The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-24
SUGAR WAR HISTORY.
Another InstaIImcnt Delivered by
Claus A. spreckeIs.

New York. July 24.=More secrets
of the wars between the American SUI
gar Refining company and its rivals
were expected to he unearthed today,
when a subcommittee of the congress
sional committee which is investigat-
ms the alleged sugar trust, went to
New Paltz, n. Y, to take the testi
money of John Arbuckle, for many
years q vigorous rival of the Have
meyers. Mr.. Arbuckle ia an old and
feeble man and his physicians said he
could not stand a trip to this city to
give testimony. The committee is
anxious to find out from Mr.. Arbuckle
whether the long, bitter conflict with
the American company waa ended
with an agreement or whether both
sides by common consent decided to
let each other alone.
Meanwhile other members of the
congressional committee will continue
their investigation of the sugar mat
ters in this city with Claus A. Spreck-
els, president of the Federal Sugar
Refining company, OF Yonkers ready
to continue his testimony, which be-
gan last week.
Mr.. Spreckels when he took the
stand today told of his venture of
shipping sugar to the Pacific coast,
which resulted in breaking the mar
ket there, although mourning a per-
sonal loss to himself. He said:
I'VE had a surplus product last
year and the price in San Francisco
was so to 20 points higher than in
New York. I shipped the sugar by
steamer around the Horn and on its
arrival there was approached by Viii
liam Haas, of firm of wholesale gro
GERS, who wanted to purchase the en-
tire shipment, but / refused.
THE shipment consisted of from
10000 to 10000 barrels and when
offered to sell it at - to IS points
under the market the grocers refused
n a thew a fra1d fh0N
could not get any future goods from
the interests on the coast.
II was approached by Mr.. Susman.
of another wholesale grocery com
pany, who took an option for as hours.
He came to me the next day and said
my brother, John D. Spreckels, pres
ident of the Western Refining com
pany, wanted to know If / would agree
that this would be the only shipment
sent by me- I refused to make such
an agreement and finally sold my SUI
gar direct to the retailers"
Mr.. Spreckels said the sale broke
the market from $3.50 to $4.70 per
hundred pounds and the retailer ben
Gifted during the three months the
selling was going on.
Mr.. Malby wanted to know who fin
ally obtained possession of the stock
Of the Philadelphia Spreckels con
Germ. Mr.. Spreckels thou~N- - was
the American Sugar Refining com
possession though it may have sold.
Mr.. Malby, having taken up the
matter of the malicious breaking of
machinery in and the fouling of pro-
duct of Mr.. Spreckels' Philadelphia
factory, Mr.. SpreckeIs said trouble
began few days after the factory
started operations He had employed
several men who had worked for the
American Sugar Refining company.
He knew of no men in the building
xyrf10 MT his InEnnS
Mr.. Spreckels said among other diff
ficulties he had to contend with was
the filling of barrels so they would be
from 20 to 80 pounds light. He
caught the man responsible and dis
charged him.
Mr.. Spreckels outlined his transac-
lions with the Hawaiian Factors Sugar
company. He said that while he offer
ed to better any price that the Ameri~
can Sugar Refining company might
offer, his proposition was turned down.
ITO whom do they sell?"
1.-The American, the Western and 9TH
er California concerns.
Mr. Malby wanted to know of the
Federal Sugar Refining company did
not pay freight on sugar from Yonkers
to New York and then compete with
the American Sugar Refining company
1--WE did sell in New York at the pre-
vailing prices replied Mr.. SpreckeIs.
The effect of the tariff on Porto Rico
! sugar was taken up by Mr.. MalDy, VINO
asked if the object of the tariff was
| protection
Mr.. Spreckels replied that he did not
know He furnished figures that he
claimed showed sugar prices were
cheaper to an appreeiable degree when
there was no tariff.
Mr. Malby tried to demonstrate that
| this WAS not so.
Mr.. Spreckels said his rule applied
where there was no trust.
| Recess.