Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-25
Statement of Sugar Com
bine's Purchasing Agent.
DISCRIMINATION is DENIED
Mr.. Mott Says No Louisiana Planters
Were Punished.
HURRYING UP THE HEARINGS
Members Of Committee Expect to
Leave New York for Washing
ton This Afternoon.

NEW YORK, July 2S.-Henry G.. Mott
purchasing agent for, and a director Of,
the American Sugar Refining Company,
who was the first witness today before
the special congressional committee in
vestigating the so-called sugar trust, de-
clared that in making purchases Of sugar
the company never Disseminated against
any planters, never punished any Lou
isiana planters for selling sugar to the
ndependent refners, and never arbitrarily
fixed the purchasing price of sugar.
The committee expected to complete its
investigation IN this city in time to take
q train this afternoon. which would per-
init the democratic members to attend a
caucus In Washington tonight
MI. Mott. who was elected a director
Following the death Of II. o. Havemeyer
said he did much of the correspondence
Tor MI. Havemeyer, but his memory was
10 treacherous that he could not recall
any of the correspondence relative to the
acquiring Of the independents.
Paid New York Price.
Asked about the Americans purchase
OF sugar in Louisiana, Mr.. Mott said:
We paid the New York price, less the
freight rate to New York. which /. about
~ SeHtS HunOre0 POUNDS.
Yet You used much Of that Louisi-
ana sugar in your New Orleans refinery
and did not send 1t to New York;"
"Oh. we sent a great deal IN Neu,
York
Mr. Mott said that he would guarantee
10 purchase in Louisiana for any indie
pendent all the sugar i. wanted IL it
PAID the Americans price, or 1-32c more
and had the cash. O,her witnesses han
salo me planters were afraid to sell to
no ind 7l-,,p
would be boycotted by the American,
Which is the largest purchaser.
MI Mott insisted that if there hao
Deem any discrimination against any of
ane louisiana p-anters or boycotting o.
any of them it had been done by the
american Sugar Refining Company
local pure. -asing agent there, and not
with the knowledge or consent of the
company.
No Limitation Order.
30 far as / know no instructions were
ever given any Of our refineries, with d
total capacity of 10000 barrels, to limit
their production" he said.
OF course, We give directions from
time to time to reduce or increase their
output, according to the stock on hand.
the demand and the consumption"
These instructions. the witness added,
are given by the president
Why do you pay the Louisiana plant
eis the New York price less the freight
rate. when you refine most of that sugar
in New Orleans?
I'VE have to buy approximately .eOJ
tons of the total crop of 300. 900 tons with
in three months. Our refining capacity
At New Orleans is only 1900 tons for
that time, and the result is that we have
raw sugar. We must take all the risks
of fire, deterioration and the change in
marketing price We figure that the
freight rate pays US for this trouble, risk
and expense"
AS the American purchases about
2D.GO0 tons of Louisiana sugar cane it
pays the planters S6Oo,OoO less than the
New York rate.
Less Than Hamburg Rate.
1t had been testified that the price of
raw sugar in this country always fol-
lowed the world price, which Is an
nounced in Hamburg every day; but Mr..
Mott could not explain why the New
York price had been less almost daily
than the Hamburg rate since the present
investigation was begun. He thought
there might be an Ot reproduction in this
country.
In going into the tariff question. Chair
man Hardwick sought TO establish by
the witness that the Cuban planter did
not profit by the differential in the pres
ent tarin. The tariff on Cuban sugar is
1.3IS cents a pound. and on other sugar
It's. The committee desired to know
why the reinerS paid the same price
for Cuban as Tor atner sugar. when the
,.uty TO be pad was less. Mr.. Motifs
ex .anation was not satisfactory and Mr..
Sui4er said il looked TO him that instead
vi ptnentinS the Cuban planter. for which
il vas planned. the differential was
might good thing for the American
Sugar r filming Company and other re-
dners.