The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-11-28
ASK COURT TO END
SUGAR TRUSTS LIFE
Department. fJusticePetitions
That Ruthless Monster
Be Throttled
TRUST SMOIHERED
ALL COMPETITION
-
Suit is Directed Against Am
erican Sugar Refining
Company Founded
By Havemeyers

NEW YORK. Nov. ss.--One Of the
most sensational petitions ever pre-
sented In the FEDERAL courts. the De-
partn,ent Of Justice to-day appealed 10
the United states Circuit Court to out
law the sugar trust. The combination
is characterized " ruthless mon
s,er' which crushed all 1t could not
control and the courts are asked to
dissolve it by receiver or otherwise"
and restore to the ssusar trade the old
time competitions.
Trust agreements. monopoly, fraud,
graft and the ruthless use Of power TO
crush or conquer independents are
among the reasons given for asking
the court to end the giant combines
activity.
Against the Haxcmeyers and their
associates. who built up the trust. the
government brief says
They managed and directed all the
affairs and business of the former conf
peting concerns whose shares they
held. destroyed ccfnpetition, fixed the
price of sugar, prevented others from
and forced the retirement OF many al
ready 20 engaged. Enormous profits
resulted and the public wis damnified.
0reueht BY Wise.
The suit. which, was instituted by
District Attorney Henry A. Wise on
direction of Attorney General George
W. Wickersharn, Ii directed against
the American sugar Refining Company
and twenty seven companies that
either through force or persuasion
have been absoSbeti b. II Twenty
seven individuals are also named as
defendants. The Hist includes directors
OF the main trust and other companies.
Three women. Loss1ess1e W. Havemeyer.
Adaiihe II. Frelinghuysen and Electra
II. Webb are named. because. with
Horace HaNemeyer, they are executors
OF the viii Of Henry .. Havemeyer the
biggest figure in the sugar trust. his
tory. Joseph F. Smith. head OF the
Mormon church, is defendan. by viz
tue of being president of the Utah
Idaho Sugar Company, a beet sugar
combination, with an authorized capt
tai of 313.00o,o00. Ex-Governor John G.
Cutler. Of Utah. who liz director, II
also in the list
The directors OF the trust are given
as Washington 3. Thomas. PRECEDENT
Arthur Bonner. George n. Frazier.
Horace Havemeyer Henry G.. Niese,
Henry G. Kott. Samuel C. Hooker,
Samuel Carr. Edwin 8. Marston and
Edwin r. Atkins.
John d. Spreckles and Adolph Is.
Spreckles are among those named as
defendants. The government petition
makes a printed book Of 2i7 pages
1t IL set forth that the company WAS
Incorporated in New Jersey in 1891,
and has a capital par value of $40,
600 600.
GiyeH Details Of Operations.
A detailed account Il given of the
operations Of the HAvemeyers and as
ISOLATED magnates from 1887, when
the trust was first filed. AT that time
there were twenty-three independent
refinertes in the country. with a ca
pacity for producing 70. 400, 900 pounds
Of sugar q dsy.
The Sugar Refineries Company was
dissolved by she New York court OF
appeals In 1890. and In January. 1891
the same gentlemen incorporated the
American Sugar Refining COMPANY
the present trust In New jersey. Ger
tificates issued by the old trust were
exchanged for stock IN the new com.
pany. There were then seven inde-
pendent com panies and most Of them
were brought into the fold by pur-
! chase or by "cut throat competition
that threatened them with failure and
by trade agreement" The latter me.
thod was employed In dealing with
the California and Hawaiian Sugar
Refining Companies.