The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-12-05

NEW YORK, Nov. 2S.-An evening pa
per says: Orders were issued today from
the headquarters of the American sugar
refinery IN Wall-st. to shut down com
pletely all the refineries Of the company
in Boston, New York and Philadelphia
Fifty thousand operatives will be affected
by the closing Of the sugar works.
President H. o. Havemeyer Of the
American sugar refining company said this
morning:
''The sugar business has been bad for
some months past We have been hoping
against hope all along and tried to wealth
er through the period of depression. trust
ing that business might improve and that
we would soon be able to run our works
to their fullest capacity, but everything
was against us.
''The reaction that followed the passage
of the tariff bill brought about a dull
season and the war among the wholesale
grocers in several sections of the country
still further tended to demoralize trade
When to this was added the excitement
Of an election canvass and the general re
port that congress would pass free sugar
bill, making all sugars free, you can
readily see that there was enough cause
y.
But we ran our works up to the present
time with reduced force in the hope,
Micawber-like, that something would turn
up. Our faith in the future has failed us
and, beginning tomorrow, we shall shut
down all our works in Boston, New York,
Philadelphia and Baltimore. This will af-
feet $4,000 operatives.
we cannot do anything else. We are
sorry for our men and have been trying
to ward it off all along. But. the truth is,
we have been running our works at a loss
for several months past And it's TIM
to call quits now. The last congress is
responsible for the present situation and
If they pass the free sugar bill at Wash
ington, as it is reported that they will,
| they will kill the sugar industry COM
pletely. Things could not be much worse
than they are now. There Is very little
difference between the prices of raw and
refined sugar and there is no reason or
justice in continuing business at heavy
loss.
1--WE must either have enough profit to
cover the bald expenses of carrying on
sugar refining or else go out Of the bust
ness completely. We cannot compete with
the wages paid in Europe and our men
could not begin TO support themselves and
their families at such figures. And yet
we are asked to run our establishments
with only the margin in refining that IS to
be found between the cost Of raw and re-
fined sugars, which IS now a trifie less
than a half cent per pound. No, the
only thing for us to do is to shut down
completely until there is a market for our
goods and until we can see our way to pay
expenses. And L can see nothing cheer
ing or reassuring in the outlook at the
present moment"
John E. Searles, treasurer of the Ameri-
can sugar refining company, was seen this
evening. Concerning the report that the
refineries of the company in Boston, New
York and Philadelphia were to be COM
pletely closed down, he said:
They are closed down a present and
they will remain closed over THANKSGIVING
day"
Twill they remain closed long?" Mr..
Searles was asked.
'Wen, 1 don't think they will reopen
this week. he replied, but we will re-
sumo business next week. So far as 1 am
aware there is no intention of permanent
ly closing the refineries."
Mr.. Searles added that he had seen an
account of an interview with II. o. Have
meyer, but knew nothing about it.
NEW YORK. Nov. SO.-The Evening
Post says: 1.-The statement of H O.
Havemeyer. president of the American
sugar refining company Che sugar trusD,
that the refneries Of the company must
be shut down for awhile. owing to de-
preston in the trade during the legisla-
ture was discussed today in business and
labor circles. The modified announcement
made by Mr. Havemeyer this morning
that only half the force would be laid off,
was regarded as an indication of a less
fixed purpose than was indicated in the
declaration of the company's intentions
on Wednesday night. At the refineries in
Brooklyn hundreds of workmen and wom-
en- and members of their families were
gathered this morning. From their state
ments it appears that about 5000 of the
1000 men usually kept busy there were
idle today. They did not know how long