Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1910-04-07
MARTIN AFTER
SUGAR TRUST

Now comes the sugar trust and the
Taft administration as principals in
a transaction which Is fast taking
on the earmarks of national scan
dial. the specific charge in the prem
ises being that the government sold
$1,000 acres OF valuable Friar lands
In the Philippines to the Havemeyer
interests. both unlawfully and against
public interest.
Once again q legal opinion Of
United States Attorney General Geo.
w. Wickersham, who stopped i'm
portant suits against the beef trust
Immediately upon taking office. who
rendered an opinion unfolding Balm
ger and viciously attacking Louis R.
CLAWS, and who framed the admins
tratlon railroad regulation bill con-
tanning proviso legalizing the South
ern Pacific-Union Pacific merger. is
being relied upon to absolve the Taft
administration Of blame.
Demand for an investigation Of the
sale of the valuable sugar lands to
the sugar trust, presented in the
form of resolution to the House by
Representative John A. Martin, Of
Colorado, while temporarily suppress
ed as Is customary with all legisla-
ton adversely affecting the star cam
MISREPRESENTATION sugar trust, is
certain to be brought forward repeat
eddy to the embarrassment Of the ad-
ministration. The fact that Martin,
the man behind the demand for an
inquiry, Is a member Of standing and
responsibility, Is attracting the keen
est attention to the sugar trusts
newest transaction with the govern
ment.
One Of the features of Martins de-
mand for an investigation was his
charge that Wickersham had been the
former attorney for the trust. This
newspapers. and as is was never de-
MED, was generally accepted as being
the case. Mr. Wickersham denies that
he personally represented the trust.
He says his law-partners at one time
represented the sugar trust, but that
he was not himself consulted by the
shams law partner. 1t develops. was
Henry w. Taft, the brother of the
president.
The story involving the sale of the
Friar lands is a most interesting one.
When Mckinley impressed upon mem
bers Of Congress time and again that
what he wished to avoid was the ex-
ploitation by any special interest of
single acre OF land. If possible. APP
parently Mr.. Mckinley had some ap-
prehension on the subject, because
ne is known to have worried and fret
ted over the matter. To avoid the ex-
ploitation of the islands 1t was pro-
vided by law that no corporation
should be allowed to purchase over
$500 acres of land, and no individual
over 40 acres.
With the American occupation of
the Philippines. the Friars held over
100000 acres of sugar land, the rich
est and most valuable in the Islands.
The government purchased these
lands, paying $7,200,000.
On December 7th press dispatches
brought the announcement to Wash
ington that E. L. Poole, represen-
tative Of the Havemeyer interests,
had purchased $4,000 acres of Friar
lands. A few days later it began to
dawn on members Of Congress that
the transaction was of doubtful legal
ity because of the restriction as to
the amount of land that could be pur-
chased by an individual, which was
contained in the organic act passed
by Congress creating the Philippine
government.
An investigation developed the ex-
PLANTATION that the attorney general,
to make possible the sale of these
lands to the sugar trust and other
combinations without restriction by
law. decided that as they were not
part Of the public lands at the time
the act OF Congress was passed. the
act could not apply to them.
Whether this was good law can
make little difference in view Of the
fact that the sale to the sugar trust
Of $1,000 acres of these Friar lands
was an open violation Of the policy
prescribed by Congress and declared
to be absolutely necessary to prevent
just such monopolization as the trust
has been permitted to effect.