The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-12-09
Sugar Tariff.


The following extracts from the an
nnal report Of MI. Green 3. Raum, Conf
missioner Of Internal Reyenue, submit
ted to Congress with the report of the
Secretary of the Treasury, will be read
with interest by all who arc interested
i'll tho production, manufacture and sale
of sugar in this country:
1t is an old and sound maxim that no
moro revenue should be raised than is
necessary for the economical atlministra-
ton of the government and the gradual
reduction of the public debt.
While it is undoubtedly deemed advisa-
bic by many that there should be re-
vision of the tariff, it is nnquestionably
the case that it is not possible to foresee
the effect which u reduction Of Che rate
of duties on many of the great lines of
importation would have upon the re-
ceipts from customs. 1t is cOntended
that a reduction of the duty upon many
articles would so increase the importa-
ton of them as to yield All actual in
crease of revenue. The demand of tho
hour is for legislation that will Tednce
the receipts of the government. ! ven-
ture to suggest whether it is not desifa-
bic to consider the practicability Of TAX
ing the duty off sugar. About two thou
sand million pounds of sugar are an-
nually consumed in the United States,
ten per cent. of which is produced in this
country. Upon eighteen hundred mill
ion pounds imported the government re-
alizes revenue of $45, 100000. Sugar is
one of the necessaries of life. It is con-
sumed in every household. Should this
duty be removed there would be not
only a certain and large reduction of
revenue, but the benefit Of that reduc-
ton would Immediately inure to the
people. The best refined sugar which
| now sells At 10 cents pound retail,
could be sold at cents, if the duty were
removed, and the total reduction would
amount to 90 cents per capita per
annum Of the entire population Of the
country. The objection to this measure
would be the abolition of tho protection
now afforded to the sugar interests Of
Louisiana and other States.
This difficulty might be met by giving
bounty of, say, 21c per pound upon all
ho,ne-produced sugar. The cultivation
of sugar i'll this country is not Il rapidly
growing industry. There is no prospect
that the production of cane sugar will
ever bear greater proportion to con-
sumption than at present. I apprehend
if sugar were not produced i'll this coun-
try, Congress would not hesitate to re-
move the duty from imported sugar as
the best means of reducing taxation.
The present law gives to the sugar
planters of this country, Indirectly, four
or five million dollars per annum. My
proposition would be to give them this
amount directly and let :he whole people
uLSe tuo UCuChG VI Guo ictluCCIOu VI GitA-
alton, which would be in this way etfec-
ted. The principle Of paying d bounty
for the encouragement and development
of American industry is not new. 1t
was adopted i'll the case of our fisheries
as early as 1913, and was continued for
more than fifty years.
Millions of dollars have been paid out
during this period to American fishermen
for fish caught aud exported, and we are
still giving to this industry the bonus Of
allowing them to withdraw salt free Of
duty, and OF requiring from them no
tonnage dues. AS matter Of principle,
bounty to our sugar interests would, in
my opinion, be 10 more Objectionable
than similar encouragement to our fish
cries. These reductions, If made, wsnll
amount to S73,5o2 ,12s.
Lingering leucorrhsea or whites So common
among females all over the South. are ifnme-
diately cured by the use of English Female Bit
ters.