New-York tribune., 1880-03-08
s1rGAR REFINERs NOT DISCOURAGED.


THE ROBBINS BlIL-CAUsELEss uPPoSIi.oN OF
THE PLANTERS.
lBY TELEGRAPH to TIE TRIDUNEl
WASHINGTON. March IL he representatives OF
the importers and refners Of sugars Will make one
more effort this week to secure legislation Oy Con-
gress in regard TO the grading of imported sugars
and the method of estimating the duties upon them
With this object in view they caused to he miro
duced in the House of Representatives, by Mr. Car
isle on Friday last the Robbins bill" of the last
Congress.
| This bill embOdies' substantially the legislation
recommended to Congress by Secretary Sherman II
two successive annual reports. 1t divides all IN
ported sugars into three classes. The hrst includes
all those below No. 13 Dutch standard in color. aud
which are unfit for domestic without being re
fined Oh which the duty is fixed at $1,000 cents per
nound The second class includes sugars between
! No 13 and No. 1G Dutch standard, winch may De
used in cooking and the table in their raw state,
and on these the duty proposed by the bill 2olOO
cents a pound. The thrd class includes all sugars
| above No. 10 Dutch standard, on which the duty
| proposed is cents.
! The opposition to legislation on the sugar queS-
| ,ian comes from two s0urccs-the srgaT-pantcrs OF
Louisiana and certain refners. The planters fear
that if any change is made in the present law there
viii be some reduction in the present rate OF iarh
and that therefore the protection they now ENJOY
| will be impaired.
The new bill while il is intended to make no
change IN the present rates of duty, would, it he
heved increase the tariff very slightly, that the
sngar-producing interests would not be injured ly
its passage. Tic duty Of cents pound on The
highest GRADES OF sugars is substantially rIohbi-
| tory; so that if the bill should become a law u
would be impossible to import refined sugars oi
even raw sugars Of high grade, 10 be sold in compe
tition with those manufactured IN this country.
The Louisiana planters not opposed 70 the
Robbins bill, II Is understood but requested ten
eral Gibson their representative on the WAYS and
Means Committee. to vote against all legislation on
the subject because they feared that If any changes
in the present laws were made there would be some
reduction in the tariff.
| The vote IN the Ways and Means Committee last
| Tuesday LAYING this whole snhi"ct on the table,
! WAS tine result of a combination OF Interests. or Il
| what is called logrong." Some members of tae
committee who are IL favor Of legislation on th
sugar question If it is presented alone. were willing
| 70 postpone il for this session # by doing tacy
could prevent any other tariff legislation Ii Is now
believed by the importers that II tAc subject can nc
! hrourht ND as an independent measure it NAV
be passed; and an effort VIII Therefore be made to
| secure attention 10 the Robbins bill.
| No suhi@ct OF more importance III a business wav
| has demanded the attention OF Congress; AMI wnle
| ought to BE- done, there ~ scarcely any one WHO
does not agree that something ought TO be done. not
only 10 protect t!le revenues OF IN" Government,
bnt also the interests Of honest importers ana re-
! hncrs.
The following correspondence. b. telegraph, be-
| tween NcW-YOrk memOrIalIss Tor Il IN lOrm rate OF
duty OF -ilgar and the Hon. Fernando Wool, chair
man of the Ways and Means Committee OF the
House, was made public this evening:
Nhw-YoRK March 6, 1880
The Hon. FERNANDO WOOD Washington i.,,..,....
The SKY Horiasts. conpr.siu- Aaloriy OF suear
rcncrs rnd merchants, respectfully ak H. chairman
OF colini;tec. YOU favor gvng recf by some measure
requ strd, pr.G TO callng pu3c meetings III ths and
other citles for discu sing the snSiGrI: chairman
! c. W. DURANr. Chairman:
| In reply. always favor measures that are equitable
ana lust aud others. whether they apply TO sugar
or nytng else have done tbis IN the case referred
| TO- and snail 90 so again. FERNANDO WOOD
NEw-YoRK March 6, 1880.
Your reply 10 my telegram received. Are the mer-
chants and importers VINO nave memorialised CJnNrcss
Congress with view Of removing the difficulties
PLAN by the passage of just and equitable law The
Germs the commercial community Your reply Is awaited
with anxiety, a. you nave been rep 'rted as iayoiIng de
| this question e. W. DuHANI' Cha'rh'h
March G. 1885, p. M
! c. W. DURANT, Chairman Neo- York.
In reply an favor Of Just and equitable tariff on
grades and not the interest of class OF Irnnor,
merchants or foreign makers and am opposed 10 the
uuus clsciminaOn attempted TO De IN idt between the
several grades tie purpose Of ttNOrlug particular
Interests and also opposed 10 continuance OF the
color standard BY which much loss to the Treasury
has epsued accompanied by some 0thcr Test
OF value. such bill as indicate VIII cheeruiy sup
| mort Al once FERNANDO WOOD.
| In conversation this evening Mr. Wood stated that
the sugar question would again come up III the com
| mittce next week. the vote by which lis consider
| alton was postponed last week not having been IN
! tended as a iual determination for this session.
| BLOCKING THEIR OWN WORK.
| THE COMMITTEE on APPROPRIATIONS COMPELLED
| BY lis OWN NEGLIGENCE TO SUSPEND AN IN
VEsIIGATIOS.
| lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
| WASHINGTON, March by a srrt OF poetic JUS
tce the House Committee on Appropriations has
been compelled temporarily to suspend one branch
| of it's work. The members of that committee have
| known for two months that the funds at the dis
nasal of the Public Printer were running very low.
That official has called their attention TO the fact
"A tio+ J,l,,;o oIcup,