Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-26
T HE SUGAR TRUS 7
Oxnard is and Always has Been
Serving It.
Why the Sugar Trust is Opposed to
the Porto Rico
Tariff.

The assertion by Mr.. Payne of New York
in his speech tn the House Saturday that
the sugar trust interests were not served by
the Porto Rican tariff. and that If the trust
were putting up Doodle it would be on the
other side, does not accord with the under
standing of the matter in Congress for
many years, nor with the history Of tariff
legislation. Mr.. Oxnard, being beet sugar
producer, has for years, whenever the tariff
was under consideration in any way, ap-
peared in the sugar interests presistently
as a beet sugar producer, and has en-
deavored TO maintain that he was not a
representative of the sugar trust.
But the interests of the sugar trust have
been served through his persistence for tar
if protection to the sugar interests, and
there has not been in the history Of tariff
legislation of recent years a conflict be
tween his representations and the interests
of the sugar trust.
Associated With the Scandal.
The sugar trust scandals during the con-
sideration of the recent tariff bill were as
sociated with him, and his recommends
tions as to sugar duties have been inf1uen-
IL to secure legislation which was the
basis n, the recent bill under consideration
Of s,,.ar sn.:>ulations which were lnvesti-
gated in Congress. ,,,,
resenting agricultural jo,1.-Hais, We're aG,ise
in securing the adoption by tl,>, I'm -, ~
and the passage of the Porto Rics.-- 't.t .na ~
bill and in hearings before the eons>>
sional committees were insistent upon the
tariff provision. Mr.. Oxnard disavows any
connection with the sugar trust, but This
dtsavowal is regarded as technical, ana II
is reported that he has agreements ana
contracts with the sugar trust which make
his interests as beet sugar producer and
those Of the sugar trust coincide.
The assertion of Mr.. Payne tkCt the sugar
trust interests were in conflict with the
tariff in Porto Rico is negat1ved by an
other statement in his speech. His refer
ence TO the Porto Ricans, where he said
who receive" referring to Porto Ricans'
This small price for their sugar. less the
tariff when they sold it to the American
Sugar Refining Company.
system of Buying Raw Sugar.
This reference to the sugar price less the
tariff is in accordance with what is under
stood to be the system Of theSsugar trust
in buying raw sugar. which is to make the
producers from whom it purchases bear
the tariff by deducting it from the price
paid. Mr. Payne was asked this morning
what he meant by that reference, and he
said that the sugar refiners paid the tariir
and deducted the amount from the market
price in New York. That was what he
meant.
Under this system it is quite obvious that
the sugar trust could have no special In
terest in free trade. and as a matter OF
fact the sugar trust has insisted during al
the tariff legislation upon a protection ac-
cordlng to a schedule of its own making.
Benefited by the Tariff.
The facts in the case appear to be that
the sugar trust instead of having, as Mr..
Payne declares, an interest In free trade,
is benefited hy the tariff to an enormous