The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-11-15
THE SUGAR TARIFF.

When Congress assemblies LII December the
question Of the tariff on sugars will again
come un. and the interests of Louisiana
jeopardized unless carefully guarded by our
representatives from the sugar parishes,
Without reviewing the mass OF evidence for
and against the maintenance of high duty
rates. II Is clearly apparent that the consumer
will continue to battle for a low tariff and the
government for that which will provide the
required revenue. IL remains for the Lou
isiana industry to sec that in al adjustment
between the two the revenue is carefully
secured at the highest possible levy upon
those grades which come directly into eompe-
tition with us. We make strictly grocery
grades Of sugar. an article which
goes into immediate consumption, and
against the introduction Of all such from
foreign sources should our attempts be d.
rected The consumers themselves would
hardly formulate their grievances into oppo-
sition were IL not for the importers of foreign
sugars. Thesain Baltimore, especially, and
In Boston. New York and Philadelphia. constI-
tute the main antagonism against our section.
They. under the present tariff. and the protec
tion against fraud contemplated In the order Of
the Secretary of the Treasury under date Of
September 2, are impotent to iDtllct any harm
to our market, a. the Introduction OF the
grocery sugars OF Cuba, Demerara, Porto
Rtco etc. cannot bn made and put upon the
Northern market, under rigid interpre
tation of the tariff, at competing figures. 1t
will be observed that Ia the various tariffs
submitted forthe present one. much sophistry
Ia used To convince the country that as 30 per
cent of the sugars imported are OF the low re-
filming grades under No. 10 Dutch standard.
therefore the revenue may be secured the
morereadily by increasing the tariff somewhat
ON these grades and decreasing 1t on those
higher than No 10. The real effect of this
would be to drive such retiners Of the
North like Havermeyer II Elder and Mat
thiessen i Wecbers, etc. who work these
very low grade sugars, out of existence. As
none Of our sugars made here, eSen by the
old process Of open kettle, grade down as
low rs No. 10. the benefit to accrue to the
Louisiana sugar planter Is not visible by any
such change. and the effect would be to make
enemies Of q powerful organization whose
interests arc identical with ours. IT is q
mistake for the open kettle sugar planter Of
this State to suppose that there is any antag
onism between the old process sugars and the
clarified sugars now being extensively made.
The conviction holds quite generally now that
an improvement In grades must be made In
order to compete with the outside world, and
at prices which rule In ordinary years, and
which we have right to expect hereafter,
the present old process cannot be maintained
with profit. There is not single open-kettle
planter but who will confess that, unless
higher prices than those obtained last year
can be secured hereafter, Ii is Improbable to
continue the manufacture Of sugar in this way.
How, then, this Is to be secured Is a most i'm
portant question for him, and nothing but
continued protection against foreign impor
tat!ons can accomplish It, This In our day Of
liberal ideas and sectional interests eau
not be expected, and tho only safety of the
sugar planter of Louisiana lies In the fact
that so much revenue Is actually needed for
government purposes, and imported sugars
must, as heretofore bear the bulk Of the tax.
But the important part in the drama for him
to play is to see that In tile levy of this tax
his interests are not neglected. 1t Is conf
IDENTIFY asserted BY good authority that some
change is demanded, and will be insisted
upon. But to open the door for changes at
any time makes 1t uncertain where they will
stop, and If the evil we have Is supportable, 1t
Is bettef to endure 1t than to aggravate 1t In
the hereafter by subjecting it to fresh irrita-
tions. Louisiana open kettle sugars which
grade from No. II up to and including No. 10
must receive at least the same protection as
now, If no advance can be obtained. If with
duty Of 50 ST per hundred weight,
as under the present tariff the prices
cannot be kept up to a profitable figure, much
less can it be under the bill reported to Con-
gress at the last session, known as the Rob-
bins bill. This provides for duty of only
So 40 per cwt, difference against us OF forty
one cents On every 100 pounds. being In fact a