The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-05-23
SUGAR CONSPIRACY,
oreat Trust Called De tsEaj0 1tls'
oo9aA b Exist n oaemaaY.
&ARooga IT. opesntfon tho p1iee- >l
Sugar % Do1eeA Down IN Hn9laa2
a14 Other 0ountvlas to the
Duinatlon ol lahuotry.

The British sugar uAagne&es assert
tnsA their investigations have 70
vealsd tho existence IL Germany Of q
great trust called The "Kartell,'
Which has been in existence about q
year and that It h chiefly owing to
tt agency that sugar has been forced
down In England and other countries
to tho lowest point in the history OF
the industry, and that Germany to.
day is enabled to dictate to the world
the price OF that commodity. The ex-
act extent of the "Karteu" was dis
covered, they say, only quite recently.
The magnitude of its operations sup
plies the missing factors in the pres
ent alarming conditions of the sugar
market.
The abolition of this organization
will be one Of the chief objects of the
nations other than Germany attend
ing the forthcoming Brussels con-
ference. Already British firms have
entered into negotiations with lead
ing American sugar interests, and
tables are now being drawn up show
ing the transactions &C the 'tKartell,"
with view of submitting them to the
authorities at Washington. The Brit
ish government will be urged to en-
power it's representatives at the Brus-
sells conference to threaten retalia-
tory measures unless The ''Kartell" is
broken up, or at least modified.
The latest figures available in Lon
don show that Germany now pro-
duces one-third of the worlds supply
OF beet sugar, of which she exports
no less than 1,25o,00o tons after COM
pletely supplying her own popula-
ton. These exports, which are al
most one-fifth of the worlds avail
able supply, are sent out at a loss to
German manufacturers, 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 con-
troll OF the sugar market.
The "Kartell" is run very secretly.
but from confidential reports shown
to = representative OF the press in.
London, it is learned that 1t consists:
OF an ironclad combination OF almost
all producers and ro1iners to keep uo.
the price Of sugar in Germany. This
~ done 50 successfully that German:
consumers to-day pay thrice AZ muck
Tor sugar as the Bnton does for the
same article imported from Germany.
The members Of the "Kartell" bind
themselves to buy from and sell to-
only those affiliated with the COM
bine. This has worked 80 satisfac-
tori}y that the "Kartelr now includes,
practically every factor Of the sugar
interests in Germany, from the a eri-
cultural producer to the refiner. The
latter agrees always to pay 13:7y,
marks per hundredweight for the raw
article, though natural conditions
might ordinarily allow him to buy
three marks cheaper. This, however.
insures a permanently high price to
the German consumer, The enormoua
profits consequent upon these meth
DDS are pooled in the "Kartell'' and
are divided upon an elaborate and in
genious scale, and tho surplus prod.'
uct is disposed of at slight loss in
other European and American mar.
kets, though even this deficit is often
made up by the bounty that Germany
provides.
British sugar authorities are quoted
as saying that the German "Kartell"
and bounty combined will within two
years ruin the beet and cane industry
IN other countries, especially in Cuba
and the other West Indies.