New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1913-05-24
HENRY N. PHARR ATTACKS THE
UNDERWOOD BILL.

Washington, May 21.-Believing that
the hitherto greatly feared sugar trust
is less to be dreaded than the free sugar
proposal of the Democratic party, the
Louisiana cane growers this afternoon
opened up on the trust. AT hearing be
fore the subcommittee, composed of Sen
ator John Sharp Williams, Senator Shiv-
civ and Senator Gore, Henry Pharr spoke
bitinplv about the ancient enemy and
the new menace.
ut seems strange and beyond compre-
bension how the great Democratic party,
the avowed enemy of the trusts, can be,
as it now is, playing directly into the
hands of the worst of the combinations,
said Mr.. Pharr, after Senator Williams
had made an interruption that seemed to
be with a view to shutting off that phase
of the matter.
II want to say something now about
the impression that the cane growers OF
Louisiana are part and parcel OF the
trust" is the declaration that brought
forth the interruption that appeared to
have been made for the purpose before
indicated.
ooh, we don't believe anything like
that" said Mr. Williams, mot one mem
Der of the committee believes anything
like that"
"But the general public does, and that
is what hurts" answered Mr.. Pharr
and that's why l want to mention It,
"But this argument is being made &c
this committee, not the general public
interposed the Mississippian.
SHIvELY INTERESTED.
But I'd like to hear that part OF this
argument" said Senator Shively, who
all the way through the hour and hall
hearing showed himself to be intensely
interested and fully alive to the politi'
cal danger for the Democratic party tina
lies in the fact becoming generally known
that, as drawn, the sugar schedule o.
the Underwood bill is of undoubted ant
substantial benefit not only to the sugal
trust, but to c. A. Spreckels, whose sale.
manager has been posing before thu
country as secretary OF a committee o.
wholesale grocers, organized, as the
ella m, to procure cheaper sugar for thu
consumer, and absolutely destructive o
the domestic sugar industry. He wanted
to know what facts the Louisiana people
have to show, first, that the trust an
the sugar producers are not Identical "
interest, and second, the facts tendint
to show that If sugar Is frse listed thu
refiners will be immensely benefited, frs
by the elimination OF the domestic pre-
Queer and second, by the absolutism the,
will be able to exercise in the American
market
Mr.. Pharr continued his recital By
bringing forth the testimony taken in tn
sugar trust trial in New Orleans, which
resulted ip tie production of the Wither'
spoon Mott correspondence showing tn
New Orleans manager vi the trust ad
vising the New York manager ~ aspres
the price of raw sugar in New York, SO 81
to keep down the price the trust wou.'
rave to pay the Louisiana people TO
their raw sugar
WILLIAMS ARGUMENT.
Instead Of allowing the witness to pro
coed, Senator Williams brought forth bi
"YoSic" and argued that what the Louis
lana men ware contending about the effec
oI Tree sugar VI poh inouS'y "o"i~ n
exactly the reverse. He argued that on
part Of the argument of the LoHisian1i
people Destroyed the other. He conl
not be made II admit that, the trust ip
tsYest being to destrsy domestic industr,
thst combination could be depended apop
the minuts sugar became fres, to fore
sugar upon the market 1t price tina
would bankrupt not only the Louisian
people, but the beet people as well.
The benefit to the American consume
1ould be only temporary, he said. Tb
s6ortsgs If 1,750,000 tons, following tn
destruction Of the domestic industry an
the curtailment Of tie "Hawarsn an
Porto Rican crop, would have tendeffc
to raise the price of sugar, since the short
sge of 2,0OO,OOO tons in the Europea
cTsp i've years sgo had advanced tn
price to the cohsifMer kYo cents pouni
In the meantime, ths"Amsricon suel
fields and factories would have VANISHED
and the production of foreign s'gal
\ wauld be stimulated to meet the denrnd
Hs Asp proceeded to show the seera
artificial forces that could be rtilize o'
foreign nations at the expense of the
| American consumer. The Brussels con