New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-29
A CRY OF HARD TIMES.
H. o. HAVEMEYER SAYS THE SUGAR RE-
FINERIEs MUST BE CLOSED
No MONEY IN THE BUSINESS At PRESENT RATES
HE ASSERTS AND THE PROSPECT OF
FREE SUGAR HAS A BAD EFFECT
THE LAST CONGRESS- HELD
RESPONSIBLE.


RESPONSIBLE.
An interview with H. .. Havemeyer. president OF
the American Sugar Refining Company. was pun
ushcd Yesterday afternoon in which he said that the
company void at shut down all its rciinerIes III
Boston Newly rk. Philadelphia and Baltimore. ms
action would affect 10000 operatives
Mr. Havemeyer had lef the office and had gone
into the country for Thanksgiving Day. II was SAID
al the Sugar Trust Building yesterday afternoon
when n reporter Of The Tribune called there Jonl
T.. Sear.es. the secretary the only one Of the
company at the office. and ne absolutely declined IL
see or To talk TO newspaper men. lie at'er"d'
tcephOncd in answer 10 a question bv The New
York News Bureau that the works You'd Only
close down over Thanksgiving Day Later In inc
day when the interview was sent In 10 him he re-
turned it. saying he knew nothing about IT, ana was
not aware that Mr.. Havcmeyer had said anything
on TIE subject
Here is the Interview:
The sugar business has been bad for some months
past. We have been hoping against hope al aions
and tried TO weather through the period OF depI's.
sion, trusting that business might improve ana va,
We would soon De able run our works To the!r
fuost capacity, but everything vas against US ,o
The reaction that followed the passage or the
Tariff bill brought about duh season, ana me VII
among the wholesale grocers In several sections p'
the country still further tended to demuFa@e "a"e'
When To this was added the excitement OF an elec-
ton canvass am the genera report mat Congress
would pass "A Free sugar h.il making an husdI ,
free. YOU can readily tlat there were enough
causes to compei us to shut down completely. 49,
But our works up TO the present u,he
with reduced force In the hope, MlcawDer-hkr'
that something would turn up. our ialth IN tne iu-
ture has failed us. and beginning tomorrow. we
shall shut down all our works In Boston, New ORR,
Philadelphia and Baltimore. This VIII affect oo"''
We cannot do anything else. We sorry for our
men, and have been trying TO ward on tne DION 20,
all along. But the truth Is. We have been running
works at loss for several months past Ana
it's time to call quits now ,
The last Congress Is responsible for the present
situation ard II they pass the Free sugar b!li az
Washington. IT Is reported that they VIII they WIZ
Kill the sugar Industry completely. Things cannot
he much worse than they are now There Is very
little difference between the prices OF raw ana r.
fined and rere is no reason or justice IN con-
tinung a business at heavy loss - -.... -,
We must either have enough profit 70 cover ne
60 ont Of the business completely. We cannot COM
pete with the wages paid in Europe and our men
could not begin to support themselves ana tneir
families AT such figures. And yet We are asked TO
our cstablishments with only me margin n u, N
and refined sugar, which is now triile less tran
No: the only thing for to 10 Is TO shut down
completely until there Is market for our g"ois;
and until We can our way To pay expenses "nd
I nothing cheering or reassur'ng III the cut
look at the present moment
DO YOU anticipate that Congress Will consider the
down becomes come known Fir HnvcmeycT was asked.
"Oh don't know" h. answered YEARLY. "Were
Al the Havemeyer rcnncr!cs In Williamsburg last
night nothing was known about tie report OF y
si,e.d one of the night suporn,cnicnts SAID that
~ orders had been received by th'm, 'li II na1
been true" he SAID. some one OF the heats u ne
depirtrncn,s should have received Information
which would have been given out
Boston NOV 2S-one of The managers Of Tho
Revere Sugar Refinery said to-day.
Il have 10 finite ln;ormaton concerning ~
action or proposed action ~ any other refinery
than our own. W. are not Concerned I'D any w." Way
with the Ncw-Nork rehneri's That a shutio"I
must come and that soon appenrT in'Ti,ah.r. pp
is ovcrprcducton ana the fari mat inc ID. ". an