The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-09-19

New YoRE, September 49, The Con.
grcssional Committee, ofwhicl Mr.. Wood
Is Chairman, continued Its tsinquiry to-day.
Many sugar importers and reiiners were
present. yilyi IL ftI'. - .ll
Lawrence D. Tumurc, OF tho firm OF
] Moses, Taylor 4 Co., believed the duty on
sugar was collected with vigilance aud care.
The sampling and classification OF sugar IL
the most difficult work, but is efficiently
done as it could be, and he could suggest
no improvement. HGdCesnot believe the
color standard is infallble, andis OF the
opinion that the aid Of the polariscopc
should also be called in. Our tariff has
been the cause OF the changing OF the
colors OF sugars. The producers have
made their products ft our tariff, regard.
ing the color, so that higher grade Of
sugar is brought in ut alower rate Of duty.
He believed in having the rate OF duly
specific, and he would have only three
grades. He believed the present rate Of
duty an enormous one, being q cents per
pound, or nearly 10 per cent. OF the whole
value OF the article consumed. He thought
uniform rate OF cent u pound should be
established The revenue, II the duty was
reduced, would fall of so per centnm. A
high fixed rate, such as 8 cents q pound,
would ruin tho American rciinGr, and
would drive the whole refining business
| OF tho world into Cuba,
X. j. Hewitt, who submitted long
statement showing that the Government
lost nearly sl5,0O0,000 by discrepancies in
duties, said his facts and figures were all
obtained from Treasury statement.
Theodore A. liavenleyer said the facts
and figures were not correct. al d.
Solon Humphreys, OF L. D. Morgan &
Co., believed the reports about frauds on
the revenue immensely exaggerated. la
taCt 10 believed they had had no founda.
tion for years past. In $50 tho tariff was
IL and q cents a pound, according to
color; since then many sugar growers Of
Cuba and other places have vacuum pans,
whereby their sugars beconla partly REIN
cd, while the color Is not changed; this
sugar comes into this market at the same
rate Of duty as raw sugars Of other coun-
tries, although owing to their being partly
refined they are worth moro In tho mar
kct; the Government probably loses
100000 dollars a year by not
getting full rates OF duty on these
centrifugal or partly refined sugars. Tho
profits all 90 to the producers in Cuba.
The total annual consumption Of sugar in
the world is about q, 100 900 tons, OF which
tho United States takes 700, 900 tons. The
merchants In their transactions between
each other do not 90 by the government
weighers but by the oity welghers. His
house alone would have saved this year
more than 1000 dollars II the government
welphers decisions could be accented MS
correct. .E. tI
0sgood Welsh, OF Philadelphia, knew OF
q large refnar who never imported any
sugars. The whole process of manufac-
turing sugars has changed so much that
the present tariff is no longer good
one. He favored tho adoption OF q
minimum rate and advancing 1t according
TO degrees OF polarization he did not be.
lieve there were any such frauds as had
been reported. Wm. I. Booth, OF Booth
4 Elgan, reiiners. said therc was not q
cargo Of MANILA sugar imported that had
not two colors, and that there WIS Gs
much room for fraud In that tradO MS In
the Cuba hogsheads, Thero were many
posons who would and could testify to
Tho facts before this committee, but they
were afraid and yesterday man in trade
told him he wanted to testify but was told
that his business would be ruined Il he did
so; he knew there were frauds on the
government and knew the persons who
committed them, but as his information
was ola confidential nature he could not dis.
close his facts. Mr.. Wood finally an
nounced the sugar controversy closed and
adjourned until Monday,