The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-06-01
Inquiry Second Only to the
Steel Trust Investigation
Was Begun by the House
Committee Today.
INQUIRY is TO BE
VERY THOROUGH ONE
Committee Intends to Show
the American People that
the Trust Is a Most Dang
erous Monopoly.
(National News Association

tNational News Association)
Washington, June 1.-Second only
to the steel trust investigation in i'm
portance is the inquiry into the Ameri
can Sugar Refining company and other
refineries which was formally begun
by special committee of the house to-
day
Primarily the Hardwick resolution
under which the investigation is au-
thorized, was aimed only at the Ameri-
can Sugar Refining company. The
Rules committee of the house, how
ever. determined to make the investi-
cation a more far reaching one, and
the original resolution was amended
so that it would include all sugar re-
fineries, in the trust and out of it.
According to Representative Hard
wick, who is chairman of the special
investigating committee, the real in
tent of the house probe will be to de-
termine whether or not charges are
true thatt he American Sugar Refin-
ing company has secured absolute
control of the American sugar mar
ket, crushing out competition wher-
ever it appears.
Hardwick's Statement.
I'VE expect to show before this in
vestigation ends" says Mr.. Hardwick.
that the American people are taxed
hundreds of thousands of dollars each
year by this gigantic trust, embracing
perhaps half hundred subsidiary or
ganizations. The sugar trust has been
fostered and built up under the pro-
tective tariff system, until it has be-
come one of the most dangerous mono
poles in existence today.
This committee will go into every
phase of the production of sugar and
its marketing. We will hold hearings
in Washington or any other place
where light can be obtained upon the
operation of the sugar trust, and when
the committee makes it's report to the
house, l expect that the sugar trust
will have been proven to have been a
concern that ought to be dissolved un-
der the Sherman antitrust law
The committee will investigate not
only the present day operation of the
trust, but it will delve into the past
to determine whether or not the
American Sugar Refining company has
fully atoned for the immense frauds at
the port of New York. The resolution
asks what sum was received by the
United States government in settle.
ment Of these fraudently evaded du.
ties.
Pertinent Inquiries.
The house committee will also make
some pertinent inquiries as to the pun.
guilty of the sugar frauds. The
charge has been made that the men
higher up have gone unpunished
while a few subordinate officials OF
the sugar trust have paid the penalty
| If the committee ascertains such tC
| be the case, that fact will be laid be
| fore the house and the Attorney-Gen
eral will be asked for an explanation
of this sort of adjudication of some
of the most gigantic customs frauds
ever perpetrated against any govern
ment.
! The special committee clothed with
plenary power to compel the attend
ance of witnesses and the production
of books, will obtain the true story ol
the methods used by the American Su
gar Refining company in crushing ou1
competition. 1t is partly to accomp
lish this that the resolution was drawn
to embrace all sugar refineries. 1t is
not contended that all manufacturers
of sugar are in the trust, but it is be
iieved that those in and out of the
com bination can throw light upon the
methods used by the greatest combi
nation of them all.
| The price of sugar at home ant
abroad; the purchasing of land in the
Philippines by the sugar trust; tht
importation of duty-free sugar from
the Philippine Islands ;the absorption
of dozens of struggling Independent
companies, and the sitting of the bee
sugar industry by the sugar monopol.
are all specific subjects into whicl
the committee will inquire.
The special committee may con
tinue its sessions during the recess o
congress, and need not report to th'
house until it feels that it has sifte'
the case against the Sugar Trust t