New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-19
ryFRTJTFUL INQUIRIES.

ur Ioxow is probably aware by TINS 'he
that ,be private affairs of manufacturing .o
rora,ion are not readily exposed by an ihq"i'
,,ho doos not know what he wants 10 hho OUT
and that they may be beyond the Jurisu'coon
90 Tho State by which the corporation was no'
oh.r,ored II is not probable that any Iair ia"
..a,. would have been astonished by the claim
,ho, company chartered by New-Jerse!' WHICH
=; ,..ou;red bv the laws Of that State TO keep us
hools always open to proper inspec'oh ut
n,.c. of business within that state, couiu not
ha .xnected TO surrender them at the deihahu
- any other State from Maine to WashihS'on'
AZ the company would be liable to procedures
90 ,ho most serious character by the state or
Inv any NewJersey shareholder. II 1t shouio IAN
~ comnly with the law. Mr.. LeXow might nave
narrowed that he had asked what the coiiipah!
u,os warranted in refusing. 1t was piece ol
,Ion,ran also. for some newspapers TO say 'ha'
Tho sugar company "defed this State when IL
concluded TO obey the laws of New-Jersey.
I, e more surprising still that anybody mag
;nes II is of the highest Importance 10 ascertain
what was paid for the various renhhg piah's
.oou,red Curiosity might prompt the inquiry
wbat Mr.. Wanamaker paid for the stock ana
business of Hilton. Hughes Co.. but the pup
lie has no particular right to demand 'ha' 'he
details of the bargain should be SPRAYED over
sundry columns IN the newspapers. IL COT
noration has not the right Of privacy when De-
longs 10 an individual or firm, 1t is at least the
business Of the State chartering the corporation
and not Of any other State that may have curl
os,tv on the subject. to demand the dlSclosure
% business transactions The bottom fact is
that I, is not important to know what was the
allowance for different properties acquired. The
Gallant ouestion which IL Is right TO ask ana
have answered Is whether so unreasonable
nroft has been charged for refining sugar that
Il Ia In restriction of trade and prejudcial 10 the
nublic welfare whether the trust has USED lts
onnortunty to plumber the public and an invesii-
eating committee might possibly discover this. II
II knew enough about the business to ask intelii-
cent questions When Mr. Lexow loosely called
for the cost of refining sugar, the answer that
II depends upon the quality and condition OF
tho sugar refined should not have staggered
him. He might then have inquired what was
the cost of producing graduated sugar from So
degree Muscovado or from 96-degree centrifu-
gal, putting either question with suf11cient def
niteness to preclude evasion.
II Is a highly Instructive fact that eminently
competent witnesses have sworn that the cost
Of refining is as little as three-eighths and as
much as three quarters Of a cent per pound, pre-
sumably for different qualities. A very large
nroDortiop of the sugar actually refined Is Of the
lower or medium grades. Thus Of 2,70O,0O0,OOO
mounds imported in 1889, about 1,258,OOO,OOO
pounds were Of 90 degrees and over, ,32S,OOO.
600 pounds of 90 degrees or less, and the rest
was between those two grades. Evidently the
larger allowance for cost would apply TO more
OF the sugar produced than the allowance proper
for 98-degree centrifugal, whatever that may be.
But this at least is clear. that the committee
has not greatly enlightened the world as yet.
Neither mere curiosity about the private bust
ness Of those who have sold property nor the