New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-02

crystazable sugar In other words, the polariscope
ignores part of the saccharine strength OF tne
sugar the inver and takes account OF anotner paI'
w9ich VIII be lost in the manufacture, and Is there
fore less valuable TO the rener 1t is also asserted
that the pplariscope makes different report Oh a
molsg day om that which IL gives on Dry gay, anu
that the best scientific authorities OF the World are
less favorable to its use than formerly. The advo-
Gates OF the instrument say that, admitting III 10 De
imperfect, II gives test that IL more nearly 0oi'
than any other known. r :;
Anoi ner objection to the present sugar tarltt Is
the difficulty of obtaining fair samples ron VIII ut
to determine the grades OF sugars-a olincuity 'na
rs greatly increased by the multiplication oi graues'
considerable portion of the imported refining sug
airs contains larger OF smaller amount OF oiassss,
and when the bOgShead IN which u IS Drou9ho ~
this couu ~ placed 10 avessel ana Hes III one pOS
ton Tor several weeks much of the molasses
settles TO the bottom, making what is called
a wet foot" winch is very much darker
imam the remainder of the sugar III me
package The Government sampler bores INTO the
hogshead and taxes out small quantity iroin tne
bottom, the middle and the top; but the reI a
proportion of t1ese three TO be taken IS wholiy
matter of Judgment with the sampler. If one-Ihird
of the sugar in hOgshead consists OF 1905 Ihe
pie from that portion of it must 81 81
course Toe propOrtionstey greater than u
the foot was only one.elghth OF one-sixtn
of the whole package. The grade oil the
whole bogshead Is determined from the color OF ihe
mixture of tine three samples and, If an unskiiiui
or dishonest sampler takes too large proportion OF
the loot the rate of duty assessed is too low ana
the Government loses large part OF It's revenue
portion OF the top" the merchant Is maze 10 pay
higher rate Of duty than the law imposes.
SECRETARY sHfRMAN's VIEWS.
Reduce the number Of grades and the difficulties
of sampling, which involve millions of dollars OF
revenue every year, will be greatly reduced. In
view of all these difficulties and dsagreements be-
tween the Treasury Department. and the sugar i'm
porters and refners and the difficulties that have
been met with in former sessions of Congress when
40 nltaot has
made. the merchants and refners have
combined in an appeal to Congress TO
amend the law fixing the duties on sugar
in such way TO remove the difficulties; and ~ Is
proposed to adopt the plan twice recommended by
rhe secretary of the Treasury IN annual reports
the last time in 1878. IN the following words: IL
rs imperative that some change III the mode of col
lee ng DUTIES on sugar should be bad and II is pre-
ferred as stated in the last report, that the duty
should he at one rate on all grades OF sugar up
10 q poi { which Will exclude temptation either
to color sugar Tor the purpose OF reducing duties or
comm tang irauds by means of sampllng ana }asSl-
tcation. The dOties now are to large extent de-
pendent on tn fidelity of the sampler, one of the
iowest-paid officers in the public service" The
following RACES were recommended by Secretary
Sherman IN 1877: "Sugars not above No. IL per
pound, 233lOO cents; above No. IL ana not above
No. 20. 345lOo cents; above No. ~ and on all re-
fned sugats. - Gems"
The importance of - the sugar question may be
real zed from The fact that about one-sxth OF the
entire revenue OF the United States Government Is
der we'd rom lac tariff on sugar. and 1t Is the Oeet
OF the Secretary of the treasury that the losses OF
the Government by improper grading OF sugars ana
other causes incident To the present law are about
$5,O0O,0OO year. L. W.