The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-06-15
Before the Industrial Commission.
President Havcmcyer Talks
on the Tariff Duties
WHICH, HE SAYS, ARE IN FAVOR.
OF the Interests OF Louisiana Cane
Growers.-.Carcs Nothing for
the Ethics Of Life.

was examined by the Industrial COM
mission to-day In connection with Its
investigation Of trusts. His testimony
related almost wholly to the sugar in
dustry and he opened with vigorous
attack upon the customs tariff which he
declared was the mother OF all
trusts" becoming such by providing
"an inordinate protection to manufac-
tured articles" This attack was made
In written statement which the wit
hess, had prepared before making his
appearance before the committee and
which he read In ringing voice.
Continuing his statement he asserted
that tariff OF 10 per cent was as high
as any tariff should be. He contended
that sugar 10 d!scr!minatcd against in
the tariff In the Interest Of the Louis
lana cane growers, the beet sugar maxi
ers and the sugar growers Of the Has
waiian islands To these interests he
contended the United States contrlbu-
ted $24,OO0.O00. which wns taken out OF
VIZ poinGSo VI LAC pCOpAS. lHC pkpltN~
tlon on sugar amounted to only one-
eighth Of a cent pound or about three
and one-half per cent nd valorem. 1t
ought TO be twice as much. what the
sugar refining business has paid or Is
paying represents nothing more than
an adequate return on the capital In
vested he said.
What Congress Should Have Done.
What Congress- should have done was
to have put an Internal revenue tax
on the American production OF sugar.
The representations made in Congress
concerning the trust he declared. were
untrue and If It was fact that the
people suffered from trusts they must
| blame the protective tariff system OF
chinery. No advantage had ever been
taken by his company OF the protec-
| tive system beyond the one-eighth OF
a cent given. He admitted freely that
the company did all possible to I'd
Tnnce.lts own business He
did not think the interpretations were
under obligations to the different states
but that the reverse was true "Capl-
tai and labor" he stated, would all ad-
just themselves II let alone. The only
way to prevent competition. Mr.. Have
meyer testified. was to keep prices at n
miniinum-not necessarily In the Inter-
est Of the consumer. but ns 4 matter
Of business He referred to the trus.
laws Of some Of the states rs pre-
MUM on dishonesty. specifying the
Missouri law. There wero always two
classes OF people In n COMMUNICATIVE
Industrious and those who wanted to
live off them.
Replying to questions by Prof. jerks
after he hnd concluded the reading OF
his paper. Mr.. Havemcyer said the
American company was capitalized for
much less than It was worth. but for
the clamor against trusts" he said, ut
| could be sold for three times It's capital
izatIon. Yet he thought the rcnnerIes
could be duplicated for s35.OoO.Ooo or
s4O.OoO.0Oo. The present capacity of the
trust IS. he said. 5000 burrels n day
and the output 10000 He thought the
trust was refining about 30 per cent Of
the sugar refined In the United States.
Havemyer Speaks Freely.
The witness spoke very freely Of the
methods Of the company in preserving
and extending It's business OF the
earlier history of the enterprise he said
he did not fight the Harrison refinery
at Philadelphia.
but We had TO fight SpreclsIes when
he went into the field with his enor-
| nous plant. We had to do that or stis-
pend our dividends. We went Into the
| fight md we kept 1t up until we got the
refinery" Tho late drop In the price OF
| sugar had been caused by the starting
OF new rellneries which had threatened
to take 30 per cent OF the business. 1T
was part OF our policy TO put prices
down and let the opposition take the
result. wfntever It may be- Every safe
made by the opposition displayed so
much Of the American company's pro-
duct" he said. I'VE must protect our
! own business" Mr.. Hnvemeyer then
went on to shy that what the company
did 1t did not do for motives OF philan-
thropy-that It had Its own share-hoId-
crs to protect. Anybody Gun buy our
stock" he continued. "and rs consc-
quence the public owns the stock. But
doubt whether any one would wan.
my Of the stock of tho Independent re-
! nnerles." ..
How many stockholders have your"
asked Professor jerks.
Enough TO Take Cuba.
about 1l,0oO." he replied, and added,
enough to take Cubn--nud they would
take 1t. If they could"
Tho latter reInnrk was mnde in
light vein. lie stated ns his opinion
that the Cuban sugar should be brought
In free OF duty and TINT this course
would bring refined sugar down to
three cents n pound.
Speaking OF tho coffee business. Mr..
11hvemeyer snid he was In the busi-
ncsa md In II to stny. +
Mr.. Hnvemoyer's Htntemcnt aroused
great interest and the next three hours
were devoted TO answering questions
asked him In rapid succession by MEM
bcrs OF tho commission. He ut first de-
cllned to state whether the company