Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1909-11-26
THE SUGAR TRUSTS STEALINGS

The enormous stealings of the Sugar
Trust from the government by means of
false weights bids fair to develop into
a National scandal. The New York
Sun recently published n page article
on these colossal thefts which it
charges have amounted to thirty mil
lion dollars in the last twenty years.
The chief counts in the Suns article
are summarized by the Literary Digest
in the following paragraphs:
THE Sugar Trust has stolen boldly
and enormously from the United States
Treasury for at least twenty years. 1t
stole with the assistance of officials en-
ployed by the United States. 1t was
nursed and protected in its stealing by
powerful politicians.
The direct evidence of 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 robbery-thc true
weight and the false. Those who knew
that the Sugar Trust was Il thief and
who sought for legal proof in the Gus
tom-House records, were referred to
the thief itself.
George II. Earle, Jr., offered to lay
bare the Sugar Trusts full iniquity to
President Roosevelt and Attorney
General Bonapartc. Mr.. Earle was re-
buffed and left in complete discourage
ment. For II year after that the
Sugar Trust continued to steal.
THE facts show that the Sugar Trust
could not have stolen upward of $780,
900, 900 without the cognizance of Trea-
sury officials and the patronage Of poll
ticians. The same cargoes were weigh
cd and underweighed. The trust paid
freight on the actual weight. 1t paid
duties on the underweight. 1t stole
from 8 to 10 per cent of the duty OH
Every cargo.
The trust tried to blackmail the
cGs4.Grs OF cargoes by pretended eva
porations of sugar. 1t weakened when
the carriers threatened to tell the truth.
1t succeeded in part of it's blackmill be-
cause the carriers feared they would he
driven out of business.
"The trusts power was such that it
secured Il special rate of estimating
duties. This enabled it to juggle figures
in the Now York Custom House so that
it apparently got small refunds, while
in reality 1t got large repayments
Shippers of sugar the world over
knew of this robbery. Carriers knew
it. Weighers knew it. Officials with,
in the Custom House itself must hav,
known it. The Sugar Trust s~ilencct
revelations"
The World sees in the case ~ scanda
which involves the honor of the Amcri
q people,
THE case against the Sugar Trus
grows blacker with each days rcvcla
tions; but of far greater Importance i:
the part that the United States Gov
eminent played in these transactions
Who protected tho trust during all tn,
years that it IA stealing from tn,
people of the United Statcs2 And why
vas it protectedS
wilbur f. Wakcman. former ap
praiscr of the Port of New York, says
in an interview that carly in 1899 II,
laid proofs Of Sugar-Trust bribery be
fore Lyman j. Gage, Secretary of the
Treasury. Mr.. Gage replied, accord
ing to Mr.. Wakeman: Il don't believe
that my good friend Mr.. HIavcmoyc
knows anything about this matter, ant
l want you to give him my compliment.
and present the statement which yot
have presented To- me, and tell him tina
IL anything like this exists it must b,
stopt.' Tho matter was presented tt
Mr.. Haverneycr. The weighing. fraud.
went on, and the Government at Wash
ington took no further interest in the
case.