AMERICAN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 April 1923, Page 3

AMERICAN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIA.'.' AND N.Z. ( Will; ASSOCTA l lON. HUGE SI'GAK FRA I'D. NEW YORK COMBINES. WASH IN'.TON. April ID. I lie l .IS.A. Department of .Justice which lias conducted ;m investigation into the sugar situation, has tiled with the Federal Court of New York a petition of equity against the New Turk Coll'ec and Sugar Clearing Assn(intiuu. asking the Court to enjoin (he defendants from further engaging in combination in a conspiracy in restraint of trade in raw and relincd sugar. The petition charges arc the result of li. iiitious transactions in raw and refund

sugar. The pric e to the consumer lias been increased by over 2 dollars per lO.'ilb since February 7th. .Speculative operations were I cing carried on for the sole purpose of unduly enhancing prices. The petition asks for a perpetual enjnininent of the defendants from (onducting any transaction involving the purchase, sale or delivery el sugar unless the person purporting to make a sale- a'-tualiy possesses a supply of sugar. The petition funner incites the figures for sugar production dining 11.-e past year, and summarises the actual sugar trade conditions from February 7li to the present time slating that there has existed during this period no eiiiiioinie jusiilii ati-an for anv sudden or appreciable increa: e in the price, or for any siirreu.se, but an orgy of speculation in raw sugar indulged >:i through the instrumentality of the Exchange Clearing Association. 'Hie petition. which has been dratted by the Attorney-Bineral. was filed after Hie innller was con-idered by tin- Cabinet. Following the announcement of the Govci'iimenlsugar suit, tiuitic sug..r quoin lions foil precipitately. Spot -;i gar. however, jumped up. Cuban raws are selling at tiV edits per lb. LIQI'OU LAW IN I'.S.A. SHIRK WARNED OFF. LONDON. April ID. A New York correspondent says that the British Embassy there has stated that it, has instructed the British New York Consulate to gel into eomniuuicainn with ccrLniu v-.\--els "t Criti'-b registry that tire now lying oil' the three-mile limit with liquor cargoes. While the Embassy would not lurtlier comment on the incident, it is understood that this action is being taken in (onnet.tion with an announcement by a British .Minister in I’ai lianient that. England intended to co-operate with Mm United Slates to -top the smuggling of liquor into the Fluted slates.