The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-20
TARIFF ON SUGAR
KEEPS Up TRUST
Successor to Havemeyer is
Forced to Admission by
Committee
CANNOT EXPLAIN THE
MEANING OF RECORD
Declines to Interpret Plain
English When Read to
Him-Stock Issue
an"Outrage'

NEW YORK, July lin continu-
ing his testimony to-day before the
special committee of the House OF
Representatives investigating the SUI
gar trust, Washington Il. Thomas,
Henry o. Havemeyer's successor at
the head of that giant combine, ad
mitted that the abolition of the ia
rtr in sugar would reduce appre-
ciably the cost OF that necessary COM
modify TO the consumers.
This admission was made by Mr.
Thomas In response to questions by
Aessrs, Jacoway and Sulzer, Demo
cratic members of the committee.
Messrs, Malby and Kinds. Repubh-
cans, attempted to nullify the effect
OF the admission by an effort to
force the witness to acknowledge
that the sugar trust was getting rid
OF Its holdings In the beet sugar trust
because the latter industry could not
thrive without the present tariff. and
that under free trade and the result
ant destruction OF the beet sugar in
dustry In the United States the field
would be left completely to the sugar
trust.
While Mr. Thomas admitted that
about third of his companys hold
ings OF 100000 In the beet sugar
trust had already been disposed OF,
s4,ooo.o6o OF this having been sold
by Havemeyer a short time before
his death. he stoutiy denied that the
sugar policy to withdraw the cor
porations money from the beet sugar
Industry indicated the purpose i'm
puted by Messrs Malby and Kinds.
He also denied. in response 10 ques-
tons by Mr.. Sulxer. that the Ameri-
can Sugar Refining Company owned
any land In the Philippines. Porto
Rico or Hawaii
Cannot Pin Him.
Representative Baker. OF Califor
MIA, again took Mr.. Thomas in hand
toward the close Of his second day
in the witness stand and tried des-
perately to pin him down to an ad-
mission Of acquaintance with the poll
cies of the company under the Have
meyer regime. In this attempt. how
ever, the Californian failed as sig
nally as he had done the day before.
The Congressman read from the min
utes Of a meeting of the board of
directors in October. 1892, the fol-
lowing story.
The president having referred to
the necessity Of protecting the COM
pany and Its interests from Injurious
litigation and from other hurtful ac-
ton and to appeals by each of tha
POLITICAL parties for campaign ex-
penses. It was resolved wide
resolution as authenticated by thisl.
Can you tell us anything about
the meaning of that Mr.. Raker
asked Mr.. Thomas.
Il never heard of II until you made
some reference to II, yesterday was
the reply,
do you know what II meansr'
That entry In the minutes was
made eleven years before I became
Director
But don't you know what the
plain English I have read to you
from the off1ctal minutes OF meet
ing of the board OF directors. OF
which you are now chairman, means >"
Mr., Raker also read from the same
records an entry authorizing the
treasurer to expend 5000 in any
manner he might deem for the hest
interests OF the company. but Mr..
Thomas insisted he knew no more
about that matter than the resolu-
ton referring to the campaign contri-
buttons. When n became evident that
Mr.. Thomas would throw no light on
either mysterious transaction, he was
instructed by the committee to have
search made for the missing resolu-
tion pertaining to campaign contri-
buttons and produce that document
when he resumes the stand to-mor-