The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1911-02-14
Making a Strong Protest Against
The Sugar Trust
WANTS LIMIT ON ACREAGE
The Senator Is Organizing to Fight
Against the Porto Rico Civil Cow
ernment Bill--Believes Monopoly
Plans to Secure Complete Control
of the Islands Output.

of the Islands Output.
Washington, Feb. 13.-With the
charge that the sugar trust Is plot
ting to get complete control of the
sugar industry in Porto Rico, Sena-
tor Bristow is organizing fight
against the Porto Rico civil govern
ment bill, which has passed the
house and is pending in the senate.
Senator Bristow has been on the
trail OF the sugar trust for two years.
He led the great fight for radical re-
organization of the sugar schedule
during the tariff session of 1903, and
had narrow escape from winning
what would have been the biggest
victory for insurgency during the
session.
Trust Again at Work.
Now he has discovered what he
considers the evidence that the trust
| is about to work itself into complete
control of Porta Rico.
Delegate Larrinaga, of Porto Rico,
and other Porto Ricans in Washing
ton, are back of the Bristow fight.
1t has long been charged that the
sugar trust already controls very
large, If not dominating, proportion
Of the sugar product Of Cuba. It's
interest in controlling Porto Rico is
even more acute because Porto Rican
raw sugar is admitted into this coun-
/ try free, while Cuban raw pays so
i per cent. OF the Payne-Aldrich tariff
i rates, or S1.34S per hundred pounds.
i consequently it is to the interest OF
the trust to secure the largest possi-
BILE production from Porto Rico, in
order TO save this duty.
il Rumors OF Scandal.
4 During the tariff session provision
was secured for admitting free OF
duty, 100000 tons per annum OF
Philippine sugar. Ii has been charg-
ed ever since that this likewise was
! engineered by the trust, and there
has been persistent charge of scan
: dals in connection with the trusts
acquisition of sugar lands in the
: archipelago.
Senator Bristow's fight OF the
present session is concerned with a
provision limiting the amount OF
land single corporation may hold
in Porto Rico. Secretary of War
Dickinson recommended that this be
fixed at 5000 acres. AS the bill
passed the house this was cut to
1900 acres, and the section was care
fully written, with drastic penal pro-
: visions, which seemed certain to be
! effective.
: Representative Madison, OF
Kansas. drafted the house section
and got IL adopted. All the sugar
: trust agents we're vigorously opposed
9 TO It.
Hill Was Withdrawn.
Passed by the house. the bill wen
10 the senate, and TO the committe,
on Pacific islands and Porto Rico, o
Z which Senator Depew Is chairman
Il Il was reported BY Senator Deres
I without change. on December l3
: Later lawyers interested in Il be
came active, and on December Il
: Senator Depew withdrew the bill an'
= report for further consideration. Tn
! result was that on December 20 III
2 measure was again reported, thi
u time with the section relating {
D limitation OF land holdings great
changed.
re As il now stands the provision
q that no corporation engaged IN an
agricultural operation except suga
20 raising shall In one year own owe
nc 3.0eO acres actually planted, and
= the corporation be Engaged IN suga
g raising Ii shall not. In one year, ow
ne Or control for the crop over a.gs
acres. except land leased for perie
'iu OF 90 years.
az A corporation which owns or cot
cr trolls crops III excess Of these limit
rs tions shall be subject to a graduate
y increase Of its land taxation.
On the first 1000 acres of exec
%, the increase shall be 80 per cent. al
Dy- from this IL goes up as the exec
~ advances.
es- liz surplus IN Treasury.
OF At first glance this would appe
'as an effective penalty to prevent I
me large holdings. Bit in fact lai
his taxes are very small. because Por
70 Rico gets all customs duties COLLECT
tn In the United states on articles 1
ported from Porto Rico. These 9
so heavy that the Porto Rican C
reh trail government needs very little
ma ditional revenue. ami now has q
for surplus In the treasury.
the The average tax on sugar lands
Inn. stated TO be from S125 to si.Je
hon acre
DIR Delegate Larrinaga stated q
l.y- profits on an acre uI sugar cane ",
ane from $50 10 siO0. 80 that the p
her posed increase in the tax for exc
Imi- sive holdings is insignificant co
/ -.