The Washington times., 1909-05-19
Clay Quotes From Times

! In proper localities. such as Colorado
California, Utah, Idaho, ard Oregon
should, and ! am informed can, produce
granulated sugar at 2.5 cents per pound.
As far as Louisiana is concerned,
contend that the Sugar trust is in
position to seize, in its discretion. a
large share IL not all Of the benefit OF
the protection granted, and as far as
our colonies are concerned they are to-
day able TO produce sugar In competi'
ton with the rest of the world
Mr.. Spreckels further said.
Under the circumstances I believe
gradually wipes out entirely the duty on
sugar the better IL would be for the
country and al concerned
The article in The Times was vel
written. and commenting upon Mr.
Spreckels' testimony says:
a." This from a man who IS fighting the
Sugar trust, and who, though his busi-
ness iss small in proportion to that OF
chances in the competition with the duty
| entirely removed
SpTeckles' Belief.
"Mr. SpreckIes does not believe the
beet people need the protection; he does
not think the Louisiana growers get it.
because the trust takes it away from
them; he finds that the colonies car
compete with the world and take care
OF themselves, and finally. as an iEde-
pendent refner. he would prefer freC
trade in sugar.
We'll does the Times say;
" This testimony seems TO point tne
conclusion that the Sugar trust is the
only real beneficiary from the tariff as
now adjusted
once more the question may be
us the Sugar trust worth what the
country is paying to maintain II?
The Times, concluding this editorial,
says with force:
!" There ought to be some way of get
ting answers to that question. If the
Finance Committee is not prepared &C
give a convincing answer it has not done
its duty we'll
.eThe article writer in The Washing
ton Times above quoted in my judgment
is unanswerable. 1 doubt II the Finance
Committee OF the Senate will attempt
TO answer it
Senator Gay thus described the for
nation and workings of the Sugar
trust.
Havemeyer's Statement.
~. o. Havemeyer. in a sworn state
ment, said that nowhere in the wcrld
could sugar be more cheaply refined
than in the United States. If this be
true for refined sugar, it should be as
cheap to the American as to the Eng
lish consumer, and if it were not for
the duty sugar could not for any length
of time sell in the United States more
than 4 cent higher than In England,
including the cost of transportation.
From the best information ] have
been able to obtain. the Sugar trust
/ was formed in November, 1887, by the
consolidation of twenty of the leading
refineries, whose total true value al
the time the trust was formed was
estimated TO be between seven and ten
millions of dollars. While the actual
value of the property of the trust was
not greater than $40 coo 900, the Sugar
trust stocked the company at $4,000, 900
Bv dismantling certain plants and an
nexing others. the trust reduced the
number Of rehneries in operation 10
| ten, with total capacity Of &,59i
| barrels.
Outside of the trust there were only
five refneries, with a total capacity OF
10. 400 barrels. Of late years IL has been
impossible to secure any accurate re-
turns Of the profits of the American
Sugar Refining Company If the profits
weISe so large as 1 have described uI
to the passage of the Dingley bill and
q few years after the passage OF the
Dinglev bill. Of late years the profits
must necessarily have been much
greater.
Means Greater Profits.
"The cheaper the Sugar trust car
buy raw sugar from absoad and bring
it into this country the greater the
profits they make on refining it, and
the more free sugar the trust is able
to buy with the present high tariff or
refined sugar the greater viii be the
profits of the trust Now. when the
duty on raw sugar IS LIS cents pei
hundred, and this duty has TO be added
to the price Of raw sugar, and the
duty on refined sugar is 19O, the diff
ference in the tariff between refined
and raw sugar would only be on cent
per hundred.
Every time the tariff on raw sugar
! is reduced which enables the Sugar
trust to purchase raw sugar at low
rates, such reduction goes TO the Sugar
trust because the Sugar trust has NJ
! foreign competitor. for the reason thai
( foreign countries cannot afford to at
tempt to ship it into this country.
The present tariff law allows the
( Sugar trust an absolute monopoly OF
the sugar market in the United States
/ The Sugar trust buys raw sugar from
I abroad and at home as cheapiy as pos
sible, refines it and sells ii at "A higl
price. because foreign countries cannot
afford TO pay 195 cents per hundred
| on refined sugar and export it to this
l country