The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1899-06-22
LAWS PLUMBER PEOPLE,"
"MonopoIies Are Merely the
Machinery Used,"

Issue Discussed at Length.
Washington, June 14.-Henry o.
Havemsyer, president of the Ameri- |
can Sugar Refining Company, Great
ed decided sensation at the hearing
of the Industrial Commission to-day
when he opened his testimony with
the fat-footed declaration: The
mother of all trusts is the protective
tariff"
At the outset of their work the
commission had an understanding
that the investigation should be non
partisan and that they would keep
out all questions relating to the
tariff, currency and other matters
which were political issues between
the parties.
Mr.. Havsmeyer, however, did not
approach the question in a partisan
spiriH and he explained that he
spoke as a business man and citizen.
He brought with him typewriter
statement on trusts in general and
the American Sugar Refining Com
pany in particular, which he asked
permission to read before he was
questioned by the commission.
His opening declaration was a
complete surprise. Ths republican
members of the commission glanced
uneasily at each other, while the
democrats chuckled, as Mr.. Have.
meyer struck the keynote of the
trust evil.
Mr.. Havemeyer's statement was a
development of the democratic idea
that inordinate protection fostered
and encouraged the formation of
trusts and rendered the people pow
erless in that this extreme protection
made foreign competition impossi-
BILE. The present law, he said, gave
too much protection to nearly every
thing.
He advocated a nearly uniform
rate of 10 per cent ad valorem on
all imports which, he said, would be
sufficient to cover the difference in
cost of production as between the
United States and foreign countries
Under the existing law, the presi'
dent of the Sugar Trust said, the
protection given to sugar is equiva
lent to one-eighth Of a cent a pound
or little more than per cent ad
valorem.
HAvEMEYERs STATEMENT.
The text of thu statement read by
Mr.. Havemsysr is as follows:
THE neither of all trusts is thu
customs tariff bill. The existing bill
and the preceding one have been TIT
occasion for the formation of all tn,
large trusts, with very few excep
tons, inasmuch as they provide fe
an inordinate protection to all tn
interests OF the country, sugar rein
ing excepted. Economic advantage
incident to the consolidation of larg
interests in the same line of bus
ness are a great incentive TO thei
formation, but these bear a yer
3 Insignificant proportion of the &C
!; vantages granted in the way c
protection under thu customs tariff
{ There probably is not an industr
= that requires protection OF mor
than 10 per cent ad valorem, and
o is to obtain what is provided owe
r such percentage in the tariff ths
: leads to the formation of what al
S commonly spoken of SIS trusts.
He eontended that sugar is di
eliminated against in the tariff
# the interest of the Louisiana car
. growers, the beet sugar makers an
9 the sugar growers of the Hawaiia
y Islands. To these interests, he eo1
Q tended, the United States annual
j. contributed S24. 100000. which WI
o taken out of the pockets OF IL
It people.
Is II repeat that ali this sgitatic
against trusts is against merely Il
4 business machinery employed
take from the public what the Go
= eminent in it's tariff laws says it
proper and suitable they shou
have. Il ID the Government, throus
Ito tariff laws. which plumbers D