The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-25
Kept Warning Sugar
Interests From Sign
ing Agreement.
ARBUCKLE TELLS
OF HIS BATTLES
Congressional Committee Visits
New Paltz and Hears Story
From Sick Man-Apparently
Unreserved in Giving His
tory of Struggles and
Ready to Fight Again.

New Paltz. y. Y. July 24.-The one
good reason why the warning sugar
to end the conflict was fear OF the
Sherman antitrust law. Every time
the matter was preached to John
Arbuckle. when the tight waxed warm
est Mr.. Arbuckle declined, and told
his opponents TO remember the sher-
man law.
Propped UP BY pillows in his bed.
AIr. Arbuckle so testified to-day before
subcommittee of the special con-
gressional investigating committee.
The congressman had come TO Mr..
Arbuckle's bedside because he was un-
able to come to them. and they found
him apparently unreserved in giving
the history of his commercial battles.
Mr.. Arbuckle said the fight started
in 1895. after there had been a little
friction between his coffee company
and the American Refining Company.
The American Company retaliated by
going into the coffee business. Pre-
vious to that. however. he said. Mr.
Havemeyer had tried. unsuccessfully.
to purchase 81 per cent. of his un-
completed refinery. This was in 1897,
he said, when Havemeyer came to see
him about 1t.
Are you making as much sugar
now as you did in days of the war;"
Yes, much more"
You made sugar at a loss during
the hght?"
Ready to Fight.
Yes. of and on. And the war is
not ended yet We are ready to fight
in a minute II there is reason.
agreement to curtail or reduce the
production of sugar or contror prices.
and there never will be as long is 1
am in the sugar business"
Mr.. Arbuckle said he strongly sus-
pected that rebates were being given
by rehners TO wholesalers. but he said
he did not think railroads were in
volved.
II knew H. Q. Havemeyer for forty
years." ne added. He had his good
and his bad qualities. He played his
that a man who could make that kim
OF music was not as bad as people
thought him TO be-"
Mr.. Arbuckie said that the American
Sugar Refining Company had the ability
to and always did maintain the price
of Sugar. Because OF its capacity il
fixes the maximum price. he said. the
independents fixing the minimum price
But the independents follow the
Americans prices. do they not?"
Yes"
Didn't time come when there was
an armistice between you and the sugar
trust?'
There was never an agreement OF
armistice. There's likely to be an out
break any time"
Representative Madison said he read
in the minutes of the American Rein.
ing Company entries showing that the
trust loaned between 100000 ano
$4,000, 000 to the Wolson Coffee Plant.
at Toledo; that the company had
charged off s7oGo0o to profit and loss
account. and that the fight against
Arbuckle had cost the trust even more
than that.
You say there was no agreement be-
tween you?" he added. 80 the Amer
lean is still going after trade the way
It used to-"
Cared for Nothing.
Not so much as formerly. When
Havemeyer was alive ne would not stop
at anything. He would use any kind
OF weapon that he needed. He cared
for nothing"
Wasn't the ierceness OF the sugar
war modified after 1908 when the
American decided not to lose any more
money in the conduct of its coffee bus
iness?"
''It was not so fierce afterwards
MIR. Spreckels says you suggested
TO him. after meeting with Have
meyer. that he should limit reduce
his output. He also said that you were
reducing your output Is that true?"
"Spreckels used to tell me his trou-
bles with the American, and tried
to smooth them over But l never
asked him to limit his output Lots of
the sugar men came to me. but / always
told them: Don't talk TO me about linn
iting price or output. Remember the
Sherman law. OF course eventually
every one had to reduce. as the coun-
try was overstocked.'
There has been no agreement" he
added. "but l will admit that there
has come friendly feeling between
us. 1t is much better"