New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1915-01-09
THE SUGAR TRUST EMBAR-
RASSMENT IN LOUISIANA.

The American Sugar Refining
Company, commonly known as
the Sugar Trust. finds itself very
seriously EN- barraSsed in Louisi-
ana for the reasons previously
given i'll this journal including
the testimony given concerning it
before the Hardwick Committee
Of Congress. and such other data
as have been accC mulated, and it
is remarkable to notice how it
SIN Kinks from its final death in
Louisiana and how difficult il
finds any way to carry on its bus
mess with rectitude and in strict
conformity to the laws Of the
land and in conformity with a
square deal. Ben Franklin S say
ing that he put in the mouth of
Poor Richard in his 18th century
almanacs, that "honesty is the
best policy while not original
with him, and probably a saying
thousands of years old, stands as
evidence indicating what Ben
Franklin thought about adheriug
to the tlrth and to honest deal
ings all along the lines.
In this journal, in an address
to the public, published in our
issue of December 10Th, and
signed by the counsel of the
American Sugar Refining Com
pany. there appears in the next
to the last paragraph these lines ::
"It is patent that the Ameri-
can cannot, commercially speak
inc. buy on this market at the
arbitrary New York piice when
the New Orleans price is substan-
italy and normally lower. =
This statement, signed by the
counsel of the American Sugar
Refining Company, who thrs as
sumo the responsibility for its ut
terance, was, in all probability,
submitted to the Sugar Refining
Company before its publication.
In fact, it may have been written
by the Sugar Refining Company,
with the suggestion to its counsel
that their counsels signatures TO
the statement would more likely
palacate public sentiment, which
had finally become so thoroughly
aroused by the course of the
American Sugar Refining Com
pany during the more than twen-
ty years that it has had it's hands
on the throat of the Louisiana
sugar producers.
The four lines quoted from the
statement above are typical of the
entire course of the American Su-
gar Refining Company in New
Orleans, excepting that it's con-
tinued hold on the sugar pro-
Queer has become harder and
harder to resist as the years adj
vanced. Reports are to the effect
that the Sugar Trust peremptor-
iIv demanded the differential of
Is to 25 cents per hundred
pounds below the pric> that they
were paying for the same grade
of sugars in New York brcause of
the cost of getting the sugars to
New York. If they boycoltcu su-
gar producers who sold to 9TH.
ers than to themselves, if they
boycotted sugar brokers who did
not always give them the first
chance at such sugars on the SUI
gar Exchange, if they used every
possible means to prevent buyers
rom New York for other sugar
interests from getting cargoes in
his market, each item of these
hree being definitely charged and
apparently proven in the investi-
cations made by the Hardwick
Committee, then we can see how
misleading are the
tatements as, to the New Orleans
market being substantially" and
normally" lower. The sub
the result Of the
triangle hold that they succeeded
n getting on the NewOrleans mar
let by the questionable means
'eferred to, can hardly be con-
lected up with the qualification of
,eing normal, as stated by the
earned counsel who signed the
tatement.
Now, let us turn to the other
ide Of the question The Amer
can Sugar Refining Company has
efineries in Boston, New York
nd Philadelphia. We have re-
erred in this issue to the scare
ty of sugars and to the bluffing, i
deceptive hand that the CON-
ined sugar buyers in the Allan
ic cities have been playing In