The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-11-06
How In. Sugar Frauds I.jure Portland

How The Sugar Frauds Isjure Portland
Mr.. EDITOR: The great depredatlons on the
revenue in the City of New York which re-
Gently came to light committed mostly by in
spectors of silks and sugar. prove conclusively
the following facts:-
That many of the officials of the New York
custom house were in collision with the par
ties who were engaged in these transactions
that no honest man can with safety or profit,
engage in the importation of sugar; that these
frauds upon the revenue have been the prima-
~ cause of the failure of nearly all the sugar
refiners and many mercantile houses engaged
in the sugar trade in this country for the past
five years, proof of which may be advanced in
a subsequent letter; that the protection of the
revenue and the interest of the mercantile
communitv, demand radical change in the
administration of the New York custom house
which Collector Merritt is making every posi-
BILE effort to bring about; that specific duty
on raw sugars will in great measure In addi-
ton to some legislative action, prevent adul-
iteration of the manufactured articles, remove
every opportunity to defraud the revenues and
restore this business the Importation of sugar
to its normal condition.
But it may be asked, What interest has Port
land, or the State of Maine in this question
Maine has an interest, in a national point of
view, that the revenue laws should be rigidly
enforced in every custom house In this country.
Maine has an important interest in this matter,
from the fact that these alleged depredations
on the revenue take $46.OOO,0OO annually from
the United States treasury on the article of
sugar alone. Conse quently Maine suffers to the
extent of 100000 annually.
The people of Maine have an important in
terest in this matter in connection with new
industrial enterprise which is now being devel-
oped, the manufacture Of beet sugar. and for
which our State has contributed and which
needs in it's infancy some protection from the
government, or at least, that foreign sugars pay
full duties as required by the revenue laws.
Portland has an important interest in this
matter as we have some merchants who have
capital, and are interested in vessels. who would
import sugars into this port. thus adding to the
business of Portland, but how can they safely
do 80 when it is alleged by many New York
merchants that ring OF reiners in that city
have the advantage of them-snd all sugar i'm
porters in this country-by paying less duties;
Iventure the remark that no merchantin Port
land would ever import cargo of sugar into
this port, if he did not anticipate, and often
hold it for a rise in price, thus making the
transaction a speculation rather than in strict
conformity to business principles. 1t must and
ever will be so, while one importer has the adj
vantage over another-in paying less duties.
Every merchant, importer, or refiner who im-
ports sugars for sale or consumption should
stand upon the same level, no one having the
advantage over the other, the Government pre-
tecting all alike.
Portland has an important interest in this
matter, in connection with one of her idustrisl
enterprises, the Forest City Sugar Rsfnery,
which, although it has been managed with sig
nal care aud ability by the two gentlemen who
have had it in charge since its ince pton, can
never pay dividend while in competition with
New York refners who do not pay full duties
and deteriorate tneir products, to that extent
that no honest refiner can compete with them
in the market and the welfare of the people
dem and immediate Legislative Intervention.
Without a change of tariff on foreign sugars
or energetic enforcement of the revenue laws
in New York, the Forest City Sugar Refinery
can never be successful unless the managers
adulterate their products to conform with the
goods of other houses in quality or descend to
other dishonerabls means, which they would
scorn TO do. ID.
Portland, October %, e87S.