Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-13
Trust Owns Stock In Some of
Its Rival Companies.
ATKINS NOT WELL POSTED
Head Of American Company Unable
to Answer Many Of the Perti-
nent Questions Asked.

the resumption OF the sugar trust IN
Quiry today. Edwin F. Atkins. acting head
OF the sugar corporation, who only be
came an official Of the company two year
ago. said he was unable to answer from
| personal knowledge many OF the question:
| put to him.
MIR. Atkins declared, however, that thu
American Sugar Refining Company owned
practically q majority of stock in tht
sugar refineries in California, and that Il
did not attempt to compete with them
| He gave as a reason for this abandon
ment OF the coast business the freight
rate difference of a half cent a pound or
sugar transported from the eastern re
fineries. This, he insisted. was the prin
cipal reason for the failure Of competi
| ton.
Owns a Half Interest.
| Questioned by Representative Malby OF
New York. the witness said that fit,
per cent of the Western Sugar Refining
Company. in California, was owned by
the American Sugar Refining Company
while the Spreckles family owned the
other 80 per cent.
| The American also owned, Mr.. At
kfns said, ~ per cent in the Alamo
| da Sugar Refining Company. What the
purpose OF the purchase of this stock
Il
| the committee.
| DO you have any understanding
that there shall be no competition %
asked Mr.. Malby.
80 far as my knowledge goes there
| is not the slightest"
Mr.. Malby sought light on the
method OF electing directors in the
California companies. but Mr.. Atkins
was able to give him no satisfaction.
rs 1t a matter of Indifference to the
American Sugar Ra6ninO fr
| how the other, companies conduct their
business?" he queried
Mr.. Atkins replied that he was not in.
| FORMED on the subject
Get Free Raw Sugar.
The. sugar tariff. according to Mr.. At.
| kins. enables the Pacific coast sugar re-
| f1neries to make larger margin of prof,
! than the eastern refineries. Replying tC
! Representative Raker of California, Mr.
Atkins said the price of sugar was the
same on the Pacific and the Atlantic
coasts. but the Pacific manufacturers are
| able to sell as far east as Chicago. while
the eastern refneries cannot ship further
west than Kansas City and Omaha.
| The reason is that the Pacific coas
| has free raw sugar." said Mr.. Atkins
The refineries there get the Hawaiian
and Philippine sugars without duty
while we have to pay s1.34 duty on each
hundred pounds OF Cuban sugar"
the Pacific coast?" asked Representa-
\ tive Baker
Yes said Mr.. Atkins, who added that
| he knew nothing of the conduct of the
far western companies He did not know
Mr.. Spreckles. he said, nor what interest
the latter had in various beet sugar com
panies Of the west
| Il haven't been able to get any in.
/ formation from any of the companies in
which we are largely interested" said
holders and they refuse to tell us any
thing about their business"
Probing Pennsylvania Purchase.
At the session Of the committee yester
day afternoon Chairman Hardwick. rul
| ing that the facts regarding which forme
officers of the American Sugar Refinin:
| Company. including former Secretar.
Charles r. Heike, are under indictmen
| and awaiting trial, are essential to the in
quiry. required Acting President Edwin F
| Atkins of the company to answer question:
regarding its attempts to acquire thu
| Pennsylvania Sugar Refining Company
| at Philadelphia. Counsel James NJ Beck
for the company, ineffectually appealed
| to the committee not to go into this mat
| ter on the ground that former officers o
| IHe company are awaiting lTlal IN NO
| vember on the charge Of conspiracy I,
acquire the Pennsylvania property ant
| that their interests would be prejudiced i
the committee prejudged the case.
Objection Overruled.
| Chairman Hardwick and the COMMITTEE
overruled this objection. saying the com
mittee was directed to investigate ever.
phase OF the company's operation. addin,
/ that there was no intention of prejudg
/ ing the case.
| Mr. Atkins testified he had no direc
knowledge regarding the Pennsylvania;
| transaction, which. he said. was negotiate,
under the presidency Of Henry 0. Have
meyer. He said he protested years az
| TO Mr.. Havemeyer against the policy o
| the company acquiring beet sugar plants
The company officials point out that tn
| company has undergone thorough chang
| OF management and OF policy since tn
! Havemeyer regime.
/ Discussing the relations between tn,
| company and the beet sugar interests
Mr.. Atkins said: II asked Mr. Have
| meyer II It was to be his policy to built
| up the beet sugar industry at the ex
pense OF the cane sugar refining indus
try. His answer was evasive. and I toIt
him that il that was to be his policy
would sell my stock in the American
Sugar Refining Company. I subsequent,
did sell considerable OF my stock
Asked why he was opposed to the com
pany extending into the beet sugar field
Mr.. Atkins declared that 1t was simply
his opinion as a business man intereste,
in cane sugar investments.
Company Stock Scattered.
Mr.. Atkins testified that the America,
Sugar Refining Company's stock is scat
tered all over the globe. with 1880 stock
holders in November. 1910. The average
individual holding OF stock was said t.
be less than fifty shares, and more thar
$500 shareholders own ten shares o.
| under.
Mr. Atkins statement went to show tina
during 1910 the company MANUFACTURED
slightly more than AZ per cent of the tota
consumption Of sugar In the United
States, while the beet sugar companie:
manufactured IA per cent. OF the TWEEN
ty-one cane sugar refineries In the United
States the refining company owns sever
directly or through subsidiary companies
and has a stock interest, less than 4
majority in four. the sixty-engli
factories which produce beet sugar tn.
American company Is interested. tnrougi
stock ownership. in thirty three.
Aviation Luxury.
Clifford B. Harmon, who is the dear
ior American amateur aviators, wei