The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-01-31
SUGAR.
The Subject of an EnYestiga-
ton,

The Subject of an EnYestiga-
ton,
Washington, 30.-The hearing OF
the sugar question was continued, this
morning, by the committee on ways
and means. Henry a. Brown con-
cluded his statement with expert
ments and demonstrations, showing
hoB nigh grade sugar can be arti-
ficially colored so as to make it rep
resent 8 low grade under the Dutch
standard. On being asked by Gs--
field what course ne would recon-
mend the committee to adopt, he
said he would recommend the CON-
mittee to allow the present tariff on
sugar to remain as it is, Dutch stand
ard and all, and to add to the power
of the secretary of the treasury au
thority to employ polarization, which
discovers Immediately the chrysiaiiz-
ing strength and consequent market
value OF sugar, and also to employ.
when be has to swat an analysis in
order to detect the other ingredients,
an expert of fine sugars. In addition
to that he suggested that all sugars
of all grades should be ground
and brought to the consistency
of the Dutch standard before
being appraised. French, assistant
secretary of the treasury, made state
ment as to the reasons which impelled
the secretary of the treasury, to issue
orders in regard to the sppraisement
of sugar, which have been so much
complained OF by importers. He gave
the history of two sugar cases, one in
San Francisco and one in Boston, in
which the question Of the artificial
discoloration of sugar was tried before
courts, and from the decisions in these
cases he deduced the principle that
the treasury department! was not only
justified bat required to go behind
the apparent coloring Of sugar and
ascertain It's real value. Since the
adoption of the Dutch standard, the
methods of manufacturing sugar
have changed so that the Dutch
standard is not true standard, even II
sugar is honestly made. French pre-
duced and read to the committee let
tiers written by Nathaniel Mckay,
(who had appeared before the COM
mittse two days ago. and testified
there was no fraudulent coloring OF
sugar,) TO Sir Michael Hicks Beach,
English colonial secretary, on the
subject of McKay's visit to British
Guians, in which lettsrs he stated
that be bad been invested by the
com mittee on ways and means with
semi-officisl authority to make
thorough investigation into
the machinery snd process of
making sugar in Demersfa, with the
single purpose of establishing the
fact whether artificislly coloring sugar
was practiCed there, and that his ex.
animation had proved a complete
Vindiostion oithe planters oiDemefara,
and that when Congress convened he
would submit his report to the COM
mittee on ways and means. Garfield
asked the chairman whether Mckay
hsd gone to Demerara ss agent of the
ways and means committee. The
chairman stated that Mckay had
never been either directly or indi-
recty, officially O. unofhoislly,
authorized by the committee on ways
and means 60 to Demerars or any
where else.
Garfield further inquired whether
aBy member OF the committee knew
of McKay's having been de2uta.ed
for such purpose. Kelly said he did
not know it, but he knew this, that
when Mckay was going TO Demerars
be had q note from him, Kelly, and
from another member of the COM
mistee, asking him MCKAY to be-
stow, whileinDemerars, such attention |
as be could to the sugar question and |
to investigate it. He thought that
probably the chairman had given
Mckay such a letter. The chair
man stated tbet at the last
session Of Congress, Mckay called
on him with a letter from Kelly
purporting to be an endorsement OF
him mckay as to his intelligence
and integrity and fitness for such a
duty, and that he had lacked his COZ
currence IN the matter, which he, the
had refused. Subsequently,
however, at the instance oil Kelly, be
had stated, in writing, that any inior-
nation that could be procured re-
lstlng to the sugar question would be |
of service TO the committee. The !
chairman asked Mckay whether be ,
bad any other authority than these
letters. .
Mckay replied that that was
all the authority he had had, :
but he thought that was sufficient :
authority for him, as a citizen ;
OF the United States visiting !
Demsrars, to make the INQUIRY =
be had made. He should like to
state what be knew as to what Mr.. 9
French had done in regard to the I
Demarars people. He wanted to say
hat French had, in the custom house :
1fNeW York, TWO men from Dema- :
-sra who had stolen money from a ;
sugar estate, and that he had put
hem there six years after the decision
If the Perots' case in Baltimore.
A further discussion of the matter, d
which threatened to become rather Q
was forbid by the commit .
ZEE. Further inquiry from French a
elected the fact that the report of the P
commission appointed by the colonial e
authorities of Demarara hsd estsb-
ished conclusively the practice OF
fraudulent colOration of sugars there,
nd WAS In direct contradiction of :
icKay's report. The effect of the
ecent treasury orders as to the ap.
raisement of sugar had been very 3
sVorable to the revenue.