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

reduction In the duty of nearly one-half cent
per pound, or $5 loss Oh every hogshead made
In Louisiana. The fallacy In the bill is to In
crease the duty on the lowest grades, which
we do not make here, and which are only made
for refinery purposes, and TO decrease " on
the very grades we do make, The argument
used by tho supporters OF the BIZ Is that. as
revenue Il the object Of the tariff. a tax OF
"a 30 (that Is. AZ 40 for No and below, and
~ 40 for Nos. 3 to lnl Oh the 30 per cent OF
sugar imported instead Of as at present tax
Or SO 60, will allow for a corresponding re-
ducticn IN tho higher grades, g. G,
from M, II up. The effect OF
this would he 10 flood the North ana
West with foreign grocery grades OF sugar
necessarily clrcumscribng our market anu
lowering the price of our already overburdeil-
ed product The refiner Of the North whose
whole capital has been invested In machinery
and appliances 10 work up Just such low pro-
ducts AS Nos to 10 sugars, finds himself
driven completely out OF the market, his
Investment a loss. and himself bankrupt,
unless he can meet the issue presented to
him. III he retires from the aeene, then the
demand for these low products ceases, and
the 20 per cent upon which the government
calculated for the principal part OF It's
revenue. dwindles Into nothing, and her
revenue must he obtained solely from
tax upon the higher grades, lower than
that we now have. AZ these low
products are worked up into refined
goods, which. together with the crop Of Lou
Islam, are now more than sufficient Tor the
consumption Ia part OF the excessive lmpnr-
tation being re-exported for the benefit OF the
4 drawback, the government must depend
upnn revenue from the product consumed
only. and this alta lower figure. A pound Of
| sugar will suffice for The consumer. whetherit
| ID made Iii New York on Cuba, and saganlous
importers will not Introduce more than the
demand fixed amount of sugar. therefore,
subjected TO lower duty. and the revenue
rorreapandngIy decreased, will be one of the
results Of the working of this scheme And
| The Louisiana sugar planter, even II he finds
a market for his produnt, Is compelled to en-
| ter into competition wita sugar grown and
| manufactured cheaper, and subjected to SO
slight a tax as to bring 1t into successful
competition with his ows, and at a lower fig
ure than he Is now able to get fol- it.
i The greatest fear, however, Is that the re-
| finer rather than be sacrificed by the opera
/ ton Of any such tariff as that which puts a
tax on his raw product Of 50 10 Instead nf as
at present I'D to. will join forces with the Inn
porter and agree 10 a uniform tax of one cent
per pound on al sugars, without regard to
grade. This will enable him to work the raw
| product M, with the perfection OF his ma
| chnery, into refined goods, which will enter
| into competition with that imported from the
foreign Islands. even at so low duty as one
cent: the operation Of which will blot out OF
existence every sugar plantation In this State.
i 1t Ia manfes.ly to the interest OF our indus
| try that II no advance can be had upon tho
present tariff certainly Its retention. with
such provisions rs the Secretary Of tho Treas
| my has and will continue TO throw around 1t
| for the prevention of fraud. Is the best What
ever affects tho price of The higher grades of
sugar on our market has proportionate eff
| feet upon the lower. and If refined and clafi-
fled sugars are lowered one cent by the opera
| tlon of any outside influence, open kettle
sugars. except for an immediate and local de-
mand for the choicest grades, are cor
reepondingly affected Tho protection, by a
duty of every grade made In Louisiana Is
essential TO prosperous condition Of this In
dustry.
| Therefore ID 1t that, ut the outset OF q new
session of Congress, 1t is well for the sugar
interest of the State that II close and vigilaDt
scrutiny be made Of any departure from the
awaiting al al pf thinue