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Show SANDERS TAKES STIS li PROBE i Testimony Concerning Beet-I Beet-I growers' Sugar Company Introduced at Hearing SALT LAKE, April 2S. Direct examination ex-amination of George E. Sanders, for-imerly for-imerly president of the Oregon-Utah Sugar company, concerning the affairs of that company, was completed 'yesterday 'yes-terday during the federal trade commission com-mission hearing. Cross-examination of J. William Johnson, field man of the Utah-Idaho Sugar company was also finished and taking of testimony concerning the Bectgrowers' Sugar company of Rigby, Idaho, began. Testimony offered by Mr. Johnson was confined to matters concerning a letter written at the dictation of Mark Austin, general agricultural supcrin-i tendent of the Utah-Idaho, and signed I by Mr. Johnson, which was sent to ihej war priorities board, urging against the granting of permission for the building of the Springville-Mapleton factory. The witness testified that he had gone to Mr. Austin's office to borrow money and that the agricultural superintendent su-perintendent had first suggested the writing of the letter and had then dictated dic-tated it to his stenographer Mr. Johnson said that he had never heard of the war priorities board until Mr. Austin told him about it. The letter in question, in urging against the granting of permission for the construction of the Surlnevillc- Mapleton factory, pointed out that It would be a waste of material and labor, la-bor, that the district already had more than enough factories to care for the beets raised, that the stress of war conditions at the time it was written, October 4. 1917. did not seem, to call for such an undertaking. Henry Ward Beer, special attorney for ihe federal trade commission, who Is conducting the case for the governments govern-ments that tho letter at no place suggested sug-gested that he, Johnson, was an employee em-ployee of the jUtnh-Idnho Sugar company, com-pany, or that he had any other motive in sending the letter than his belief that the new enterprise would not be In the interests of the farmers of the section. Knight Quoted. Judge D. N. Straup, principal counsel coun-sel for the Utah-Idaho Sugar company,, com-pany,, in conducting tho cross examination, exam-ination, drew from a witness a statement state-ment quoting "Uncle Jesse" Knight, one of the backers of the Springville-Mapleton, Springville-Mapleton, as saying that he would withdraw from the project if he could do it gracefully. Mr. Beer came back with a question which elicited the statement by Mr. Johnson that Mr. Knight had "adcted that, if the farmers insisted, he would go ahead and complete the project. 'Sie letter was written on plain paper anu uaieu irom .iapieion, a point which Mr. Beer emphasized in an effort ef-fort to have the witness admit an effort to mislead the war priorities board. This the witness did not do, and maintained that the only purpose he had was to promote the interests of the farmers. Mr. Johnson himself is an extensive beet raiser. Lester Mangum, son-in-law of Mr. Knight, and active in the Springville-Mapleton Springville-Mapleton enterprise, testified concerning concern-ing an effort lie made to sell the company com-pany to the Utah-Idaho and told of an interview on tho subject he had with Mr. Austin, in which the latter declined de-clined to consider the offer. He spoke also of a conversation with J. W. Jones, an agent of the United States department of agriculture, in which he quoted Mr. Jones as inferring that tho Springville-Mapleton project was not agreeable to the "department of agriculture. agri-culture. He. was questioned by Mr. Beer regarding re-garding letters alleged to have been sent by officials of the Utah Idaho Sugar company to Carl Vrooman, assistant as-sistant secretary of agriculture, concerning con-cerning the Springville-Mapleton plans, but said he knew nothing of the matter. mat-ter. Mr. Sanders' testimony went further in the details of tho transaction whore-by whore-by tho Oregon-Utah Sugar company was sold to the Utah-Idaho company through the alleged manipulation of Bishop Charles W. Nlbley, now general manager of the Utah-Idaho. The witness wit-ness related how he protested without avail to Bishop Nibley that he, Sanders, San-ders, was not being treated fairly. Ogden Men Testify.' Edwin Williams of Ogden. a stockholder stock-holder in the Beetgrowers Sugar company com-pany of Kigby, brought out the first mention of Mr. Cooper and Mr. Cullen, defendants, when he testified that these two had advised him that the Beet Growers' enterprise was purely a stock-selling proposition and that a factory would never be built. Mr. Cooper had been an engineer on a project pro-ject and Mr. Cullen a bookkeeper. M. F. Stafford, also of Ogden, testified testi-fied that Mr. Cooper told him that A. G. Goodwin and A. W. Gabby, promoters promo-ters of the beet growers' company were unreliable. The witness further quoted Mr. Cooper as saying that the promoters pro-moters had nothing, that "Gabby has a suitcase and Cooper an eight-dollar trunk, and nothing more." He corrob- -. i orated Mr. Williams' testimony con-corning con-corning derogatory remarks made by Messrs. Cooper and Cullen. Mrs. J. J. T. Adams of Ogden also testified along tho same lines. The hearing will be resumed this morning at 10 o'clock when 'it is understood un-derstood that John F. Hendrlckson, one-time president of the West Cache Sugar company, and James Sprunt. promoter of the sugar factory at Delta Utah, will be recalled to the stand! Judge Joseph J. Dunham, examiner for the federal trade commission, is presiding. |