telegram saying
that his father.inaw Mr. Dart OF Potsdam, had been
stricken with apoplexy. senator Vedder, In the
absence Of senator Erwin, acted as chairman.
EXAMINING THE WITNESSES.
The first witness examined was George 5. Ellis, one
OF the accountants who examined the books Of the
trust This he had done, he said, for tie Central
TrIEt Company He admitted aferward that the ex-
animation had been made in connection with an ap-
plcation for the dissolution Of the receiveship lie
had ONLY seen the cash book, the ledger, the check
books and the bank books. He had not seen any
books Of the constituent companies The books which
he examined had contained only records OK the money
received and disbursed by the trustees Of the trust
The profits paid into the trust had amounted 10 ST.
g75,367 90. II appeared from Mr.. Elliss testimony
that he had not been possessed Of curiosity In
reference to the affairs Of the constituent companies
lie declared that he had asked for no Information not
contained in the few books which he mad examined.
The books OF the trustees he said did not show that
more than 81 100000 still remained in the possession
of the constituent companies as undivided profits OF
the trust lie acRnGwdgea hoWeS.r; that corro .o
tons, the undivided pfonts were assets OF the trust
Mir Ellis however, did not think the trustees had been
partners in the individual corporations. For that
reason record of those undivided profits had ap-
peared upon their books.
Mr. Root, at this point said that the undivided
profits of the trust had been accounted for properly by
Archibald j. C. Anderson auditor OF the trust. his
sworn statement That statement had been presented
The next witness J. Henry Dick, formcrly&upcr-
intendent OF the refinery Of Dick Meyer who became
members Of the trust in 1887 Ills father, he said,
had been also OF the incorporates OF the American
Sugar Refneries Company. The capital OF the firm
OF Dick IL Meyer had been originally 100000. When
the firm Joined the trust, however they had received
between 20 500 900 and $30O0O t0 In certificates for
that capital. The witness had received ten shares in
the trust in order to enable him act trustee OF
the corporation OF Dick Meyer after IIc formation
Of the trust. Mr. Dick not willing witness.
ne declared that he did know where the books OF