Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-05-04
ROBBERY CHARGE
HI RI { D DURING
TARIFF DE BAT {
IN 7 He Sc NATE
F Former German Owned
Chemical Company Made
UnConScionabIe Profits
During War Smoot Says
CYANIDE PARAGRAPH
STARTS HOT WRAMGLE
Senator Pittman, Nevada,
Says the Proposed Duty
Is in the Interest Only of
a Single Company,
CBy Tb. Associated Press,

Washington, May 3.-Charges
that the Roessier Haslacher Chem
ical company of New York. for
mer German-owned concern, made
unconscionable profits during the
war were made today in the senate
by Senator Smoot, republican, Utah.
during a generai crossfire OF de-
bate as to whether the company
should be given tariff protection
of 10 per cent ad valorem on its
production of cyanide.
"Robbery--if you please-for
that's the only way to characterize
the profits declared Senator
Smoot.
Both he and Chairman McCum-
her of the finance committee, con-
ceded that the company had a
monopoly on the production of
cyanide in the United States and
was the sole agent OF the German
cyanide cartel, but they argued for
the 10 per cent duty proposed by
the committee on the ground that
without it the Industry in this
country would be destroyed and
Germany and Canada would con-
troll the American market.
Senator Smoot said he had no
doubt that if the American indus
try were ruined Germany would
drive the Canadian company out
OF business and then make the
American users of cyanide pay
dearly, as they had made users of
other products pay under similar
circumstances in the past.
Pittman Opens Debate.
Senator Pittman democrat, Ne
vada. opened the debate on the
cyanide paragraph, declaring that
the proposed duty was in the in
terest only of a single company
and its subsidiaries and that with
it in force this company would
charge "what the citrus fruit grow
ers and the miners of this country
can afford to pay"
The Nevada senator charged that
two days before the United States
entered the war the German own
ors OF the Roessler Haslacher COM
pany transferred stock TO German
American citizens and that the
alien property custodian had held
that the sale was fraudulent and
for the purpose of concealing the
German ownership. Senator Free
linghuysen. republican. New Jer-
sey, declared the company now was
American owned.
Reading from official records oil
ne alien property custodian. Sena-
tor pittman said the company has
made profits as high as 900 per
cent, and that one of its subsidi-
aries, the Niagara Electric Chemi-
cal company, had made even high
er profits. He charged that some
republican senators were willing to
protect this monopoly so as to get
protection for monopolies in their
own state.
Senator Pittman also said that
the 10 per cert duty proposed
would not keep out German i'm
ports, but would shut out from the
country cyanide made by an
American-owned company with a
plant at Niagara Falls. Ontario.
Jones Takes IA Hand.
During the debate Senator Jones,
democrat, New Mexico, reverted to
the question of the relative costs of
producing acetic acid in this coun-
trv and Canada. Senator McCum-
ber remarked that il senators kept
going back to the acetic acid para
graph, which already had been dis
posed of, he was afraid the senate
would "pickle the whole tariff bill
with this vinegar item before we
can dispose of it."