The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-09

we nave hHh oGnitsiun 81 late to dilht6 on this
subiset tone Of vital Importance to the agrieul.
ttfal and commercial interests Of Louisiana
We take tho following we'll considered article
on the subject from The Chicago Tines
The ssorstary OF the Treasury informs Con.
Rfess thht embarrassment has occurred during
! the past year ~ the collection OF duties on
the et that saars are sast a's sIfs ,re
duties according TO their grade under the Dutch
atanaafd ef color. The duties, according to
as follows Bugsr not above No /, IN esnta Der
pound above, No. 7. and not above. No. 10, 9
GENTS a above No. - ind not ct above NJ "a IN
cents above No. II, aud, not above No. ao' 81
gents aboye No, 20. aud on all refined, loaf.
ieade ak cents. Al act spproysa March peh't j.
once makes them absurdly complicated, and IN.
sra1ss OF sugar. 10 the advantage. Or supposed
advhntase. Of American sugar rednefs.. TO
II 9s e ad tha L q T as d q ~
sugar OF tho loWsst Crude g.ie1b cents per pound
and on tho third grade Up ths ascending scale
tain cents and other like fractional parts Of
Now the trouble. as already stated arises from
Dutch standard. which IL ainpiya color stand
ard. and az ], test whatsoever Of guilty. Mr. sher.
been artifeiuy e9lored III the country OF OK.
port, to SECURE their passage nj the custom.
a ss1 $ as s ay aa YOU'D b
ordinary process Of manufaeture.' 1t has boon
alleged. q readers Of tho Times are probably
sslss ss With a ss g. ss y s s sa sss s
pound has been aftifcially eolored so as to
pass he sugar Of d low Crude, ehargeable with 4
oysr. has been aid that The cost d artel
nlly ,eolpflnR, and nfterward, restoring the na-
pr e H. paes G n ss raaa
Mr., Sherman says that thorough exam mn.
Hon BY depart1qept Off sers has failed 70 estab.
lteh tho truth of the allegation la question, II
has only been established that sugars have been
pissed through the eustDnshoute 1T the lowest
rates q duty which ought under the law nc,
much higher rates. II may very likely turn out
That there has been Nc artificial eolorips as
alleged, The author 4 .2f short pamphlet on
pf any desired shade, mud ean be. and Of eoutae
Il VARIED g mest any arif Il which color d
says that THO samples by which imported eugara
are tested, are made from Q peculiar tind Of
sugar produced IN LAY. Java by the most primitive
years ago. as standards by which TO test the
1ality Of sugars. great improvements have been
coors. and especially tho Java eoors ei hsus
only per cent Of our sugar imports come from
Java, IRE no tast whatever Of quality.
But u e matter Of very lille importance to
know whether sugars are artinoialiy eolored or
pot y y enough to know that color ie no
aegsr tsst sf s aba a Of and hs
standard II retained, Mr.. sherman admits that
|. L. nn.saatsfaetory but suggest tina. L i b. re
one for sugars not above No. 10, ono for sugars |
above ~. nnd not above 10, and u third for all |
sugars OF higher grades. And he further sng- |
fret grade. 3sb on the second. and on tho third
would produce about tho Same revenue rs tho |
present rates. That would doubtless DO an i'm.
profit by .undergrading. II IL to be hoped. how
avor. TINT the, absolute, Dutch standard will be
entirely abandoned a ~ 1t must always afford an
Four modes OF levying duties on sugars have
been suggested az substitutes for the existing
ent grading but substitute polarization for
color rs q test Of quality. To ths 1t Is objected
chat analysts differ materially as 70 tho per-
centaEe Of nugar con aimed In the same SAN pie |
and Tint said percentage Is. after all, no test Of
product, i is altogether probable
nut me poiariztion test would be productive Of
Aaeeond mode is still to retain tho grading
system, but 70, assign oil sugars to their re-
Chemical tests would DO satisfactory. no doubt.
md they are said to be almost uni yersaiy In use
III means to be adopted Ii the grading system
Ii 10 be retained But perhaps Congress- may
zee some objection TO setting up laboratory In
K third mode ia to levy duties nd yalorem.
y y enough to gay Of ihis mode that II has been
sddea that the general tendency hmsy
countries " TO abandon nd vnlorem duties as far
~ prneticnble.
The fourth mode liz to levy uniform specific
luty OF so much per pound on all sugars, with
,ut regard to their quality. This has been the
node pursued with respect to teas. cofrees and
1ther articles. and has always been found to
work well. y prevents the possibility. of fraud.
1nleaa there Ia conspiracy between importers
o be detected, II leaves nothing to Official dis.
sretion and therefore affords no port an oppor-
unity to gain an advantage over any other. II
q advantageous 70 consumers because Of the
certainty with which the revenue Ia collected
lnder 1t. Ii Is economical because 1t facilitates
he transaction of custom house busin, AZ md
Toes away with the necessity Of employing ex-
oerts. IT Is advantageous to importers. because
7 wholly relieves them from suspicion. delay
nd litigation
The only persons who are likely to object to ,
bis mode OF deriving revenue from sugar are
he ref1ners. TWAS for their benefit that the
xistfng rates. discri minating heavily against ]
DO higher grades OF sugar. were established |