The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-06-16
DEFENSE OF TRUSTS.
The President of a Grocers' Asso-
citation Favors Combines.
OKLAHOMA PASTURES LITIGATION.
Assistant Attorney General vandeventer
Renders a Decision About the Otoe and
Missouri Leases-CoIored Troops
May he Sent to the Philippines.

Washington, June 13.-Mr. G. Waldo
Smith, of New York, president of the
| Wholesale Grocers' association, was the
only witness before the industrial com
mission yesterday in connection with
the trust investigation. MIR. smith
| proved to be IA defender of the trusts,
but he refused TO speak of the combi-
nations of capital by this name. He
indeed asserted that there were no
trusts, and that the combinations were
so referred TO unjustly. He detailed
the particulars of the organization of
the grocers' organizations which oc-
Cured in 1883 He said previous to
this combination the wholesale gorcers
were selling many articles at cost
price, including sugar, baking powder
and soap and other articles of uni
form quality. There was especial
reason to complain of the price
of sugar, he declared, and the whole
salers had given particular attention
to securing cooperation with the
sugar rehners SO as to insure slight
profit. The American Sugar Refining
company then, he said, controlled the
manufacture of sugar, and the whole
salers had been able after much con-
sultation to secure uniform rate of
D 3-l6 cents per pound, with the under
standing that all who did not sell at a
less price than this should have re-
bate at the end of each three months
of 1874 cents on each 100 pounds of
sugar purchased. This arrangement.
said Mr.. Smith, had continued until
the present day, and would have re-
lieved the grocers of the necessity of
selling sugar at loss if some of them
had not made a cut on the price. As
serting that there were no trusts
Mr.. Smith said he had asked
II lawyers to name one and
they had failed to do so. As for
combinations of capital they were
necessary to do the business of the
world and when any Of them should
reach point at which ii was making
excessive profit, competition would
spring up and thus furnish an antidote
Tor the only possible evil that might
arise from them. lie knew that the
animation of the sugar reiineries
had resulted in "a reaction of price and
it was also Il fact that he was now able
20 buy three or four gallons of oil with
the profits he formerly made on one
gallon. Hence he argued that such
combinations We're in the interest Of
the consumer.
LEASED LAND DECISION.
Washington, June 13.-A,sistant At
torney General Nandeventer for the
interior department. yesterday rem
dered his decision on the case INVOLVING
the leases OF the ponca pastures and
Of the Otoe and Missouri pastures in
Oklahoma, now held by William +.
Smith. Frank Witherspoon. Isaac f.
Pryor and Julian II. Morris. The pas
lures embrace $4,000 acres and the
leases We're given March IT, 1895. to
ran for a period of three years from
April /. that year, at an an
repair of all fences. erection
of new fences and of water tanks. The
case grew ont of the action of Isaac
Sharp, agent at Ponca agency. in ac-
cepting $1,000 from the lessees for APP
proving the leases. The attorney gen
eral goes into the history of the case
and states that after Sharp's approval,
when the leases were sent to Washing
ton, the secretary declined to approve
them as then drawn and insisted upon
an increased rental. The lessees were
compelled to increase their annual
rental S2,@33.33 and upon doing this
the leases were approved. The lessees
were not molested after the discovery
of the method employed in obtaining
Sharp's approval of the leases anc
were required TO fulfill their agree
ments, the repair and construction of
fences etc. In the opinion rendered
yesterday by the assistant attorney
general, which bears the approval of
the secretary of the interior, the facts
relating to the bribery of Agent Sharp
are all fully set forth. including the
affidavit of Henry Il, Asp, describing
in detail observation-disclosures of the brib-.
cry. The opinion holds that as a rule
a contract or lease thus fraudulentlv
obtained is for that reason subject to
rescission and cancellation by the party
upon whom the fraud is practiced and
that the fraud does not make the con-
tract on lease absolutely void, but only
voidable
CoLoRED TROOPS FOR MANILA.
Washington, jane lS.--rhe war de-
partment has under consideration an
order sending the Twenty-fourth and
Twenty-tifth infantry to Manila to re-
inforce Gen. Otis. The order has not
yet been issued, but arrangements for
relieving these regiments are being
considered and it is quite probable that
il will be completed in "a few days
Both are colored regiments and saw
service in Cuba. 1t is believed the men
will be able to withstand the climate
of the Philippines better than the
other troops. Owing to the posi-
BILE troubles with the Indians if
these posts are left entirely
without garrisons, other troops, no
doubt, will be sent to occupy most of
them.
Ginning Hera for ia