Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-01-06
TARLEE cONikLSSLoM REpoRr

and llnmlin's Circular, New Yok, dated Dec.
Sth;
The importance OF the sugar schedule is shown
by the very large return Of revenue obtained
from the duty on sugar, exceeding in amount the
revenue collected from any other article on the
dutiable list, and yielding national income Of
forty five to fifty million dollars.
The schedule has received the earnest con
sidera,on Of the Commission, and has elected
much valuable testimony from the rcfners,
importers and dealers, as well as the producers
and consumers OF sugar in fact, from all those
classes usually supposed TO be specially inter.
ested in legislation affecting the product.
The Commission has considered the sugar
schedule from different standpoin,s. Firstly,
with view to simplihcation. Secondly, with
view TO the reduction Of the rate Of duties.
Thirdly, with the view Of recommending to
Congress a system of assessing the duties and
determining the commercial value of the different
grades OF sugar which can be less easily evaded
in its application than the present system, par.
ticularly when applied to the lower grades Of
sugar
All the witnesses who appeared before the
Commission, with singular unanimity, testified
to the fact that in all wholesale commercial
transactions (meaning the buying or selling of
raw or low grade sugar) the poariscope is
used by both buyer and seller to ascertain the
saccharine richness and true value of the sugar !;
hat the custom prevails among all the ma tions
of Europe as well as in the United States; and
when asked if they knew of any reason why the
polariscope, SO satisfactory in commercial trans
buyer and seller, could no, also be equally re.
lied on by the government to determine the
| saccharine richness and true value of sugar
with the view Of afiording basis on which TO
| assess customs duties in proportion to tina
value, without an exception, these Witnesses
| well versed in the methods Of buying, selling,
refining and producing sugars-testifed unhesi
tatngly that they knew of no reason why the
polarscope test should not be used by the gov
ernment as a basis for applying customs duties.
| 1t was also proven by some of those wit
nesses who had informed themselves on the
subject, that in France the polariscope had
superseded the use OF the Dutch standard in
determining the classification Of sugars in order
to determine the rates of duties, and that in
Germany, and even in Holland, where the use
ofthe Dutch standard originated, custom house
officers are instructed that when they have
reason to believe sugars have been artifcially
colored, OF their color degraded, to assess the
duties according to their saccharine richness or
true value, to be determined by the polari.
scopic test, regardless Of their color.
One of the witnesses testified that it was
proven beyond doubt cavil, that it is a
common practice to degrade the natural color
Of German beet root sugars by artificial means,
when intended for the Dutch or American
markets, the business Of coloring sugar being
regularly carried on distinct pursuit at a
| fixed price per one hundred pounds.
| 1t is an acknowledged fact that this dcgrad-
ing the color Of cane sugars in the West
India Islands is being constantly done to suit
the American tariff laws, and the practice is
justified on the ground that il is merely taking
advantage Of the language Of the laws.
| Referring to the language OF only two of the
witnesses, one, the chemist in charge Of the
United States Laboratory at New York city,
and whose duties have been mostly the testing
Of sugars, says that;
The polariscope is one OF the most exact in
struments known TO chemical science; the
sugar registers itself.
| The other, very large importer, also OF New
York city, says that;
The polariscope is the most perfect means
of ascer,aining the commercial value Of sugars
yet found. We cannot put any limit to inven-
ton, and something better may be found here
after.
| The polariscopic test, in the first place,
enables us to assess specific duty. In the
second place, it is al valorcm, because il is
fixed upon the value Of sugar by polariscopic
strength, which is its value for sweeienng, and
that value is determined by the polarscope
The Commission therefore recommend TO
Congress the use Of the polariscopic ties, as a
basis for assessing customs duties ON all sugar
below No. I3 adhering to the present classih.
cation and the Dutch standard as measure Of
value.
The rate Of reduction in the proposed shed.
ule is aI,7o per cenlum on all sugar below No.
- Dutch standard, as tested by the polaris
cope, and 10 per cenium ON all sugars above
No.Ia, OF an average Of I5as on the whole
schedule
| The details are as follows
All sugars not above No. g Dutch standard
in color, shall pay duty on their polariscopic
test, as follows, vizi
All sugars no, above No. I3 Dutch standard
in color, all tank bottoms. synps Of cane juice.
OF Of bee, juice, melada, concentrated melada.
concrete and concentrated molasses, tes,iag by
the polariscope not above seyeniy.hve degrees.
shall pay a duty Of one and fifty hundredths
cents per pound, and for every additional de.
gree OF fraction Of degree shown by the pol
ariScope test. they shall pay hye hundredihs Of
a cent per pound additional.
All sugar above No. . Dutch standard in
color, shall be classified by tbs Dutch standard
Of color, and pay duty a. follows, viz;
All sugar above No. - and no, above No.
10 Dutch standard, three and one quarter cents
per pound. All sugar above No. 70 and no,
above No. 40 Dutch standard. three and
seveniy-hye hundred,hs cents per pound Al
sugar above No. no Dutch standard, foai and
onequarer Gems pes pound.
Molasses testing NO, above Ghysis degrees
BY the polarieope. shaIi pay duty d i've and
one'half cents per gallon. Moiasses testing
above hhy-sis degrees. pay ads,y ID ten cent?
Pss gallon.
sugar candy, no, eoiosed, hss cents pes
pound.