The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-11-15
NOVEMBER is, 1901.
TRUST IS ACTIVE.

one OF the regular industries of the
state, the people of Montana are even
more interested in the matter of the
fight which the sugar trust is making
for absolute control of the sugar mar
ket OF the country than they would be
otherwise, although the subject is one
in which all must take a lively inter-
est. AS The Gazette has pointed out
before, the trust is ~endeavoring to
secure a removal of the duty now
imposed on raw sugar imported from
Cuba, and is doing SO under the pre-
tense of being DESTROYS of reducing
the cost Of producing the finished ar
ticle, SO that it may cost the consumer
less.
Everybody acquainted with the tao
tics and past history of the trust and
its treatment Of the people knows
that this plea is only a subterfuge
and that the real object of the trust
is to secur absolute control of the
market in this country and drive out
the threatening competition by the
beet sugar men. To make a better
showing before congress and to gain
the advantage of a supposed endorse
ment from the people, the trust has re-
sorted to a new scheme. The new eff
fort finds form in a petition which is
being widely, but stealthily circulated
in some of the eastern congressional
districts praying for an abolition of
all duty on Cuban sugar. Thanks to
a Chicago newspaper the public has
been informed of the trusts little
game. The paper in question says
that three Or four copies of the petit
ton are being circulated in each of
the congressional districts of Cook
county.
Ostensibly the petition is Sent ont
by the National Pure Food ~associa-
ton, which has it's headquarters in
New York, but it is also circulated by
agents of the United States Export
association, al organization that has
it's headquarters in the same city. 1t
calls on all jobbers and large consum-
ers of sugar to join in a petition to
congress to do away with the sugar
tariff because it will save the consum-
ers annually $60,00O,OOO and give the.
people of the country refined sugar
at a cost of 8 or 4 cents a pound. The
petition states that this would result
in fair competition between the cane
and beet sugar interests, of which the
consumers would get the benefit, and
in a great increase in the manufacture
of confectionery, preserves, etc. To
enlist the latter element on the trusts
side the petition sets forth that sue
cess of the effort would drive out
the English trade importations in
these goods and would benefit fruit
grocers, manufacturers and all alike
But the iobbers seem to be able to
see through the plot of the trust al
most as we'll as the managers of the
trust themselves. They say that that
body is trying to influence congress
to admit Cuban sugar free and so put
an end to the most dangerous COM
petition against the trust-the beet
sugar industry. The jobbers are right.
All the trust is after is to gain con-
troll of the sugar market of the nation.
This would be a matter easy of accom-
plishment if congress would only play
into ifc hond to tho oyforf IF roroou-
ing the duty on raw sugar imported
from Cuba, for with this advantage
on it's side it could speedily drive
every beet sugar factory out of ex
istence and nobody would be power
full enough tt check it's advances in
the direction Of enriching itself at
the expense Of every person in the
land who uses sugar, and that ean
about every man, oma and child
within its borders. Only a few weeks
ago the trust increased its capital
stock $15,0 900, 900 with the our
ment that the additional funds were
to be used in buying Cuban sugar
lands.
Some comfort is held out by Senator
Mcmillan of Michigan, who was at
Washington a few days ago at the
presidents invitation to discuss pub
lie questions. He declares that in
his opinion the beet sugar producers
Of the northwest need not fear a re-
vision of the tariff or a reciprocity
arrangement with Cuba. # think"
he said, a"beet sugar men a rest
assured that the duty will not be abol- !