The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-17
TO VOTE
DRY LATE D
CONTINUED from page L.

." FssSS ~ ..
this question. The great body o
American labor realizes we'll the grea
benefit to them of this amendment,
said Webb.
Gompers, in a full page advertise
ment in local papers,, had addressed
an open letter to Webb in defense o.
beers and light wines.
One democrat and one republican
from each side were selected to con
troll the division of time in the debate;
Webb and Volstead for the drys and
Garde and Graham for the vets. This
plan was adopted after republicans de,
feated an attempt to place a democrat
in charge Of the dry's time and wet
republican in control of the other half.
With the galleries crowded by tenn
perance advocates, Speaker Clark
warned against outbursts and asked
members for an orderly debate.
William Jennings Bryan entered the
scene and predicted ratification by the
required number of states If the house
passes the amendment today.
Sugar Shortage Probe.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 17.-The
American people must pay Hawaiian
sugar planters and retiners SO 100000
extra profit in 1918, if the Hoover food
administration fixes prices as plan
ned, Claus A. Spreckels declared to-
day before the Reed sugar-coal inves-
tigating committee.
Hoover's presence lent an air OF
tenseness to the hearing.
S~preckels injected a challenging
note into his statements. He was ex-
tremeiy careful to verify everything
he said, from records and letters or
through an assistant.
Spreckels said il sugar prices are
left to themselves, they will decline
next year. He testified the Hoover
sugar committee has already decided
on a price for Cuban sugar three quar-
tiers Of a cent a pound higher to the re-
finer that the price would be If allowed
to FIX itself without interference"
This means a considerable increase
to the consumer, Spreckels said.
The price fixed for Cuban sugar
will fix the price at which Hawaiian
sugar when refined will be sold.
Hawaiian sugar costs less to import
raw. The fixing Of Cuban at a figure
contemplated, therefore will mean an
added profit OF $4,000, 900 to the Ha-
waiian sugar people.
AhO SAAc1ISdu peOplG nave TO pay
THAR" asked Senator Reed.
Naturally" replied ~Spreckels.
Spreckels declared if George M.
Rolph, California refiner, and member
of the Hoover committee had not
boarded" 100000 tons OF raw there
would have been no shortage in the
east.
Spreckels told how. in a sugar short
age in 1910 or 1911, American refners
bought all owe the world.
w kept the refneries running and
the people supplied" said Spreckels.
This time we were not allowed to go
out and buy-the food administration
wouldn't let u.s."
Another factor in the sugar famine,
according to Spreckels was that beet
sugar from California and other west
ern states was not allowed to reach
the eastern market.
Reed brought out the fact that the
sugar trust in addition t. controlling
directly forty pei cent OF the output
of cane sugar, also controls three
seventies of the beet sugar production.
Spreckels' testimony was interrupt
ed when Counsellor Polk of the state
appeared and asked for a
secret meeting with the committee
After a thirty minute conference, Polk
left refusing to discuss what he and
the committee talked about. Reed ad-
journed the session until two p. m.