Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-16
former Assistant Secretary Of the

former Assistant Secretary OF the
Treasury is in part as follows:
1T should be remembered that IL
was while I was Assistant Secretary
of the Treasury that the investigation
of the sugar trust was made. and the
trial held, which resulted IN the con-
Niction of the company In court. Dur
ing all the time that held that ONCE
there never. was to my knowledge,
judgment in any way by the sugar
trust
so far as / know, the first specific In
formation in regard to such fraud was
in September, 1907, when letter came
from a New York man stating that ne
wished to put this matter before the de-
partment. and that he could prove that
the government was being swindieo.
at once wrote to him that the depart
ment will be glad to do anything In It's
power to see that such condition OF
affairs you describe Is stopped at once
and IL there is guilt anywhere along the
line to see that there is proper punish
mant.'
That was the beginning Of the So
called sugar investigation. so far as the
Treasury Department was concerned Inc
gentleman who sent the letter came TO
the department later. took up the matter
personally and gave information which
was at once sent to the special officers
at New York for investigation.
Parr a Claimant.
There is one thing to keep in mind In
order TO give proper weight to the state
ments that have been made. Mr.. Parr Is
now, and has been for some time.
claimant for q share of the 100000
turned over to the department by the
sugar trust. rule which ! made as as
sistant secretary. and which rigidly en-
forced, stood between him and the money
reward he desired for his services as
government agent.
THAT order still stands as the ruling
OF the department until 1t Is changed,
and of course Is bar to Mr.. PARIS re-
ceiving part OF the refund obtained from
the sugar trust. Furthermore, there are
other claimants for the same reward.
Mr.. Parr knows that should the order be
rescinded in this particular case he would
still be compelled to prove that his was
the original information on which the de-
partment acted In making investigation.
with the subsequent results. He naturally
does not minimize. to say the least, his
own part in the proceedings.
so far as the department in Washing
ton Is concerned. II had no knowledge
that Mr.. Parr was acquainted with mat
tiers pertaining to sugar frauds until In
formation received here was sent to New
York for investigation. He was appointed
a special employee Of the department in
19O5-nOt, so far as the department was
concerned. to make any special investiga-
tons of any kind. but to general work. 1t
was deemed best by the department that.
owing both to the crowded condition of
the special agents office at New York at
the time. and to Mr.. PARIS lack Of ex-
perience in the kind Of work he was to
do, he should first serve an apprentice
ship at a smaller port. He was accord
after a time he was transferred to New
York, and assigned to the office of the
special agent at the custom house.
The first connection the department
h xx-ffh NJ Dor fv,r-n OF leyat
was after information had been lodged
here and such information sent forward
for investigation. Mr.. Parr himself, in a
letter written to the department during
the present year, states:
Officially the investigation Of the al
legged wrongdoing in the weighing OF
sugars was assigned to me November II,
1907. by Special Agent G. F. Cross
PARIS Western Trip.
Mr.. Parr states that on the eve Of the
sugar trial he was sent on q trip to the
west. thus preventing him from carrying
on the necessary investigation and prep
aration OF data, and that this was done
for the purpose of hindering and hamper
ing the investigation. On the contrary, 1t
was to help this work that he was ordered
to make this trip. 1t was. at the direct
request OF District Attorney Stimson.
Mr.. Parr has something to say in re-
gard to the releasing of the vessel Stra-
thyre in November. 1907. after he had
seized It, There is no Information in any
Of the reports of the department tending
to show any violation OF the customs laws
by said vessel, her master or owner.
Mr.. Parr makes the statement that in
the summer of 1908 Mr.. Bates. the regular
sugar examiner and expert Of the depart
ment. was allowed to take part in the in
vestigation In opposition to his (Mr.
Parr's) wishes. Whether or not this is
true I do not know, as I was in Europe
at the time and had no connection with
the alleged incident.
This disposes of the specific charges of
Mr.. Parr. AS to any general implication
that the office of the assistant secretary
In charge of customs was somehow in
league with, or under the influence Of the
sugar trust. can only assert most posi-
lively that in the four years and q half Of
my tenure OF this ONCE saw no indica-
ton that the said trust attempted to exer-
else such influence. No approaches were
ever made to me by any of its officials or
agents. and I performed my duties with
none but the most common knowledge Of
the existence Of such an organization"
PLEAS OF NOT GUILTY.