The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-25
Propped Up by Pillows in His
Bed, John Arbuckle Testifies
Before House Committee.
HAVEMEYER GOOD FIGHTER
Would Use Any Kind of Weapon
Different Story Regarding
Spreckels Interview.

TNEW PLATZ, n. Y, July 24.-The
mi one good reason why the war
ring sugar interests did not sign
an agreement to end the conflict
was fear of the Sherman antitrust law,
There were minor considerations, of
course, but every time the matter was
broached to John Arbuck]e, when the
fight wagcd warmest, Mr.. .Arbuckle de-
clined and told his opponents to re-
member the Sherman law.
Propped up by pillows in his bed, Mr..
Arbuckle so testified today before
subcommittee of the special congress.
congressman had come to Mr.. Ar
buckles bedside because he was un-
able to come to them, and they found
him apparently unreseryed in giving
the history OF his commercial battles,
Mr. Arbuckle said the fight started
in 1898, after there had been friction
between his coffee company and the
American sugar refinery, The Amer
lean company retaliated by going into
the coffee business. In 1897, however,
he said, Mr.. Havemeyer had tried, un-
successfully, to purchase 81 per cent of
his uncompleted refinery
Sugar War Not Ended,
The witness said that the sugar war
was not yet ended and that he had al
ways said there should be no agree
ment to curtail production or control
prices.
Mr. Arbuckle said he strongly sus-
pected that rebates were being given
by refiners TO wholesalers, but he said
he did not think railroads were in
volved
~ knew II. o. Havemeyer for forty
years. he added. "He had his good
violin maenificently and / told him
that man who could make that kind of
music was not as bad as people thought
| him to be-
Mr.. Arbucklc said the American
Sugar Refining company had the abil
| ity to and always did maintain the
price of sugar. Because of its capacity
it fixed the maximum price, he said
the Independents fixing the minimum
| price, but following the former s.
''There wps never an agreement OF
armistice,' Mr.. Arbuckle said
There's likely to be an outbreak any
| time
'tDid you ever have an interview
with c. A. Spreckels, owner of the Fed
eral refinery?' asked Mr.. Madison.
Thought spreckels Foolish.
"Yes, I wanted him to Join in tbs
trade laboratory l was establishing
He would not, / think, because tbs
! American comnany was IN it. ] tolc
him ne was foolish, that he was los
ing money and there was no use biting
his nose off to spite his face. We haC
all lost money by the system of sngal
polarization. That's all our interview
was about
Mr.. Madison said he read in tn,
minutes of the American Sugar Refin
ing company entries showing that th'
trust loaned between s4000,000 anc
$5,o0000o to the Woolston coffee plan
at Toledo; that the company hat
charged off 500, 900 to profit and los
account, and that the fight against Ar
buckle had cost the trust even NOR
than that
SO the American is still going afte
trade the way it used to9' asked MI
Madison.
"Not so much as formerly. Whe,
Hevemeyer was alive he would not stol
at anything. He would use any kind O
weapon that ne needed He, cared TO
, nothing.'
"Wasn't It the fierceness of tn
sugar war modified after 1903. whe
the American decided not to lose an,
Z more money In the conduct of it's cot
fee business7"
: "1t was not so fierce sfterward."
: Remembered the Sherman Law.
Mr.. Spreckels says you suggeste
to him, after a meetinr with Have
meyer, that he should limit or reduc
his output He also said you wer