The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-28

slightest deviation therefrom raises or lowers
the standard at the pleasure OF the operator.
In fact, In the opinion Of those best qualified
to speak, the use Of the polariscope will only
make matters worse, by furnishing O means,
too subtle and complicated for detection, for
the most lndlscriminate fraud upon the reve-
nue. the importer and the consumer.
Thus much to show that the polariscope
will In no wise contribute to the reliability OF
the present standard OF classification, for
purposes Of duty valuation, and, therefore,
that the present tariff cannot possibly be
honestly enforced. But even did this instrl-
ment solve the difficulty, still we are In favor
OF uniform tariff, and we believe that the
only way to collect an honest duty on all
sugars from all parties alike Ii to pass o
tariff making uniform duty on tank -bot-
toms. syrup Of cane juice, melado, concentra-
ted melado and concentrated molasses, and
on sugar not above No. 1G, ID. S., In color,
cents per pound. On oil sugar above No. 16,
ID. s., In color, and ON all refined sugar-loaf
cut-loaf Jumps, crushed, powdered, granu-
lated and soft white and yellow, known as
coffee sugars, 3i1s or cents per pound mo
lasses cents per gallon"
As Mr.. " ellis candidlv observes, the effect
OF such law would be to prohibit the i'm
portatlon OF the low grades OF sugar 1t
would not operate, however, as he declares,
| to the destruction Of the sugar refining indus
| try Sugar must be refined for purposes
OF commerce and consumption, no matter
what It's grade may be. It would bring us
pure sugar, only the best grades, but this
| 4 all Tx NJ, WnlI hat
these low grades Of sugar, containing from
| twenty to fifty per cent ofdirt, are the "basio
material on which refiners work, and there
fore to exclude them by uniform tariff
would destroy the sugar refining industry.
II this result is brought about, 1t will be due
| to the fact that high grade sugars can no
longer DO imported as trash that they can
not evade duty and defraud the customs.
Certainly If the 20 to 80 per cent OF dirt Is
not eliminated from these poor sugars by the
process Of refinement, 1t is worked up into
| "pure, unadulterated, refined sugar and the
consumer is defrauded and poisoned. II 1t Is
eliminated and the per cent loss which pure
saccharine undergoes in the process OF refine
ment Is added, the net average will be, at the
most but 60 per cent OF what duty Is paid on.
How, then, can these refiners carry on an
honest industry on "basic material" OF
which 40 per cent has to be eliminated after
paying ~ cents per pound for this dirt, be-
sides duty Of 1-6 cents per pound the cost
| OF labor, wear and tear OF machinery, etc, and
| 5 per cent waste for refining allowed, and
then selling 1t at 81. to cents per pound to
consumers
| or course, this cannot be DONE and the
| "basic material" Of these reilners Is fraud on
the revenue, the swindling and poisoning OF
| the millions OF consumers and the destrue-
| ton OF the honest refiners who come in com
petition with them, as we'll as of the great
| productive interests OF this State Under a
proper and practicable tariff the interests OF
the reflners and the producers Of sugar In this
country will not conflict. But, II they did,
the industry Of refining Is not of paramount
| Importance when compared with the industry
| OF sugar production In the United States" In
this State alone there are millions OF dollars
! invested In sugar. In lands. labor and the
costly machinery and buildings necessary tc
| its production and preparation for commerce
! The crop OF this year promises to be the
heaviest for many years. These are the In
dustres and the interests that are being de
stroyed by tariff which encourages the i'm
portation Of dirt and the defrauding OF the
customs by making sugar look like dirt II
cannot hurt honest refiners to establish Q
tariff that will make sugar pay duty ant
compel foreign producers to eliminate thu
dirt that now pays duty. There are Other
points In Mr.. Wells article which we have
not the space to consider In this article, but
which we shall refer to and answer hereafter
The partisans !of a republic In Italy are