The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-12-19
SUGAR HEARING full
Of LIVELY TILTS BY
/: COUNSEL OF BOTH SIDES
Chairman Reed Implies Pabst Consid-
9r.s cred His Own Company in
ssy Fixing Price.
HOOVER CAN'T GET HEARING
Food Administrator Asks Permission
s to Go Before Committee, But
w -f.p Is Refused. =:

( - Is Refused.
4 Washington, Dec. 18.-Sharp tilts
between Chairman Reed and Earl Ba-
bst, president Of the American Sugar
Refining Company, marked today's
session of the Senate committee in
yestigating the sugar situation. Mr..
Babst, on the witness stand, protest
ed vigorously because the chairman
would not permit him to; make a
statement except, in answer to ques-
tions' by members Of the committee,
and charged that an attempt was be-
ing made to impugn his motives in
working for the food administration.
Z Senator Reed said the committee
was not attempting to impugn the
witness motives, but added:
Z. I'VE have developed from you that
beet sugar prices are affected by cane
sugar prices, that your company has
hoNings in beet sugar companies and
that, the international sugar commit
tee, Of which you are a member, fix
ed prices. !"
,gt Later, when the committee was in
executive session, it is understood
that Mr. Babst succeeded in getting
IN A statement to the effect that the
price Of refined sugar at seaports
was fixed before he became a mem
Der of the International committee.
and while; he was on a vacation.
Food Administrator Hoover made
another futile effort early in the day
to get hearing before the commit
tee, but Chairman Reed announced
that while he wanted to treat the ad-
ministrator with courtesy he did not
see any reason for keeping other wit
nesses waiting. 1t was suggested
without result that Mr.. Hoover was a
busy man, and was delaying trip
to New York to testify.
Mr.. Babst was on the stand
throughout today's hearing, and will
continue his testimony tomorrow.
He told the committee that soon
after Herbert Hoover returned from
Belgium he warned him that stories
that a sugar famine was in sight
threatened dangerous situation and
pointed to the fact that his company
advertised that there was plenty of
sugar and admonished people to pur-
chase only usual amounts. The total
sugar shipped abroad this year he
said, was 423,O00 tons.
Efforts Of the food administrator
to keep down the price for Cuban
sugar were shown in letter to the
American company on September II,
in which he said he understood there
were only 10000 tons left in Cuba and
suggested that the American not bid
for it and close it's refneries when
It's supply was exhausted. Hoover
wrote that public announcement
that the American would, refuse to
pay exorbitant prices "would help a
lot"
Mr.. Babst stated he heard other re-
finers received the same letter and
that in October all but four plants
depending on Cuban sugar closed. .
The committee has noe decided
when its coal investigation will be
taken up. !
Governor Cox, of Ohio, who was
asked to give testimony on the coal
situation today sent sharp message
to Senator Reed in which he said he
believed the committee had precon-
ceived theory in handling its in
quiries; that he believed the Ohio
coal situation was due to DR.. Gar
field, fuel administrator, and did not
want to "subtract one word of his in
dictnaent against him." but believed
the government theory of control was
sound and that it should not be at
tackled.
Senator Reed tonight replied that
the>committee simply wanted to learn
facts and was proceeding on no other
theory. r.
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