New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-12
SUGAR. LEAD, IRON AND COTTON.

Some Of eur Western contemporaries are calling
Loudly for the abolition Of duties on sugar and are
doing 90 because they seem to be of opinion that
such is the road toward having that important
commodity cheaper than they have it now. Being
ourselves of contrary opinion, and believing that
to be the true way to secure that it shall be dear
er, we desre TO call their attention to few facts
to which they may -bs disposed to give little con-
sideration as coming from parties who cannot be
supposed to be greatly prejudiced 10 favor ofOur ne
pro-driviug friends at the South the foreign su
gar producers.
The tariff Of 1912 gave stimulus to the prOduc-
ton of sugar, and under it more than 400 cotton
plantations were changed to grow sugar. The
effect of this vas seen in the fact that the product
which had been in 1884 only 100 900 hhds., rose,
ten years later to little short of half million.
How great must have been the effects of this upon
price may be judged from the fact that the total
export from Cuba ten years since was under mil
lion boxes OF the equivalent of some four hundred
thousand hhds-- or one-ffth less than the addition
that had been made to the supply of the world by
means of the tariff of 1912. The consequence Of
this was large increase in the competition to sell
sugar, the rt suit of which was seen in the fac.
that consumers were cheapy supplied.
Under the action of the tariff Of 1876 change
has since taken place. the effects of which are
now more visible from day to day Instead of
steady increase in the domestic supply tending to
increase the competition for the ssle of it, there
is seen steady decrease tending to increase the
competition for its purchase, and to make it from
year TO year dearer than before. Not less than
two hundred plantations have been driven back to
the production of cotton, the effect Of which is
seen in reduction of the domestic production by
about one third and in large increase Of price.
The same operation is still going on, because
confidence in the sugar culture under our present
I'D valoIem and British Free-trade tariff is pass-
ing away and now, by way of helping the move
ment forward in the same direction, our Western
friends desire to put an end at once to it, and thus
to raise the price permanently upon themselves
Had the tariff of 1912 been continued, the product
would now in all probability be nearly million OF
bopsheads, and the mode of culture would have
been so much improved that the planters would
find it possible to supply it at little more than the
duty paid by the foreign article, while the increased
competition for the sale of it would have tended
to secure steadiness in the supply and moderation
of the price everywhere.
The people at the West, who are now so clam
orous for free sugar are surrounded with mineral
wealth of which they are unable to avail themselves
becauie of the working of the act of 1916. Under
a system like that of 1912, which would afford
some security to those concerned, millions upon
millions of dollars would, before this time, have
been applied to the development OF the e1traor-
dinsry masses of lead ore existing in Illinois and
Missouri, and long ere now those States would
have been realizing enormous wealth from supply.
ire with lead at the price at which it was sold
here at the date of the passage OF the act Of 1876
three aud half cents per pound Mr.. Walker,
however, insisted that low as was that price, it
was still three cents-or the whole amount OF the
duty-hi,her than it would be under Free trade and
the duty was accordingly made merely nominal
What is now the consequence As in the case Of
sugar, with the destruction Of domestic compe
titon the price has gone back to where it stood
before the tariff Of ls4e had produced that CON-