The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-18
SOME LIGHT SHED
upon SUGAR TRUST
Claus A. Spreckels, Head Of "In-
dependent Concern, Gives
Interesting Testimony.
ADVOCATES FREE ENTRY
OF THE RAW PRODUCT
Declares That Under Existing
Tariff, Trust Is the Princi-
pal Beneficiary.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.-That the
opinions that had been expressed by
Secretary OF War Wright in favor Of
free trade with the Philippines for
tobacco and sugar are the views OF
PTesident~elect Taft, was the freely ex-
pressed belief among those present N
the Ways and Means committee room
of the House TO-DAY at the hearing or
the sugar schedule of the tariff: Secre-
tary Wright Is familiarity with the
situation in the American Asiatic II.
Sular possessions leads to the belief
that he will disclose some interesting
facts when he appears before the COM
mittee later.
Planter Urges Lower Rates.
Edwin F. Atkins OF Boston, large
sugar plantation owner in Cuba, told
the committee today that the reci-
procity treaty with Cuba, by which the
differential in the sugar duties, .ex"
pires next month. He read two cable
grams from Cuban sugar and tobacco
growers. asking the committee 20 defer
action on these articles. M. Atkins
urged that the tariff on sugar be re-
ducod, and that Cuba be given the
existing diferential on this lower rate.
Representative bDdluD N4aih VI -lIS-
souri, asked Mr.. Atkins:
''Wbat is going TO become of the
American beet sugar growers when
Cuba belongs 10 the United Statesf"
''That is the question. answered
Mr.. Atkins "There is the most i'm.
minent danger of this coming about.
''If you get the reduction IN tariff
on. sugar that you seek Mr.. Clark
asked "would there be any reduction
TO the consumer9'
Trust May Take Profit.
"There would be reduction in the
retail price OF about one,half a cent.
I'should say" was the reply.
Glow do You know that the sugar
trust won I grab up that half cent2'
'If they could, would join them. y
An advocate for the free entry Of
sugar was Claus a. Sprsckels, presi.
dent of the Federal Sugar Refining com.
pany, an independent concern of
New York.
81 would be perfectly satisfied If
you should finally decide TO agree upon
free trade said Mr.. Spreckels, who
was formerly connected with the
American Sugar Refining company,
known as the "sugar trust in both
raw and refined sugar.
''I think wo are entitled TO a moder-
ate protection on refined suoar, but
present schedule, under which the
sugar trust is the principal beneficiary
and is enabled 10 exact special privl-
leges and conditions on sugars pro-.
duced in Louisiana and the Hawaiian
islands. II is evident that the country
desires revision OF the tariff and ex-
poets n reduction of the duty when
ever il can be shown TO be reason
able, feasible and advantageous.
Work of the Trust.
Mr. Spreckels was interTogated by
Chairman Payne of the committee, re.
parding the effect of the free entry of
sugar Mr. Spreckels said that bis CON
Germ is compelled to buy its sugar ill
Java. Porto Rico and Cuba, as the
"suear trust has the output of Louis
lana and the Hawaiian islands contract
ed for,
Upon being questioned by other mem
bers of the committee be said the con-
sumers would get the benefit OF the re-
duction in the tariff.
Mr.. Spreckels claimed that those
sugar manufacturers, who are making
sugar at l-2 cents per pound, were not
appearing before the committee TO give
information. about the cheapness OF
manufacturing beet sugar. He said that
25 per cent OF the sugar beets produced
in this country is raised by Asiatic
labor, That the american Sugar Rein
ing company. or his own company,
needs no tariff protection, was asserted
by Mr.. Spreckcls. He admitted that
be had bought sugar lands in Cuba as
speculation. hoping that the island !
would some time become annexed to the |
United States and that as result the |
value of those lands would be doubled, |
4. F. Stillman. representing Arbuckle |
Brothers Of New York, one OF the larg- |
est independent sugar refining compau.
les in the country, while admitting that |
the beet sugar industry probably could |
not survive on free sugar, requested |
lower duties as much better for the |
sugar business.
Tomorrow the committee will begin |
it's hearings ON schedule ''G' of the |
tariff, covering agricultural products |
and provisions.