Evening star., 1923-04-15
SUGAR PRICE PROBE
FURTHER EXTENDED
Transactions on Exchange
Between January | and
April ! to Be Scrutinized.
By the Associa ted Press.

By the Associated Press
NE" YORK, April 1.-THE gov
ernments investigation Of the high
price of sugar, which had been CEN
tered upon the transactions of the
New York Coffee and Sugar Exchange
during February. was widened today
TO include all transactions in sugar in
the period between January | aud
April L, 1923. For the past two weeks,
1t was learned today on good author
ity, agents of the Department of Jus
tice have been examining the Febru-
ary transactions of several Of the
largest brokers and dealers in sugars,
paying particular attention to the
names and addresses of buyers of
large sugar contracts. The inquiry
has been carried on quietly and was
cniy known TO the firms concerned
was asked, In most cases, before
their names we're disclosed to the
governments agents. The greatest
secrecy has been observed by the
government and no clue to the nature
or scope of the investigation had been
obtained until today
Today the inquiry was broadened to
include all transactions in sugar in
the first quarter of 1923, and the en-
tire list of brokers of the New York
coffee and sugar exchange received
letter signed by David a. LEsperange,
special assistant TO Attorney General
Daugherty, requesting detailed in
formation of all transactions during
that period as promptly as possible.
Ask for Names.
The letters also expressed the desire
have the names and addresses Of the
customers of the firms addressed
There was no hint of compulsion in
the letters.
While the sugar brokers were dis
cussing the business ethics involved
in a disclosure of their custimers'
names, without their permission, an
agent Of the Department of Justice
visited the floor Of the exchange and
invited several brokers to present
themselves at the Office of United
States District Attorney Haywood
next Monday morning. One Of the
brokers, NJ. r. Mayer, said that he
would accept the invitation, and would
be glad to assist the government in
any way that he could. The brokers
were not asked to bring any Of their
records.
Several Of the brokers went to
work on their books compiling the
data requested by the Department OF
Justice. while others believed that it
would take some time for them to
gather the information and put it in
shape.
Customer List Sought.
One OF the largest brokers on the
sugar exchange, whose transactions
have been under investigation for the
past two weeks, said that until to-
day the principal object of the gov
ernment'S investigation appeared to
be the names and addresses of their
customers who had had large trans
actions in sugar futures during FEB
ruary.
Franklin w. Hopkins. president OF
the clearing house for the coffee and
sugar exchange and a member OF
Hopkins Brothers, said that his firm
customers had made no objection to
transactions to the government men.
They said they had nothing to
hide" said Mr.. Hopkins, land I have
learned that that attitude has been
general throughout the trade. A Mr.
Benham, a Department of Justice in
counts, told me that he had been sur
prised by the helpful attitude of the
sugar brokers and commission men
during his Investigation