The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-10
THE SUGAR QUESTION.
HEARING BEFORE THE WAYS AND MEANS COM
MIrTEE-vARIED VIEWS ON THE TARIFF--rHE
TESTS OF VALUE DISCUSSED BY IMPORTERS
USE OF THE PoI.ARIscoPE.


USE OF THE PoIARIscoPE.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Q, 1879.
The hearing of of the sugar interest
was resumed this morning before the Committee of
Ways and Means. AIr. Hitch. of New York. said he
was an importer Of sugar from Brazil and the Philip
pine Islands, and that he came before the
committee simply to ask for justice and
that they do not recommend any amend
ment of the taAin that would deprive
him Of the right to import the article in which he
dealt from any part of the world. His Arm had-been
established in Brazil over fifty years, and been de-
voted to the interchange Of the products Of that
country and own. If the proposition which
had been persistently pressed upon the
committee should DO carried out it would
prove discrimination against wished for
customer that it would entirely prevent the
importation of Brazilian sugar, and throw the princi
pal product the northern provinces of that Empire
entirely into the hands OF English buyers. who
to-day. with present tariff and in spite Of
paying higher rates of freight buy more of the crop
than do. He wished to oppose with
all the force he possessed. and to protest
against the attempt to destroy not only his business
aud that OF all merchants who import low grade
sugars, but to destroy great and important manu-
featuring industry in which was invested millions
of capital and which gave employment to thousands
of citizens from the great lumber forest OF the
North to the iron mines of Pennsylvania.
LIpELLous ATTACKS
For months there had been persistent enort oy
ruin the business of the sugar refners of the
try by pretended discoveries OF great frauds on the
revenue first and then by the sweeping charge
Of authorizations. The anonymous libelers had been
careful to make no specific charges; all have been
general, SO that rehner or importer could take
them up personal. as in doing 50 he might have
been answered BY the proverb who excuses him
sarls been left practically except as they
answered by the published afhdavits of
many of the largest refners of the entire
absence of any aduleration in their products; and
as the frauds the revenue by the Appraiser of
New York, who in his sworn testimony before this
committee pronounced them false, and also by the
any action the part of the Secretary of
the Treasury The whole aim of these pretended
champions of the Treasury and of the health of the
people OF this country to try to create public
prejudice strong that right and justice would be
lost sight of and the remedy which they were
of duty-should be adopted in sheer desperation
the only way to prevent the robbery OF the entire
revenue by importers frauds.
TARIFF QUESTION
Mr.. Hitch said, in the course OF his remarks, that
the raw material from different countries could be
imported, if not forbidden by the tariff and with it
rcners could by their skill and the perfection of
machinery, supply No IL sugar far cheaper
planter or any other planter. The present
tariff, with amendment to meet the change
in the manufacture of sugar some places would be
equitable. Tho Dutch numbers were a fair standard
OF value of all sugars made by the old process and
the Secretary of the Treasury should be allowed the
for sugar made BY. the new process-that
is. vacuum pan and centrifugal-then there
as is possible with a specific duty Its equity and
justice could not be questioned, while with the sue
of the attempt to have one rate OF duty imposed
there would be very serious falling of in revenue
very decided advance in the price of sugar
and the shipping interest would suffer in the great
dimnution of the quantity of sugar there would be
to import. Mr.. Hitch closed his remarks by calling
attention to the entire unrelability OF the sugar
figures which had been presented by the Bureau of
Statistics.
PROPOSITION FROM BALTIMORE
Daniel J. Foley. of Baltimore presented the prop
osition Of the importers refiners grOcers and con-
sumers Of that city as follows-
In all tank bottoms. eoneretes syrnps Of sugar cane
juice meado melado concentrated
one and i've cents pc.
for each and degree fractional part Of degree
Il M gallon
On al sugars grown manufactured in Europe, ad
able refining OF this country
Mr.. Foley said those whom he represented did
mot ASK 'ns hic nus 20 sccomos tha
sought for the benefit of all. He thought the
committee fully understood the subject. and
therefore competent to oct. All he
desired was an honest tariff. so that the
charge of fraud might not be repeated every
sion. The committee asked various questions. to
which Mr.. Foley responded. in regard to the effect Of
the Baltimore proposition, saying. among other
things that color is more valuable to importers than
to rcncrs because this first attracted the eye of the
purchaser, but the Baltimore parties proposed to
abandon the color test entirely.
TUE TEST OF SUGAR.
s. p. Thompson. of Baltimore said the test Of the
value of sugar by feeling. 1t difficult to test
sugar by color alone some being soft granular hard
and gummy, made by the same process. Coming
here to state facts he showed The disastrous effects of
the tariff of 1870 and 1875 on importation Of sugar.
The committee asked various questions, which the
gentleman answered, and in the course of
colloquy. Mr.. David A. Wells said the latest
consumed in the world is refined, and that the gen
eral tendency is toward refined sugar rather than
and, III reply to question By Mr. Banks he said
the taste of the people is for sugar. and that
the people knew what was in sugar not refined they
would not eat pound of it,
Mr. Thompson having made remark about the
Cincinnati sugar dealers, Mr. Saylor asked him
whether nearly all the sugar that went there did not
come from Louisiana Mr. Thompson replied that
soon as the Louisiana crop opened the West went
down there for IL. Mr. Sayor Asked
"Do not the Western men deal in Louisiana sugar
because 1t is cheaper than the rcfned?"
Mr. Thompson replied :-"rhe New York market
regulates the value of the Louisiana sugar.
between former rrpresentatives of the sugar interest
from that city and the present. He presented the
proposition now before the committee. being obliged
to recognize the fact that system could be devised
altogether acccp and with that view they sought
compromise. In discussing the question. he said.
the Boston gentlemen claimed that they did not
protection but they stopped short OF point which
gave them protection.
Mr. spauiding OF the Boston delegation. said they
did not want protection and explained their prop
EVEN JUSTICE DEMANDED.
Mr.. Pcrot having concluded his remarks Mr..
Moulton, OF New York. sad the committee should
be conscrvators of the public morals. they wanted
q certsin number of dollars they should have
duty and one weighmaster. Legislation should not
be In favor of twenty-five sugar rchners against
40.Ov00 600 Of consumers. There should be honest
tariff and importers should be free to import much
sugar the people require. He believed that the
rcners, who intelligent and friends of his, have
the matter already in their hands, but the importers
should not be forgotten in the reiners shall all
be burned out it should be discovered there is
alultcration In their sugar. Then there must be
something to suit the people.
NEW PHASE.
j. f. Scarles, Jr., of Connecticut, said he appeared
to represent phase of the question.
The Chairman OF the committee remarked that all
the gentlemen who came to be heard were now In
this room, while several gentlemen from Louisiana
would be here tomorrow to avail themselves of
like privilege. The Chairman further stated that the
hearing would DO closed tomorrow ut twelve o'clock.
Mr.. Searles said he was an importer and here
to represent those who had signed the following
recommendation
undersis.ned