Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-27
Has Always Looked After Interests
Of the Sugar Trust
ALWAYS INSISTED on PROTECTION
His Work When Wilson and Ding
ley Bills Were Discussed.
MIR. SEARLES' STATEMENT

No man in Congress will assert with the
expectation Of being believed that the in
terests of the sugar trust have not been
looked after in Congress whenever a ques
tion has been up which might involve those
interests. The trust may have at various
times men in Congress who will protect
and watch over them. 1t is very common
belief that this is true, but those men do
not avow themselves the representatives of
the sugar trust any more than does Mr..
Oxnard. They are marked simply because
they are always found to be alert and on
the defensive when the trust seems to be
in danger. Mr.. Oxnard is known to be the
most active of the sugar lobby at the Capt.
tol when tariff is under consideration in any
form or when anything is up which might
affect sugar interests. His influence has
been so powerful that apparently Congress
has been at all times afraid to resist him.
Speculation in Sugar Stocks.
When the Wilson tariff bill was under
discussion the uppermost question was su-
gar. Sugar held the bill suspended in the
Senate. 1t held the bill suspended in the
conference committee, as everybody knows.
There was great scandal 1t was alleged
that senators were speculating in sugar
trust stock. Some senators confessed to the
charge. One said on the floor that he
bought stocks when he pleased, or some
thing to that effect. One said that his serv-
ant Inadvertently sent a telegram involving
him, the senator, in sugar speculation.
Ihere was a senatorial investigation and
an attempt TO send certain newspaper cor
respondents to jail for not giving the
names of their informants as to certain
statements made. The speculation was in
sugar trust stock. and everybody knows
that the increase in the value of the stock
was predicated upon the belief assurance
mat sugar would not be put on the free
list but that 1t would secure the duty that
the trust wanted. The question of beet
sugar was not as much fly speck on the
wheel.
There was no idea at that time that the
trust wanted free sugar. The suggestion
that the scheme to secure high protection
might fail was enough to make the price
OF sugar stock trembie in the balance The
certainty that the protection would be had
sent the stock booming from somewhere
in the eighties to far above hundred It
was said that hundreds ofsthousands were
ma de in speculation. If this statement WIS
not true, then all the traditions of the stock
market were violated.
The fact which no one ban deny IS that
the sugar stock went up as the prospects
for high protection increased.
Oxnard the Principal Figure
No with knowledge of the crcum-
stances and any regard for the truth will
deny that Mr.. Oxnard was the principal
80
high protection. The records of the hear
ings show this fact, and every man who
watched the progress of the tariff bill
KNOWS II. NO one processing to represent
the sugar trust appeared before the COM
mttee and urged protection or free trade,
yet the interests of the trust We're cared
for and the thing which Mr. Oxnard was
so persistent in demanding was what sent
the sugar trust stock up in the market
Mr.. Oxnard, together with other beet
sugar. a md ca,,+o ti,,oc
OF the Louisiana sugar interests were the
ones who appeared advocates of the
duty. Mr.. Payne of New York, who was a
member Of the committee at that time
says that the interest of the sugar trust is
on the other side of the question from
that of Mr.. OXnard. No representative of
the sugar trust appeared to oppose Mr.
oxnards efforts to secure high protection.
Under the Dinsley Bill.
When the Dingley bill was under con-
sideraion, Mr.. Oxnard and the rest of the
beet sugar men appeared demanding as
slstance and support as they We're sugar
dealers who displayed considerable knowl-
edge as to the operations of the trust, and
some of whom had something to say about
their agreement with the trust as to the
price at which sugar should be sold. At
this hearing a statement in behalf of the
sugar trust was submitted by Mr.. Joun L
Searles, treasurer of the American Sugar
Refining Company This statement was
not an argument in favor of free trade,
which Mr. Payne seems to desire the public
to believe the sugar trust wants, but was
part of the symposium Of sugar protection
arguments.
Moreover this statement intimates a rea-
son why the trust was not interested in
having free raw sugar. which is the re-
liners raw material 1t says in part:
Mr.. searIes' Statements.
I'm order to market here the surplus pro-
duct of Germany, the production of which
is stimulated by a substantial bounty, their
refined sugar. which is made directly from
the beet, without the additional and indie
pendent refining process, is practically sold
on the basis of raw sugar, e. G., 100 pounds
of refined sugar is sold for the Equivalent
of the same amount of purity in raw sugar,
the product of the American refineries
which Is the best in the world, it serves the
purpose sufhciently to displace their product
to constantly increasing amount"
here tolloWs statistics, and the state
ment continues:
The inevitable result is amply illustrated
in Great Britain, where, not twithstandtng
the advantages OF freedom from duty and
easier access to the raw sugars of the East
indies and her own colonies the German re-
lined sugars are rapidly driving the English
renners out of their own market the i'm
portations, according to the official figures
IN the bureau of statistics, showing the i'm
lows" :.
And statistics are again presented.
ST. ELIZABETH ATTENDANTS.
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