The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-02
Who Failed to Prove the Charge that
the Trust Controls All the Sugar
Crop OF Cuba.
NO OPTION HAS BEEN TAKEN
ONLY $4,000 TONS PURCHASED SINCE
EARLY IN FEBRUARY.
How Competition of the Beet Sugar
Was stifed-A Fight
for Trade.

AulO the present nOlQlIS OF 1uDdu sugar
and Cuban sugar lands. ordered by the
Senate, was begun to-day by the, subcom-
mittee on Cuban relations. President
Henry O. Havemeyer, of the American
Sugar Refining Company, was the first
witness, and all of the members of the sub
committee-Messrs. Plat of Connecticut,
Burnham and Teller-were in attendance.
Senator Patterson also was present. 9th
ers present, with President Havemeyer,
were Arthur Bonner, treasurer of the COM
pany. and Henry C. Mott. its raw sugar
buyer. All of them were sworn.
Replying TO questions by Senator Platt,
Mr.. Havemeyer said his company was gen.
orally known as the sugar trust and that
its refneries are located as follows: In
New Jersey, l; New York, 3; Massachu-
sets, 2; Philadelphia, 2, and one in New
Orleans.
Twill you" Senator Platt 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 have
purchased $4,000 tons. or $4,000 bags, or
about ten days supply" replied the wit
ness.
"Of that quantity $4,000 tons is now in
process Of shipment from Cuba"
The prices paid had, he said. ranged
from S1.75 to s1.93. the highest price being
paid on March Is and the lowest on April -.
Where do you buy your raw sugar."
A over the world-in Cuba, Java, Ham
burg, Trieste. the British West Indies,
South America, wherever sugar is grown"
Does the $1,000 tons you mention repre-
sent your entire purchases in Cuba since
the LIST of january"
NO; We have bought. all told, $1,000 tons
of Cuban sugars during the present year,
or about three-fourths of a months sup
ply, our consumption being about $4,000
tons per week"
DO you control any sugar in Cuba other
than that purchaser
None whatever In any manner.
Have you taken any options on Cuban
sugars?"
Have you made any advance on any
Cuban sugar.
None whatever"
so that you wish 10 be understood as
saying that the amount you mention as
having purchased represents your entire
interest, direct ana indirect, in Cuban
sugars"
That is the statement l make"
CUBA'S SUGAR CROP.
Continuing, Mr.. Havemeyer said the en-
TIRE GuDdD sugar CIbD 10 dDOuN i0osVvv bOAS
but that much of it has been withheld from
the market In view of possible tariff con-
cessions to be made by Congress. On this
account his purchases had been only one
third of the average of other years. On
this account. too, the purchases had been
made principally at outports. where the
storage facilities were poor. rather than at
Havana The purchases from the outports
had caused most of the shipments to be
made from those ports rather than from
Havana, where the company has about a.
600 tons now stored. The purchaser at the
outports had caused the sales there TO be
made on a parity with the oeet-sugar
prices.
Speaking of the capacity of his company,
he said that II refined 65 per cent. of the
American refined product He added that
the percentage of this company's product
compared to the entire sugar consumption
of the United States was about 80 per cent.
Last year his company produced 100000
tons of the refined sugar. while the con-
sumption was 400 900 tons.
Returning TO the purchases of the Cuban
sugar for the present year, Mr.. HavemeyeT
gave figures of purchases for other years
to show the relative volume of the current
acquisitions, saying that in 1892 $4,000 tons
had been bought; in 1893, 246,000 tons; in 1894,
321 600 tons.
In reply to other questions he said the
price of raw sugar in the United States is
fixed by the best market prices in Ham
DurR. Inc price there nAeS lne SelllnG
price for the entire world, said Mr.. Have
meyer. On the subject of the price Of Cuban
sugars, he said that his ompan could not
determine their price.
1--WE have" he said. mo control over
them whatever; they don't belong to us"
Cuba has TO sell her sugar in this mar.
ket. hasn't she?"
mo. That is not true. She can sell in
England. for instance. if she is DESTROYS tc
do so. England could take the entire Cuban
crop"
United States should make a concession of
say, 20 or % per cent. in the tariff rates or
Cuban sugar, couldn't you refuse to buy
the Cuban product except at your owr
rates and thus secure the benefit of the
concession?'
I'm no way" was the reply.
Cuba would be under no obligation tc
sell us, because, as l have said, the Cubar
producers could find other markets."
"AIl the duty has been taken off of Porto
Rican sugar; do you get that sugar any
cheaper on that account"
mot at all"
How about the Hawaiian product?"
1--WE are under contract for the entire
$4,000 tons produced in Hawaii. There il
no tariff on that product, but the price |.
not affected by that circumstance"
WOULD NOT AID THE TRUST.
'It has been stated repeatedly that ir
case the suggested concession is made the
sugar trust will be in a position to oblige
producers 10 make such reduction that yol
will secure the entire benefit of the legis.
lation; is that true?"
1--WE could not 'oblige' any reduction. IL
case of a concession to Cuban sugar the
price might be lowered, say O~ne-sixteent
of a cent a pound. but that would be moth
ing as compared with the reduction in tn.
tariff rate, which would amount TO abOu
one-third of a cent a pound. Even so grea'
a reduction as i have mentioned would de
pend on the necessity of the marketing. anC
If there should be any pressure on that &C
count the necessity would be that of tn,
producers and would not be ours"
In reply TO another series of questions
Mr.. Havemeyer said that his company, a.
such. holds no sugar lands in Cuba, but, n
added, that he had himself made some Dur
chases there. but that he did not considel
il legitimate to compel him TO reply I,
questions pertaining TO these interests
If he said. 1.-The ommitte compels m.
10 give the information, / can, of course. d.
so, but | do not see what my private in
terests have TO do with this inquiry"
Proceeding. he said that some five or si'
years ago he had acquired a half interes
in a sugar plantation at Tanamo bay, Bu
that when the owners had prepared TO util
lie the land their WI improvements ha,
been obliterated by the insurgents and tina
interests held by him in Cuba were enum
Grated by him as follows: Forty per cent
of the stock of a central called the Trini
dad. which has no land connected with il
but which produces about $500 tons an
nually; 10 per cent. of a sugar factory "A
Chappawa: a slight interest in anetho
factory whose name he could not recall
an interest in a plantation at Santa Cruz
in connection with a Mr.. WEIGH. "A Ha
waiian planter. which produces from 500