The New York herald., 1877-12-06
THE SUGAR BATTLE

DEMAND OF THE IMPORTERS FOR REDUc-
TIoN OF THE TARIFF-sECRETARY sHER-
MANS ACrIoN-vIEws OF LEADING I'M
PORTER IN SUPPORT OF HIS PROCEEDING.
deep interest Is ielt in the OF the tariff,
especially It will affect the Importation OF sugars,
class OF importers and relpers protesting loudly
against she recent action OF Secretary Sherman in
establishing rates which they claim arc arbitrary and
indcfensibe and Will their business. while another
class Of importers and dealers tako equally strong
grounds against the law as IL stands. Among the
latter class OF dealers tho following petition 10 Con-
grcss is being circulated all the great citos from
Boston 10 Cncago:--
A REVISION or THE TARIFF
As Congress bas under consideration tho modification Of
melassss msaao aud dosrs IL rsnnsd sugars desrs
call attention 70 tho following :rhe present
Comparison with Dutch standard is very objection
is dicut determine ia tho brown red yellow gray
cs,sr which susars Imported from different
mctner dIeromce in shade Indicates intrinsic
changed their s enessasy large
%s .. S. WI" .
Of tho Treasury h.. received hs impression % s;
IN 4, IN. lowest rate q auty L snneaua because prae
ports entry expensive
cause an o. ssmpsr appraisers and experts have 70
Of law i should said tha. poIa:!xaiion
ss ns
to tho Of contained M the same SAM
veriiDe proauct Dulles LEVIED according 70 polarization
opsnns the
s a i. | % aaS A s
presen. system from tn. a,iicn'sy q arriving At
n show" ''s sAa. the only mode N xnss the gov
Time sJasss :1s To Tss ss ssS
rate per pound on al aad molado ~ was
dome ' sr l NJ ii Grades Of %o'a:sa plan
ae "aaisiora merit Of srsa essnomy nrsey
Ms.Aoa met sSsrofors ss.pss.ay pray ~a.sSsr
60 upon sugar and VIII
uniform or AZ much pound Oh a grades without ref
THE aErlxEns' TROUBLES.
In Wow OF the great interest which Is felt the
subject axRALD reporter yesterday called upon
Of the most prominent importers in this city, who
gave at considerable length tho views OF those dealers
who support this pettoD and opposed TO the re-
ncrs who IN conflict with the Secretary OF the
said lis that in 1875 they procured egslaon which
almost be called finc art In protective theory
and practice. Tnc tariff previous TO that time
altogether In their favor, but the addition
oil twenty tvc per cent alike 10 duty aud drawback
threw the whole business OF sugar In this country into
the hands OF perhaps twenty or twenty-five firms.
The import is over GOO 900 tons worth probably
$lo0 00V 0OO, aud not one pound OF this can DO i'm
ported a condition htted for consumption. This
IarI SO arranged by being based upon color. that
the highest quality can be passed through the customs
the lowest rate while the drawback was arranged
the supposiliOn that high quaiity paid tho high
duty. The extraordinary profits which such a COM
bntion promised induced several OF the largest firms
in the ronning business TO double the size and
capacity OF their houses In the meantime Tho Treasury
Department upon Interrogation discovered that they
were paying TOO much drawback and called Tor
invostigation. This investigation, by Ingenious
management. took up tho question upon the same
fallaclous lheory-that s that the nigh grades Of
Hncd sugar madc from the nigh grades OF raw
imported sugar. which would pay the high rate OF
duty, and upon that reported certain rate Of draw
back, but little reduced"
SECRETARY sHxRxAx's ACTION.
''But how did the action OF Tue Secretary OF tho
Treasury affect the question - the reporter asked
ncction with other Irregularities" the importer
answered, he found that practically the government
only collected duty on tho low grades Of
sugar-lhat Is, therc were no high grades i'm
ported. Consequently II would De absurd 10
refund drawback upon such Ho took tho evidence
oversated ~ as 10 what renned sugar they could got
goods certain rate OF duty, ana then nc
liked the drawback to conform with the actual duty
which he found was paid on the raw material which
they consumed, rs the law obligos him 70 do.
'.This reduced the amount torty-one cents per 100
pounds, and this IL what the renners cnim to
DO arbitrary There no doubt that this
rcnncrs, for they arc exporting loaf to England
to compete with English rcnners, who pay no duty,
and with French refDers, who get a D0aus on their
home grown beet sugar. This thcy could not do un-
unless the got bonus: but Is not enough to keep
all thcr works fully employed. What they
demand s as you see, immediate present relfeE /"
'From whom 7" The reporter inquired.
"Why, squarcly and fairly from tho United States
Treasury or other words. from the people OF tho
United states"