New-York tribune., 1902-05-17
THE CUBAN SUGAR INQUIRY.
EX-SENATOR MANDERSON TESTIFIES
FOR THE BEET INDUSTRY.

Washington May 16-The subcommittee OF the
Senate Committed Relations with Cuba to-day
heard John Oehler, of New-York, who printed
Facts About Sugar compiled by Oscar w Don
ner and consisting OF reprints from newspaper ar
tiees. Mr.. Oehler said that in January last he
employed by Mr.. Donner, the advertising agent
OF the Sugar Trust to print this document, for
which he received $50 This he said. the only
printing of this nature which he had done for the
Sugar Trust The edition consisted OF $50 600 copies
Ex-senator Charles F. Henderson, OF Nebraska,
said he had acted legal adviser OF the general
manager of the American Beet Sugar Company
e. c. Howe, and the president Of the Standard
Beet Sugar Company. Haywood G. Leavtt. He
produced two forms Of contracts which these COM
panies had entered into in the summer of 1901 with
the jobbers the Missouri River, of which
contained a provision that shipments would be
billed at 10 cents hundred pounds less than the
American Sugar Companys "cpen price for stand
ard fine granulated that may be in effect in Kan
sas City date of arrival of their sugar there
but that at time would the price exceed s. 37
In the other form the words bona fde price" were
inserted.
Mr.. Henderson said the American Sugar Refn-
ing Company informed the jobbers having con-
tracts with the beet sugar companies Missouri
River points that they would furnish sugar to
them at s3 80 a hundred and he was called on to
decide what to do under the contracts referred to-
He had discovered that this sugar only would be
given in small quantities. The American Beet
Sugar Co Company. he said. sought 70 buy at So so
ket price continued s. l2la and the special price
decide that II was neither an open price nor Il
bona fde' price as contempla ted by the beet
sugar contracts and that the beet sugar COM
panies were not required to sell at 50 40. Mr.
Manderson said the American refining company's
cut would have broken down the beet sugar in
dustry in the West IL the beet sugar people had
been unable command the money with which
they could store their product.
At the request of Senator Teller he gave history
of the beet sugar industry, A condition exists
he said, where there is no more cheap land that is
arabic. Already fifteen thousand farmers have left
Iowa and taken up the cheap lands in Manitoba and
adjoining territory. They represented from forty
thousand to fifty thousand people. A similar move
ment had begun in Illinois. Minnesota and Wis
consin. If the beet sugar industry continues with
the immense capabilities that arise from irrigation
this emigration will be stopped to large extent.
Mr. Manderson contended that every tariff bill
and all government experiments have been invita-
tions to embark in the beet sugar industry TO
injure it," said he by direct or indirect methods
is, to my mind, Objectionable, If not TO say as
criminal, blow this country could receive"
The proposition for 20 per cent reduction, he
said had caused many prospective beet sugar
factories irrigated land in the West to be
abandoned temporarily.
Answering a question by Senator Platt Mr.
Manderson said that If we Americanize Cuba either
by annexation or any other means there would be
rise in the price Of labor there which would in
crease the cost of sugar production.