Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-16
MATERIAL WITNESS
One Of Two or Three Men Alleged
Responsible for Combination.
HE1KE AGAIN Is QUESTIONED
Chairman inquiries Into Personal
knowledge Rather Than Official.
WHAT WAS MERGERS PURposEI
Lowell NJ. Palmer, Formerly DirectoV
of Corporation, Tells About work
for Company in Arranging
Traffic Rates.


WASHINGTON. Juno l5.--Joseph F.
Smith. head Of tho Mormon church, has
been summoned 70 appear before the house
Sugar trust investigating committee to tell
what he knows OF the formation Of tho
Utah-Idaho Sugar company.
Senator smoot Of Utah made an unsuc-
cessful effort TO have the Mormon president
excused, insisting that Thomas r. CUTLER
| OF salt Lake City could supply all the In
! formation desired from Mr. Smith.
| The committee decided that Mr.. Smith
should appear In person
Senator Smoot OF Utah asked me TO
| submit to the committee request that
Mr.. Smith be excused from testfying be-
fore the committee on the ground that
Thomas r. Cutler knows everything that
MIR. Smith can possibly testify 10 and more,
too, explained Chairman Hardwck 10 the
committee Il told Mr., smoot that while
the list OF witnesses had been arranged by
a subcommittee and there had been no
| formal vote did not feel like taking the
authority on myself TO do It. My own view
is, considering the allegation in the bill
! filed by the government that Joseph F.
Smith is a material witness--he is one of
the two or three men that the district at
torney of New York and the attorney gen.
eral of the United states have alleged were
responsible for the formation OF the Utah
Idaho combination"
Big Ones Called.
Other prominent witnesses summoned by
the committee today we're Alfred Harrison
and Charles X. Harrison OF the Franklin
Sugar Refining company. Philadelphia;
Horace Havemeyer New York; Charles B.
Warren, Detroit; Chester 8. Morey Dem
yer; John f. Harper Cleveland; Joseph p.
Smith of the Mormon church and Thomas
r. Cutler, Salt Lake City; John D. Spreck-
! les and Adolph Spreckles, San Francisco.
! A resolution adopted In 1895 by the drec-
tors OF the American Sugar Refining COM
pany, authorizing their committee to fin
the price OF sugar and TO buy the output Of
outside refinerles at terms to be fixed at
their discretion" confronted the officials
of the company today when they appeared
before the house committee. re
| The resolution had been found IN thA
minute books Of the company. Represents
tive Madison had the resolution read as q
preliminary to his examination OF Lowell
NJ. Palmer. former director of the company,
10 follow the conclusion of the testimony
of Charles r Heike, former secretary OF
the company.
HeiIe on the stand.
! Charles II. Heike, for years secretary OF
| the American Sugar Refining company.
was again witness before the committee
today. In beginning examination Chair
man Hardwick told Mr. Heike he wanted
to inquire into his personal knowledge and
not his official relation with the American
Sugar Refinins company.
| Didn't you have at the time any idea
of the purpose Of the merger OF the
sugar refnerles?' Mr.. Hardwick asked.
| NJ
Heike.
We'll, from your present knowledge what
would you say the purpose?'
"A large company can do business at q
reduced cost"
"And there is less competition" sug-
gested Mr.. HaTdwiek.
| Probably" Mr.. Heke explained to the
committee that when he appeared before
the grand jury in New York the district at
torney notified him on what subjects he
would be examined.
Not Prepared tn Answer.
THAT has not been done In this case
and l am not well prepared to answer
your questions" he added.
Still relying on the witness personal
knowledge, Chairman Hardwick asked Mr..
Heike for his estimate of the holdings OF
President II. C. Havemeyer in the Amer
| iSdH ouBdI COHphHy AT tn6 time ne
swayed the company.
'oh, 100 or 200 shares in his own name"
was the reply.
did his family hold nore?''
| Probably 1900 shares"
did Havemeyer ever unload any Of his
stockP"
II wouldn't say unload ] would say
sold He never owned much In his own
name, anyway"
Mr.. Heike offered at one point In his
testimony 10 tell about his indictment
growing out OF the so-called sugar frauds.
Mr.. Hardwick stopped him, explaining that
another committee ton expenditures in the
Department Of Justice) probably would ask
him to appear before It before he got out
OF town.
Heike a Free Trader.
! Mr.. Heike's concluding testimony stirred
up a discussion OF tariff policies.
! Il believe that each country should pro-
duce what It can produce cheapest" said
Mr.. Heike. II am a free trader"
Mr.. Hardwck asked II he would have