Evening star., 1901-11-23
German Sugar Interests in a Secret
Combination.
MAKES ITS PROFITS At E0IG
Fast Crushing Out All Competition
in Outside Markets.
PROPOSAL TO RETALIATE

LONDON, November 2S.-The British
sugar magnates assert that their investiga-
tions have revealed the existence in Ger
many of a great trust, called the "Kar-
tell, which has been in existence about
year, and that II is chiefly owing TO its
agency that the price Of sugar has been
forced down to the lowest point in the his
tory of the industry. and that Germany to-
day is enabled to dictate to the world the
price of that commodity. The exact ex-
tent OF the "Kartall' was discovered they
say, only quite II Gently The magnitude OF
its operations supplies the missing factors
IN the present alarming condition of the
sugar market.
The abolition OF this organization will be
one of the chief objects OF the nations.
other than Germany. attending the forth
coming Brussels conference. Already Brit
ish firms have entered into negotiations
with leading American sugar interests, and
tables are now being drawn up showing the
transactions of the "Kartell," with a view
of submitting them to the authorities at
Washington. The British government will
be urged TO empower it's representatives at
the Brussels conference to threaten retalia-
tory counteryailtng measures unless the
"kartell'' is broken up or at least modi-
fed.
Germnny's Crop of Beet Sugar.
show that Germany now produces one
third of the worlds supply OF beet sugar.
of which she exports no less than ,2J0, 600
tons after completely supplying her own
population. These exports. which are al
most one-fifth of the worlds available sup
ply, are sent out at a loss to German man.
ufacturers. but thanks to the "Kartell" plus
the bounty. they are able not only to make
up for this, but to reap handsome profit
in addition to gaining absolute control OF
the sugar market.
The "Kartell'' is run very secretly but
from confidential reports shown to a repre-
sentative Of the Associated Press in London
1t is learned that is consists of an ironclad
combination of almost all producers and
reflners to keep up the price of sugar in
Germany. This is done so successfully that
the German consumer today pays thrice as
much for sugar as the Briton does for the
same article imported from Germany.
An Exclusive Combination.
The members of the "Kartelr' bind them
selves to buy from and sell to only those
affiliated with the combine. This has work.
ed so satisfactorily that the "Kartell'' now
includes practically every factor of the
sugar interests in Germany from the agri-
cultural producer to the refiner. The latter
agrees always to pay 1915 marks per hum
dred weight for the raw article. though nat
VI al coHulliois inisht Ordinarily alLoW MIN
to buy three marks cheaper. This, how
ever. insures permanently high price to
the consumer. The enormous profits con-
sequent upon these methods are pooled in
the "Kartell' and are divided upon an
elaborate and ingenious scale and the sur
plus product is disposed of at a slight loss
in other European and American markets
though even this deficit is often made up
by the bounty that Germany provides.
British sugar authorities are quoted as
saving that the CAryna0 "karrell' and
bounty combined will within two years ruin
the beet and cane industry in other coun-
tries, especially in Cuba and the o:her West
Indies.