The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-05-06

into the present holding of Cuban su-
"a and Cuban sugar lands, ordered by
the senate, was begun today by the sub
committee Oh Cuban relations.
President Henry o. Havemeyer, of the
American Sugar Refining Company.
was the first witness. Others present
with Mr. Havemeyer were Arthur
Donnor treasurer of the company, and
Henry C.. Mott. it's raw sugar buyer.
All OF them were sworn.
will you" Senator Plat asked, tell
the committee how much Cuban sugar.
IF any. has been purchased and is now
held by your company"
Since early in February last we
nave purchased $4,000 tons or 256. 900
bags or about ten days supply" re-;
the witness. "Of that quantity 5000
tons Is now in process of shipment from
Cuba" The prices paid had, he said.
ranged from LIS to 1.93, the highes.
price being paid on March 18th, and the
lowest On April 22nd.
Where do you buy your raw sugar?"
All over the world; wherever sugar
is grown"
Does the SO, 900 tons you mention rep
resent your entire purchases in Cuba
since the first of ~January?"
No: we have bought all told SO, 0C0
tons OF b sugars during the pres
ent year. or about three-fourths of a
months supply. our consumption being
about $1,000 tons per week"
ID you control any sugar in Cuba
other than that p~urchased?"
None, whatever. in any
a you AXE any options OIL Gu
ban sugars?"
Il have not"
ban sugars?"
"None. whatever"
so that you wish to be understood
as saying that the amount you have
mentioned as having purchased repre-
sents your entire interest, direct and
indirect in Cuban sugars?"
THAT is the statement / make
Mr. HaVemeyer said the entire Cuban
crop is about 100000 tons. but
that much of it has been Withheld from
the market in view of possible tariff
concessions to be made by congress-. On
this account his purchases had been
only about one-third of the average OF
other years.
Speaking of the capacity of his COM
pany he said that it refined 90 per cent.
Of the American refined product. He
added that the percentage of this COM
pany's product compared to the entire
sugar consumption of the United Stat
was about 80 per cent. Last year his
company produced LOO. 900 tons of the
refined sugar. while the consumption
was 2.400. 900 tons.
In reply to other questions he SAID
that the price of raw sugar in the Unit
ed States is fixed by the beat market
prices in Hamburg. The price there
dxes the selling price for the entire
world. said Mr.. Havemeyer. On the
subject of the price of Cuban sugars he
said that his company could not deter
mine their prices. I'VE have" he sali
no control over them whatever; they
don't belong to u.s."
Cuba has to sell her sugar in this
market. hasn't She?"
NO. that Is not true. She can sell in
England. for instance. if she is DESTROYS
to do so. England could take the emit
Cuban crop"
Mr.. Plat then asked: Suppose the
United States should make a concession
of say 20 to % per cent. in the tariff
rates on Cuban sugar, could not you
refuse to buy the Cuban product except
at your own rates and thus ecu the
benefit of the concession"
"In no way" was the reply. Cuba
would be under no obligations to sell to
us. because. as 1 have said. the Cuban
producers could find other markets"
"An the duty has been taken off Of
Porto Rican sugar; do you get that
sugar any cheaper on that account?"
Not at ALL"
Now about the Hawaiian product?
I'VE are under contract for the entire
$4,000 o produced in Hawaii. There
Us no tariff on that product, but the
price is not affected by that circum-
stance"
1T has been stated repeatedly that
IN q tho clOOoSfn6 nnnnaSSinn -
mad the sugar u will be in a posi-
ton to oblige producers to make such
reductions that you Will secure the en-
tire benefit of the legislation-is h a
true?"
I'VE could not 'obIige' any reduction.
In case of a concession to Cuban sugar
the price might be lowered, say one
sixteenth of a cent a pound, but that
would be nothing as compared to the
reduction in the tariff rate which would
amount to about one-third of a cent q
pound. Even SO great a reduction as
/ have mentioned would depend On the
necessity for marketing, and if there
should be any pressure on that account
the necessity would be that OF the pro-
ducerS and would not be ours"
In reply to another series Of questions,
Mr.. Havemeyer said that his company.
as such, has no e lands in Cuba.
but he added that he had himself made
SOAA4G ~ u NlaI Tx uIls
not consider it legitimate to compel him
to reply to questions pertaining to these
interests. Fiv or six years g he had
ACQUIRED a half interest in a plan.
tation at Tanamo bay. but that when
the owners had prepared to utilize the
land their own Improvements had been
obliterated by the insurgents and that
nothing has since been done with 1t
Other interests Of the character held
by him in Cuba were enumerated a.
follows: Forty per cent. of the stocs
Of q company called the Trinidad, which
has no Ian connected with 1T, but
which produces about 5000 ions annuai.
ly: 20 per cent. OF a sugar factory 81
Chappawa: q slight interest in a planta-
ton at santa Cruz in connection with
q Mr.. Welch. a Hawaiian planter
which produces from eight to ten hou
sand tons Of sugar per year. All these
interests had been acquired, he said
before there had been any agitation OF
the question of a reduction Of the tariff
rates He added that he knew nothing
about Cub uga land holdings by
~&A1- AraariaonC