Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-09-01
TROUBLES OF "A TRUST !,
Sugar Trust Finds Powerful Rivals In
Arbuckle and Dosoher Companies.

Sugar Trust Finds Powerful Rivals in
Arbuckls and Dosoher Companies.
The sugar trust has a rough sea
ahead of it. If there ever was a
trust which was thoroughly disropu-
table, and which distinguished itself
by its defiance of decency as we'll as
of public opinion, this is the one.
The probability that the sugar trust
has seen ita best days will, therefore,
be viewed with general satisfaction
by the public, which it has hseced
for 80 long time. The dangers that
beset this gigantic corporation are
manifold. ...
1t has recently found a powerful
rival in the Arbuckle Company,
which has built and oponed a great
sugar refinery in Brooklyn. Ano-
ther refinery on Long Island, to be
operated by the Doscher Company,
will be ready for business in Octo-
ber. Still another refinery that will
make war on the sugar trust has just
been completed in San Francisco.
The trust now produces about three
fourths of all tho refined sugar used
in this country, but it is estimated
that its powerful competitors, who
are now in tho field, will take away
nearly half of its business.
The rapidly growing beet sugar
industry is Also giving the sugar
trust trouble. 1t is necessary, in
order to make the production of beet
sugar profitable, to refine sugar
where the beets are grown, and thus
make large saving in freight.
The business of refining sugar
near the Louisiana plantations ia
also increasing every year for simi-
lar reason.
But the most serious danger which
now beset the sugar trust is one
which was brought on by its own
greed and the exercise of it's inhu-
encc with Congress.
The lobbyists of the trust and its
tools in Congress succeeded in put
ting differential duty of ons cent a
pound on refined sugar into the
Dingley tariff Act This gave the
trust an enormous bounty, but it was
too good thing. 1t is this big diff
| ferential which has lurcd other DOW
crful companies into the sugar refin-
ing business. If the sugar trust had
not grabbed for so much in the way
of Legislative favors it would now be
in a much stronger position than it
holds.
And now the trust ia brought face
to face with another perplexing
problem. The sugar of Porto Rico
and Hawaii will be admitted free OF
duty. The sugar product of Cuba
will also come in free when Cuba be-
comes ours, as it probably will before
long. There will certainly be re.
tineries established in those islands
to put the sugar into shape for mar,
leet before it is shipped to this coun,
try. Tho trust will have gay time
keeping down this competition.
This concern now has common
and preferred stock to the amount OF
$75,000,000. On this it is expected
to pay handsome dividends. 1t has
been forced by its policy Of crushing
competition to pay for competing
refneries prices immensely above
their real value. 1t is said that all
the plants of the trust could be
duplicated for one-ffth of the
amount for which they are stocked
This gives the rival refineries re.
Gently built an enormous advantage.
To buy up these refineries would pu,
a stop to the trusts dividends and
run it's stock down to something Ike
real value. TO face and fight the
great competition now before it vii
be to lose one-half of its monopoly.
The situation is badly mixed fo,
the trust, but all persons who do not
hold it's watered stock may contcm.
plate the situation with equanimity
and hope for the collapse Of q com.
bination which has forfeited al
claims to sympathy or respect
Atlanta journal.
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