The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-09-06
THE SUGAR TRUST
BEING INVESTIGATED
JOHN d. sPRECKELs TO BE CALL
ED UPON TO TESTIFY IN BIG
DAMAGE SUIT.

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 29.--John d.
Spreckels, president of the Western
Sugar Company, will probably be call
ed upon Saturday to give his deposit
ton in the big $3O,OOO,OOO damage suit
recently instituted in New York by the
receivers of the Pennsylvania Sugar
Company against the American Sugar
Refining Company, owned by II. o..
Havemeyer and his associates, which
is commonly known as the sugar trust.
The suit is brought at the direction
of the United States Circuit Court of
New York and ]. w. Hutchison, coun-
sci for the Pennsylvania company, is
taking the dispositions Of various local
sugar magnates, under an order from
the court which gives him the power
of compelling the testimony Of Wit
nesses. D. B. Richards, a local attor-
ney, is acting as commissioner.
The suit against the Havemeyer
company is both for conspiracy and
for violation of the Sherman anti
trust law. Under this law the receiv-
ers for the Pennsylvania concern are
asking damages, asserting that the
trust is acting in restraint of trade;
that it forced the Pennsylvania COM
pany from the sugar industry, and con-
trolls over 80 per cent of the cane sugar
output of the country.
In this connection the president OF
the Western Sugar Refining Company
will be questioned by Attorney Hutchi-
son as to it's relations with the Amer
lean Sugar Refining Company. He will
be asked how much stock Of the West
ern company is held by the Havemey-
ers, and incidentally, it will be the at
tempt of the attorney for the Pennsyl-
vania people to get the sugar magnate
to admit that there is an agreement
between his concern and the Ameri-
can Sugar Refining Company by which
it divided up the business so that Ha-
vemeyer does not compete with the
Western concern and the Western re-
fnery is to leave the cane sugar bust
ness east of the Missouri river entirely
in the hands of the trust.
Yesterday Attorney Hutchinson took
the deposition of George M. Rolfe'
manager of the California and Hawaii
an Sugar Company, an Independent
concern having a refinery at Crockett,
and controlling many sugar fields IN
the islands, not owned or leased by
the Western Sugar Refining Company.
Rolfe's testimony brought out the tact
that his concern is not affiliated III
any manner with the trust. 1t con-
trolls the output of about two-fifths OF
the cane sugar used on the Coast, and
it's refinery produces about 300 tons a
dav The balance of the cane sugar
produced on the Coast, Rolfe said, is
by the Western Company, and its out
put, he stated, was about 10000 tons
year
The deposition of w. H. Hannah,
secretary of the Western Sugar Rein
| ing Company taken Tuesday, brought
out the following facts: That the
American Sugar Refining Company
owns 1850 shares of the 10000 shares
in the Western concern, and that this
stock is held jointly by H. o. Have
meyer and a clerk in his Office in New
York
After taking the deposition of the
president of the Western refinery At
torney Hutchinson will return East
and seek additional evidence against
the Havemeyers there. He said last
night that his sole purpose in taking
the dispositions was to be able to show
that the American Sugar Refining Co.
was a trust in violation of the Sher-
man law. He will make no attempt to
connect the Western Company with
any acts of that concern.
Hutchinson also said last night thai
there was much evidence OF some sort
of an agreement between the Have
meyers and the local concern as 70
what territory each would take
"Since those who control the West
ern company retired from the Eastern
field it is very clear that one concern
has operated entirely East of the Mis-
souri, river" he said, "and the Other
confined itself to the territory west OF
that. This will undoubtedly be explain
ed as a mere matter of freight rates
by which the consumer benefits, but
there is much room 1or doubt as to
whether the sugar people are not doing
| husiness IN ,astraint oP trade. under