Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-11-13
SUGAR TRUST BOOTY.
NEW YORK SUN CHARGES ROB
Berry OF GOVERNMENT FOR
YEARS.
PAID uNpERWElGHT DUTY,
SOLD FOR FULL MEASURE
Theft Of $50, ooo, 900 Alleged by News
paper-customs House Officers Ao-
eused Of Preventing Exposure-aot
Away With Slice Of Duty on Every
carso-offieers' Letters Reproduced.

Carso-officers' Letters Reproduced.
New York, Nov. 13-The New York
Sun fills the whole of its first page and
a column and half on the second page
with sensational story regarding the
methods employed for many years by
the sugar trust to escape full payment
of duty on raw sugar.
The Sun says the stealing has been
going on for twenty years, during
which time the government has been /
defrauded of revenues to the amount
of at least s3o.000,oO0.
1t further charged that this system
of rascality would have been impos-
sible Of development without the CO.
operation, not only of subordinate en- |
ployes in the New York custom house, |
but of men higher up, some of them
politicians of national reputation and
powerful influence.
Officers Letters Reproduced.
The Sun article is Illuminated and
by sugar trust officials and with SEEM
ingly conclusive data of other kinds
pointing to the truth of the statements
which the article makes. In condensed
form. the article is as follows:
THE direct evidence in the sugar
trusts crimes has lain in the New
York custom house since the stealing
began. Practically every payment of
duty on sugar made by the trust bears
on its face the proof of the robbery
the true weight and the false. Those
who knew that the sugar trust was a
thief and who sought for legal proof
in the custom house records were re-
ferred to the thief itself.
George H. Earle. Jr.. offered to lay
bare the sugar trusts full iniquity to
President Roosevelt and Attorney Cen
eral Bonaparte. Mr.. Earle was re-
buffed and left in complete discourage
ment. For one year after that the
sugar trust continued to steal
Attempted BIackmaiI.
"The facts show that the sugar trust
could not have stolen upwards of 800
100000 without the cognizance of
treasury officials and the patronage Of
politicians. The same cargoes were
weighed and underweighed. The trust
paid freight on the actual weight 1t
paid duties on the underweight. 1t
stole from 5 to 10 per cent of the duty
| on every cargo.
The trust tried to blackmail the
carriers of cargoes by pretended evap-
orations of sugar. 1t weakened when
the carriers threatened to tell the truth
1t SUCCEEDED in part of it's blackmail
because the carriers feared they would
be driven out of business.
1.-The trusts power was such that it
secured a special rate OF estimating
duties This enabled it to juggle fig
ures in the New York custom house so
that it apparently got small refunds,
while in reality it got large repay
ments.
Revelations SiIenced.
Shippers of sugar the world over
knew of this robbery Carriers knew
it, Weighers knew It, Officials within
the custom house itself must have
known it. The sugar trust silenced
revelations.
Complaints against the thievery
and tyranny went unheeded here and
at Washington. Investigations We're
blocked or diverted into side channels
Reports which disclosed a system OF
rottenness We're buried in pigeon holes
The sugar trust, big thief with big
, friends, was nursed and protected.
1.-The day the sugar trust assured 1t.
r self that the New York custom house
, was in its control it began to diver
all Of it's importations Of raw sugar
to the place where its friends drew
government pay Custom houses a
other ports no longer had to handle an.
large irnportations of sugar for TIL
American Sugar Refining Company
;. Vast volume of business in this por
| made New York the only possible cen
ter for widespread frauds.
Punishment Light.
Gwen when the day Of reckoning
/, came the big thief was not punished a
:. little thieves are. The Fifth avenu
. dressmaker who tries to smuagle il
6 a gown not only has to face jury an
criminal punishment, but the heav
arm of federal authority seizes tn
]. gown. sells it at auction and turns til
: proceeds into the treasury.
"The sugar trust, after bringing int
this country millions of pounds Of ra,
sugar on which 1t paid no duty what
ever, cheating the government out {
q money which should have gone to swe
e the public revenue, because of tn
; trusts connection with the powerf,
!. politicians, was not punished like tn
q dressmaker No attempt was made I
"a compel it to turn over to the fetler;
Is government the value of the sugar O
"A which it had stolen duties for all tn
IT time.
ID $4,000 the Penalty.
"The trust has been compelle
merely to make partial restitution
the duties 1T should have paid und,
M the tariff on this smuggled sugar. A
is its punishment for the robbery tn;
r. had gone on for twenty years it VIZ
ne asked to pay. and gladly paid, IL
c. trivial sum of s135,O00 That is a
IS the jury in the United States circu
lg court in April, 1909, before which on
ne partial story of the frauds W.
ed brought out, was asked to fix as pun
I'D ishment for the biggest thief ev
caught in this country, a corporate
Ecapitalized at $90,00O,000.
;. THAT the government could ha'
~ been more severe with this thief tn
~ had stolen millions from the treasu
- is indicated by the government itse
An when in the opening address by Il
70 federal district attorney. Henry
Ict.>.,~ lo<o,o <y,e %,,,xy ~,