The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-17
SUGAR TRUST INVESTIGATION

| SppAh L tNpSl LIN v IVA INV
The Sugar Trust investigation that Is
being pursued by committee of tht
House of Representatives is develop
ing some curious testimony II IS sait
| that Mr., Havemeyer, with a mere neg
ligihle fraction Of the stock OF the Su
gar Trust, was able 10y his personality
to dominate that trust absolutely, which
is a great tribute to the man person
ality. and an acknowledgment almost
beyond precedent of the force and
quality Of the man S character
In a general way the public has
known pretty well how the Sugar Trust
has been manipulated and conducted.
At the time that the Pennsylvania
Sugar Company s refinery WAS gobhled
by the trust, there was great outcry
made about il, and partial investiga
tion was undertaken. in which the facts
were made public about as they are
now. The taking over Of the beet
sugar interests OF the United States by
the American Sugar Trust which was
the Havemeyer Trust. included the beet
sugar factories of Utah, Idaho, and
Colorado, AS well as those further cast.
The California Beet Sugar factories
were taken over by the Spreckels Trust
which operated in its own coast field in
harmony with the great Hayemeycr
Trust in the East. Tho object and the
practical workings Of each of these
trusts have been all the time to control
the markets, to fix prices. and TO crush
out competition. The policy whereby
this was effected was absolutely merci
less and unscrupulously cruel
But it is said by the president and
secretary of the trust that the meth.
ods of that organization have now
changed since the death of Mr.. Have.
meyer; that, in fact, it is now good
trust, and not wicked and cruel AS il
was under the presidency of Henry O
HaVemoyer. II will he difficult. how
ever, for the public TO comprehend that
there has been any real change; the al
legged change consisting merely in the
fact that there is no fight, because there
are now no rivals to crush, since Have.
meyer put them all down. The present
sugar trust has therefore the field all
TO itself, without rivalry or competi.
ton, and does not find il necessary 10
indulge In the ruthless wars that Pres
ldent Havemeycr formerly INDUCED in
1t IS noteworthy. however. that this
q lIpoaH cbo ,C
trust has not in the slightest degree
conditions. Those trusts are
still IN control of the markets. thev still
h1 prices. they continue the control of
.he beet sugar factories just as before
The change merely consists. as it ap.
pears from practicai view. in en- loving
he fruits of the absolutism o9 the for
ncr President Havemeyer. without bav.
ng any of the battles TO fipht that he
considered IT necessary 10 fight in or
ier 10 establish the unauestioned su
oremacy Of his trust. That trust now
without rivalry and without competj
ION. without any wars TO conduct. is |
quietly In control of the markets. of the
products, Of the supply. and of inc |
'rlces. To say that this is a change
If policy is simply to mock the intel
lgence of the committee, and to deride
he helplessness OF the public. A change
which merely consists in the enjoy
ncnt Of the fruits of former warfare.
and is peaceful only because there isl
lothlng now to fight, as Havemeyer had
n his day, is curious sort of change
If policy upon which 10 base claim of |
'eform. IT is. on the contrary. rather
chuckle of qualification over the en-.
oyment of results accomplished than
bange of heart regretfuI of the meth
DDS employed to get those results.