The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1912-02-24
CONGRESSMAN WICkLlFFE
MAKES PREDICTION ABOUT
SUGAR PROBE REPORT.

In an interview near the week lend,
Congressman Wickliffe made pre-
dlction as to what the Sugar Probe
Report would be. He said in part:
practically all cane, from which
sugar is refined, produced in the
United States is produced in Louisi-
ana. Louisiana cane producers con-
tend that they have never received
fair treatment from the American Su-
gar Refining company in the sale OF
raw sugar. An effort by the Federal,
only partially successful, to purchase
raw sugar in November, 1907, was
promptly resented by the American,
that company boycotting for a time
those persons who sold to the FEEDER
al at price higher than the Ameri-
can would pay.
"The American resented this inva-
sion of a market they regarded as
peculiarly their own and since the
death of Henry Havemeyer, the pol
icy of the company does not seem to
have changed until the crop Of 1911,
and 1912. In 1909 and 1910 certain
Louisiana producers sought to avoid
this trouble as we'll as to obtain a
higher price for their raw sugar by
selling to Arbuckle Brothers in New
York. This resulted in raising the
New Orleans price of raw sugar Is
points. Louisiana producers COM
plain that the American consistently
kept the New Orleans market for
raw sugar a quarter of a cent under
New York quotations. The Ameri-
can admits this difference in price
between the two markets, but in
sists that it is a fair difference be-
cause it's factory, the Chalmette, will
not refine more than $4,000 tons of
the 100000 tons of Louisiana sugar
that the American purchases each
year.
ut seems that the American takes
every advantage of the Louisiana
producer that the absence of strong
competition enables it to take, as
might be expected, and that it's de-
Tense that a least the freight rate
to New York Us points, ought to
be" deducted from the New York
price for sugar sold at New Orleans,
because it's New Orleans factory will
not refine much more than 40 per
cent Of itspurchase of Louisiana raw
sugar was disingenuous and unfair,
when We realize that the American
in accordance with it's general policy,
only buys raw sugar at New Orleans
in excess of its requirements for its
New Orleans refinery, when, in its
judgment, raw sugar is a good pur-
chase, and will be profitable to hold
until the price advances, so that the
refiner can make larger profit.
Compared to the American, both
Henderson and the Colonial are so
small and weak that they do not af-
ford strong competition, and leave
the Louisiana producer at the mercy
of the American to a large extent.
"The above finding by the commit
tee will demonstrate the effective
ness of the testimony last summer,
as it has been shown, both to the
Hardwick committee and through
them to congress, that far from there
being any community Of interest or
alliance, between the cane growers
of Louisiana and the American Sugar
Refining Company, the American SUI
gar Refining Company is the worst
enemy that the cane growers of Lou.
isiana have.
"The effect of this report of the
Hardwick committee will be to clear
ly demonstrate to congress and to
the country that to take the duty off
raw sugar will be simply to play into
the hands of the American Sugar Re-
filming Company, by giving them their
raw material duty free, as the hear.
ings before that committee show
quite conclusively that the big refin'
ers want free raw sugar.
prior to the investigation by the
Hardwick committee, there was an
impression in congress, and to some
extent throughout the country, that
the cane growers of Louisiana were
identified with the sugar trust, and
! L TO-. In