Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-17
SUGAR TRUST TALK.
More Rumors That the Reiueries
Will Soon Be Consolidated.
SOME DIRECT STATEMENTS MADE.
The Presence of Treasurer Searles in
Philadelphia Is Significant.
sPRECKELS WAS SEEN, But Is SILENT

| PHILADELPHIA, March Id Will no
f be surprised if within a month there Is
general consolidation of tbs sugar refining
interests under the management of tn
, Sugar Trust,'" said prominent sugar re
finer last night, whose big establishment O.
yet has not been brought under the contro
; of the great corporation which seeks to brint
every refinery in the country under it
charge.
The visit of Mr.. j. E. Searles, Of New
York, Treasurer of the Sugar Trust, tt
Philadelphia yesterday, has been the cause
of reviving all the talk about the absorption
Of Philadelphia sugar refneries by the
trust Mr. Searles left Philadelphia last
night and it is understood that he has the
is possible to include Philadelphia's great
sugar producing industries in the list Of the
trusts refneries. A we'll informed person
said last night that in one instance the deal
was practically concluded.
The three great Philadelphia sugar re-
fineries-Spreckels', Knights and the
Franklin-have been thorns in the side of
the American Sugar Refining Company,
commonly known as the Sugar Trust, for
years. This corporation, whose capital
prior to January of this year was $50, 900, 900,
increased the capitalization to S75, ,0OO, 600,
and, with this addition to its money power,
has redoubled its efforts to bring within its
control all outstanding refneries There
were, it is understood, 5000 individual hold
ers of the trust stock before the increase in
| capitalization. The certificates paid per
| cent interest on preferred and per cent on
common stock. A profit of three-eighths OF
cent per pound on sugar means 81. 200, 900
year to the Sugar Trust.
Will Be Combined Within Month.
Continuing in his remarks. the refner
who gave the information regarding the
Sugar Trust and its plans, said
"The arrangement will be effected, be-
lieve, within month, If it is done at all,
and it will be grand combination of all the
sugar refining capital. It is undoubtedly to
the best interests of all concerned that this
combination be effected. The planters have
reaped the great reward which the removal
of the tariff on sugar has brought. The re-
finers have not. The public would not suffer
by the combination, and the refners would
make fair profit, which they do not do at
present. Refined sugar that is sold to the
consumer at 4 cents a pound means a
loss to the refner of IA of q cent on each
pound There are more sugar houses now
than are required to supply the demand. If
the interests of all refners are consolidated
it would greatly reduce the vast expense
attached to the operating of the refneries,
and the refners could be more liberal with
their employees say that it looks strongly
as if the consolidation would be effected;
but, even if it is not, there will be harmony
among the refners, both in and out of the
trust. This increase in the stock of the
American Sugar Refining Company in Jan
uary was for the express purposes of con-
solidation.
Output OF Philadelphia Refneries
'Philadelphia's refneries are. by all odds,
the greatest in the country. We have un- |
excelled fresh water facilities which neither |
New York no Baltimore has, and the rail- |
road tracks run into our refneries, which
they do not do at New York or Boston.
Fresh water is one of the most valuable of
all commodities connected with the manu.
facture of sugar. Phlladelphia refneries,
at their average capacity, turn out about
600 barrels asss Of daily The Fssnkn lin
Spreckels, 5000, and the knight
about 1000. Before the tariff was
taken of sugar there were 1,450,0O
tons of raw sugar boiled up. in the United
States. Last year the increase was remark
able. |, 800, 900 tons being used by refneries,
and this year, if the fruit crop is as good as
it is expected it will be, there will be con-
sumed at the refneries 1900, 900 tons OF raw
sugar. Four years sgo the price of refined
sugar was cents pound, now it is 4.
Americans use about 70 pounds of refined
each year is supposed to keep pace with the
increase in population, about per cent"
A member of the firm of E. C. Knight &
Co. said last night that no officer or repre-
sentative had been in their office or refinery
within the past few days. Mr.. Searles, the
trust treasurer, did not see them. Within
the past 80 days, however, they have been
and asked upon what terms they
would allow their refinery to pass into con-
troll OF the trust This gentleman would not
say whether they would sell or not.
spreckels Is Not Talking.
Charles G. Harrison, President of the
Franklin Refinery, refused to say whether
Or not the trust had secured control of the
plant, but 1t is understood that when Mr.
Searles left the Lafayette Hotel last night
for New York he had reason to feel much
at the condition of affairs be-
tween himself and the Franklin officials.
The same gentleman who vouchsafed the
regarding the consolidation was
sure that the Spreckels interests
were included in the deal. The trust and
Spreckels are on very good terms in San
francisco, he said, and quite recently its
representatives were investigating the
Spreckels refinery in this city, being con-
1ucted by one of the firm through the plant,
It is understood that Claus Spreckels will
shortly return to look after his interests on
he Pacific coast, leaving the control of his
Eastern business to his son Adolph, who
lrriyed in Philadelphia from the West on
Sunday, and who is now daily at the execu-
i've Offices of the Spreckels interests in this
,ity.
No positive information was obtainable
egarding the present attitude of the Messrs.
Spreckels toward the representatives of the
rust, who are said to have visited them
spreckels' Cooper Shop Burned.
w. G. Pennypacker's barrel factory at
Swanson and Reed streets, in the rear of
opreckels' big sugar refinery, was DESTROYED
y fire this morning. The flames originated
n a kiln used for drying barrel slaves.
While the fire was at its height it was re-
'orted that Fireman George Solley, of En-
inc Company 10, was inside the burning
uilding In an instant Robert Solley, his
rother, a member of the same COM
any, sprang forward to go to his
escue, but at the threshold he was knocked
enseless by big slab of red hot stone that
ell from the root. The injured man was
aken to the hospital, where it is said his ,
hances of recovery are slight. 1t was after
1ards learned that George Solley was not
4 the building at all, but was only a few
eet from the scene OF the accident to his
rother. The flames burned fercely for
We hours The barrel factory was erected
y Claus Spreckels at the time he built his !
,fnery and was leased to MI. Pennypacker.
INue h,,t1 :