Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-21
[sepcial Correspondence

4
| Washington, Feb. 21.-Charging tha
| the administration is selling to the
sugar trust a vast area of the bes
| sugar-raising lands in the world, in the
Philippine Islands, on which the trus,
will raise the 800, 900 tons of raw sugar
which the new tariff law permits to
be admitted free to this country, Rep
resentative Martin, of Colorado, has
sale and to investigate the whole
| transaction,
! The charges which Mr. Martin makes
are sensational. His story begins with
| the passage of the Payne-Aldrich tariff
| measure. which authorized the free ad-
| mission TO this country annually OF
100000 tons of Philippine raw sugar
This was done. in theory, as a means to
| encouraging the Philippines by giving
them market for a big batch of sugar.
in this country.
About six weeks ago il was an
nounced that Attorney General Wicker
sham had rendered an opinion, con-
corning a purchase of a great area of
frlars lands in the Philippines. These
ands-5o,OOO acres of them-had been
SID TO the sugar trust interests. The
organic act Of the Philippines provided
against selling public lands in tracts
larger than $500 acres. Did that pro-
vision invalidate this sale of $4,000
acres to single purchaser?
The attorney general held it did not,
because the friars' land were acquired
after the organic act passed; therefore
the big sale TO the sugar interests could
go thru.
Bad Business Deal
This sale TO the sugar people conveys
$1,000 acres for 1857, 900 or about $50
per acre. These lands, Mr. Martin
charges, were bought from the friars at
over SIS per acre. The entire purchase
of these sugar lands is placed at about
100000 acres, and Mr. Martin alleges
that they are among the finest sugar
producing areas in the world, and that
if this sale of $1,000 acres stands. the
trust intends to gather in all the rest
Thus possessed of lands, it will ba able
easily to raise the entire amount of
sugar which is entitled to free admit
lance from the islands; the trust will
go into the raising of sugar will make
for itself all the additional profits by
reason of the removal of the tariff on
this Filipino sugar. and will give Meth
er the American consumer nor the Fill
Pine producer any of the benefits which
were intended for them.
Mr.. Martin, in a statement concern
ing his resolution, declares that
on the same day that announce
ment was made of the sale of these
lands to the sugar people, another dis
patch went out Of Washington, an
nouncing that the attorney general had
held the sale to be regular and legal.
Mr.. Martin wants to know ali about
the coincidence that brought the two
announcements on the same day. He
declares that in the hands of the sugar
trust, with the privilege of a vast i'm
portation OF free sugar from the is
lands, these lands are worth an inn
mense price. The $4,000 acres already
secured by the trust would produce
the entire amount the islands are per-
mitted to bring in free, if closely Gull
tivated.
Inquiry is Needed.
The fact that the lands are sold to
the sugar refining company for one
third their cost to the government, Mr..
Martin considers needs inquiry. Ac-
cordingly his resolution commits con-
gress to the declaration that the trans
action is void, and then instructs the
committee on insular affairs to inves-
tigate the transaction in detail. He in
sists that there is no ground for the
attorney generals ruling that the
transaction is legal, and protests that
if tested in the courts it win be found
entirely illegal.
The sugar trust never dem onstrated
a serious interest in the Philippines
until the new tariff measure gave the
privilege of free admission of large
quantity of Philippine sugar. There
upon. the trust sought a footing in the
islands, in order to raise on its own es-
tates the amount of sugar entitled to
come in free. Mr.. Martin says there is
nothing in the tariff measure that
would prevent the trust producing ev-
ar that admitted