The Sentinel=record., 1911-06-13
MAKE SUGAR
 BARONS TELL
HOUSE COMMITTEE MAKES PRES DENT OF SUGAR COMPANY
 ANSWER.
Official Objects to Going Into Details of Acquisition of the Pennsyl- vania Sugar Refining
 Company.

Washington, June 12-Ruling that the facts regarding which former of fiers of the American Sugar Refining Company, including former Secretary Charles R. Heike are under indict- ment and awaiting trial are essential to the inquiry, the house committed on investigation into the so-called sugar trust affairs today required act ing President Edwin F. Atkins, Of the company to answer questions re- garling it's attempts to acquire the Pennsylvania Sugar Refining Com pany at PhiladelpI ia. Counsel James M Beck for the company ineffectu- ally appealed to the committee not to go into this matter on grounds tha, former officers of the company are awaiting trial in November on a charge of conspiracy to acquire the Pennsylvania property and that their interests would be prejudiced, if the committee prejudged the case.
 Chairman Hardwick and the com mittee overruled this objection, say ing the committee was directel to investigate every phase of the com panies operation, adding there was no intention of prejudging the case.
 Mir. Atkins testified he had no d. rect knowledge regarding the Penn sylvania transaction, which he sid was negotiated unier the presidency of Henry o. Havemeyer He said he protested years ago to Mir. Have meyer against the policy of the com pany acquiring beet sugar plants. The company official pointed out that the company has undergone thorough change of management and of policy since the Havemeyer regime.
 Discussing the relations between the company and the beet sugar in terests, MT. Atkins said:
 T asked MT. Havemeyer if 1t was to be his policy to build up the beet sugar industry at the expense of the cane sugar refining industry. His answer was evasiye and I told him if tLat was to be his policy l would sell my stock in the American Sugar Re- lining Company. l subsequently did sell considerable of my stock"
 Asked why he was opposee to rne company extending into the beet sugar field, MT. Atkins declrel 1t was simply his opinion as business man interested in cane sugar investments. He foresaw in the western field a beet sugar industry growing which would become formidable competi- tor of the American company, and as an investor he did not think it a good proposition to aiI rival enter prise. Mr. Atkins said he did no' know at the time ne talked to Mr Havemeyer that the former head of eHc tiuot Hdu uiltdu1 iHNCTlSu III western beet sugar concerns.
 MT Atkins testified today that the American Sugar Refining Compny stock is scattered all over the globe with 1859 stockholders in Noyem- Der 1910. The average individual holdings of stock was said to be less than ffty shares and more than 9.50C shareholders held ten shares or un der.
 Mir. Atkins submitted a statement to show that during 1910 the company manufactured slightly more than 4: percent of the total consumption o sugar in the United States, while tho beet sugar companies manufactured IA percent. Of the 21 cane sugar re hneries in the United States, the re
 ining company owns seven directl' or through subsidiary companies am has stock interest less than a ma jority in four. Of the sixty -thre' factories which produce beet sugai the American company is intereste through stock ownership in B.
 A statement referred to the govern ment litigation against the company
 In the bill brought by the govern ment to dissolve the company read. mo act of any officer of tn company since January l, 1908, even allegel as being in restraint Q
 trade. Many of the averments i
 the governments bill are either ID
 accurate or have reference to tran
 sections ended prior to January I1soS, or adjusted as lawful in th