The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-02
trust Is INNOCENT
Havemeyer TeStifes Regard
ing Cuban Sugar.
GIVES CANDID ANSWERS
To All Questions Propounded
to Him by Committee.

ny, and Henry c. Mott its new sugar
! buyer. All of them We're sworn. Reply
! ing to questions by Senator Plat, Mr..
| Havemeyer said his company was gen
orally known as the sugar trust and that
! its refneries are located as follows: In
| New Jersey, !; New York, 3; Massachu-
! sets, 2; Philadelphia, 2; New Orleans.
l. ''Wn you" Senator Platt asked, tell
the committee how much Cubap sugar,
| If any, has been purchased and If now
| held by your company"
Since early in February last we have
| purchased $4,000 tons. or 256 900 bags, or
| about ten days supply" replied the wit
ness. OF that quantity 5000 tons is now
in process of shipment from Cuba
The prices paid. he said. had ranged
from S175 to S1.93. the highest price be-
ing paid on March 10 and the lowest on
April %.
Where do you buy your raw sugar.
"An over the world-in Cuba, Java,
Hamburg. Trieste. the British West In
dies, South Observation-Disclosures sugar is
grown" fsl
Does the $1,000 tons you mention rep
resent your entire purchases in Cuba
since the first of ia nuary?"
NO, we have bought. all told 93 COO
tons of Cuban sugar during the present
year. or about three-fourths of a months
supply, consumption being about S5 600
tons per week"
DO you control any sugar in Cuba
other than that purchased?'
None whatever, in any manner"
Have you taken any options on Cuban
sugars?"
Il have not"
Have you taken any options on
any Cuban sugars?"
None whatever"
80 that you wish to be understood
as saying that the amount you have
mentioned as having purchased repre-
sents your entire interest. direct and in
direct. in Cuban sugars"
THAT is the statement I Make
Continuing, Mr.. Havemyer said the
entire Cuban sugar product is about
10000 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 pur-
chases had been only about one-third of
the average of other years on this ac-
count, too, the purchases had been made
principally at out ports. where the stor-
age facilities were poor. rather thar at
Havana. The purchases from the cut
ports had caused most of the shipments
to lie made from those ports than from
Havana. where the company now has
about 5000 tons stored. The purchases
at the out ports had caused the sales
there to be made on a parity with the
beet sugar prices.
pany. he said that it refined 60 pei. cent
of the American refined product. He add
ed that the percentage of his companys
product compared to the entire sugar
consumption of the United States was
about 80 per cent Last year his com
pany produced 100000 tons of the re-
fined sugar, while the consumption was
, 100000 tons. Returning to the purchases
of Cuban sugar for the present year.
Mr. Havemyer gave figures of purchases
for other years to show the relative vol
ume of the current acquisitions. saying
that in 1892 $4,000 tons had been bought.
in 1S93 246,Oo0 tons, and in 1885,, $4,000 /
tons.
In reply to other questions. he said !
that the price of raw sugar in he United /
states is fixed by the beet market prices /
ia Hamburg. The price there fixes the |
selling price for the entire world. said
he. On the subject Of the price of Gu /
ban sugars, he said that his conpauv /
could not determine their price
We have he said. no control over .
them whatever; they don't belong to .
Us"
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 entire
Cuban crop"
Mr.. Plat then asked: Suppose the
United States should make a concession
q p per cent in the tariff rates on Gu
ban sugar. couldn't you refuse 10 buy
the Cuban product except at your own
rates aad thus secure the benefit OF the
In no way" was the reply. cuba
would be under no obligations to sell TO
Us, because as I have said. the Cuban
producers could find other markets
All the duty has been taken of OF
fcrto Rico sugar-~do YOU get that sugar
and cheaper on that account
Not at all
How about the Hawaiian product?"
We are under contract for the entire
$500 tons produced in Hawaii There is
no tariff on that product. but the price
: not affected by t-lat circumstance.
1t has been stated repeatedly that in
'ase the suggested concessions is made
he sugar trust win be IN a position 70
'5lige producers To make such reduction }
Pat YOU VIII secure the entire benefit Of
he legisiation-is that true
We could not 'oblige any reduction.
case Of concession on the Cuban
'agar. The price might be lowered. say
''ss-sixteenth Of a cent a pound. but
hat would be nothing as compared TO The
eoaction in The tariff rate. which would
mount 70 ahout one-third of cent a
'eend. Even 50 great a reduction as
lave mentioned would depend on tse
ltcessity Tor marketing and y there
honid oe any pressure on that account
ne necessity would be that OF the pro-
ulcers and would not be ours
IN reply 70 another series OF questions.
ir- kiavenyer said that his company a.
zen holds no sugar lands ia Cuba bus
e added that he had himself made some
-rehsses there, but that Re did rot con-
i1sr Il legitimate II compel him 70 re- q
ly TO questions pertaining to these in {
sres1s
III ~ eta 49,. ... !