The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-25
SUGAR WAR NOT OVER.
ArbuckIe Says lie Never Made Peace
With the Trust

AAAA tAAI AAHeAs
New Pallz, n. Y, July 25.=The one
good reason why the warning sugar
interests did not sign an agreement to
end the conflict was fear of the Sher-
man antitrust law There were minor
considerations, OF course, but every
time the matter was preached to Jno.
Arbuckle, when the fight waged
Warmest, Mr.. Arbuckle declined and
told his opponents to remember the
sherman law.
PrOpped up by pillows in his bed
Mr.. Arbuckle so testified before a sub
committee Of the special congressional
investigating committee. The con-
gressmen had come to Mr. Arbuckle's
bedside because he was unable to
come to them and they found him ap-
parently unreserved in giving the his
tory OF his commercial battles
Mr.. Arbuckle said the fight started
i'm 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.
unsuccessfully, to purchase 81 per cent
Of his uncOmpleted refinery.
The witness said the sugar war was
not yet ended and that he had always
said there should be no agreement to
curtail production or control prices
MI ATDutklb Sdlu lie SlIOnBAy SuS-
pected that rebates We're being given
by refiners to wholesalers but he said
ne did not think railroads were in
volved.
Il knew H. o. Havemeyer for forty
years" he added. He had his good
and his bad qualities. He played his
violin magnificently and I told him
that a man who could make that
kind of music was not as bad as peo-
pie thought him to be-"
Trust Kept Up Prices.
Mr.. Arbuckle said the American
Sugar Refining company had the
ability 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 followed the for
mer's
There was never an agreement OF
armistice." Mr.. Arbuckle said. There 5
likely to be an outbreak any time"
Did you ever have an interview
with c. A. Spreckels, owner of the Fed
eral refinery" asked Representative
Madison.
yes, L wanted him to join in the
trade laboratory I was establishing. He
would not, / think, because the Ameri-
can company was in it. I told him he
was foolish, that he was losing money
and there was no use biting his nose
off to spite his face. We had all Ost
money by the system of sugar polariza-
tion. That was all our interview was
about"
Mr.. Madison said he read in the
minutes of the American Sugar Rein
cry company entries showing that the
trust loaned between 100000 and
s5,00O,00O to the WOOlson Coffee plant
al Toledo, that the company had
charged off 100000 to profit and loss
account and that the fight against
Arbuckle had cost the trust even more
than that.
$50 the American is still going after
trade the way it used to do?" asked
Mr.. Madison.
mot so much as formerly. When
Havemeyer was alive he would not
stop at anything. He would use any
kind Of weapon that he needed. He
cared for nothing"
Wasn't the ferceness of the sugar
war modified after 1905. when the
American decided not to lose any more
money in the conduct of its coffee
BUSINESS"
TT was not so fierce afterwards"
Mr.. Spreckels says you suggested to
him, after meeting with Havemeyer
put. He also said you were reducing
your output. Is that truce"
''Spreckels used to tell me his trou-
bles with the American and I tried t.
smooth them over But never ask
ed him to limit his output. Lots of tile
sugar men came to me but I always
told them: Don't talk to me about
limiting price or output Remember
the Sherman law of course event
ually everyone had to reduce as this
country was overstOcked."