The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-28
THE SUGAR QUESTION.
Minister Fosters Commercial Treaty with
Spain-Its Effect the Sugar Industry.

Minister Fosters Commercial Treaty with
Spain-Its Effect on the Sugar Industry.
Washington Special to New York World.
Il can tell you that the sugar growers of the
South will make very hard fight against the
new treaty with Spain" said a gentleman just
arriving here from New Orleans to your CORE
spondent '"rhey feel that they are almost
ruined now by the large importations of beet
sugar from abroad If the treaty with Spain
making Cuban sugar duty-free is confirmed,
they feel that it will be the last straw, and that
they can no longer stand under it."
"A pretty large-sized straw it would be, too,
would it notl'
Yes; for our purchases Of sugar from Cuba
are half of our total importations in that line.
We import over 800. 900, 600 worth of sugar
a year, and near one-half of it from Cuba"
What are the figures of this import tradel"
"Well, the importations of sugar last year
were about $1O5, 900, 600 in value, just about one
half of it coming from Cuba"
And the duty2"
'Was about so per cent on its value so the
duty collected on sugar was little over $50,
100000"
And one-half that duty was on Cuban
SUGAR.
"a little more than one-half"
80 that if Minister Fosters treaty is con-
frmed by Congress. removing the entire duty on
sugar, it will cut out twenty-five millions year
from customs receipts y
Eyes, more than that Those are the figures
now, when Cuban sugar must pay the same rate
of duty as other Except Hawaiian Under the
the tariff the Cuban sugar, by force of habit and
short carriage, retains its footing to considera-
bic degree though the best sugars of Europe
have been crowding it out. But open the doors
for Cuban sugar free of duty, and of course it
will stimulate the sugar industry of that island
and discourage the importation of beet sugars.
So that in the long run it would cut down the
revenue good deal more than twenty five mill
ions. Then, too, by the proposed treaty, Porto
Rico comes in with the same privilege as to her
TO
year in value and half as much in duty"
And what will be the effect on the sugar
growers of the Southl"
Ruin. Unless they can turn their attention
to some other business, it must be ruin. Why
they are only barely able to struggle along now
against the beet sugars that are being imported
into this country"
Are beet sugars becoming so common an ar
ticle of use hereP
Eyes; nearly all the handsome white sugars
that you see sold in little white lumps-cubes l
ought to have said-is beet sugar. They are
making it so cheap in France and Germany now
that they sell it on the market in London at
three cents pound. Add the cost of transpor-
tation and duty, and IL brings it up to only about
five or six cents pound while all dealers han
die it without expecting TO make more than bare
expenses on it. So you see that the sugar grow
ers of the South have little to hope for any way
and rothing if the Foster treaty is confirmed"
How many sugar manufacturers are there in
About 300 or 400 only, and they would be
glad to get out of it if they could see how to
turn their investments to other purposes
The latest figures attanable here show the i'm
ports to be about as indicated above. OF all the
imports into the United States last year, amount
ing to 500, 600, 600, that of sugar greatest,
being Including molasses) $l03, SS4, 274 or over
10 per cent. of the total value of the importa-
tons OF this 500, 100000 worth came from
Cuba and Porto Rico, the islands from which
SUGARS, under this proposed treaty, tc be admit
ted free of duty. 1t is pretty evident that with
the duty removed as to those islands they would
import all the sugar which tins country demand
ed, outside the Sandwich Islands and home pro
ductiou.
Now as to the benefit this country would get
back in increased trade with Cuba and Porto
Rico, in the articles that are to be admitted free
there, in exchange for the privileges of the ad-
mission of sugar here. Under the proposed
treaty all kinds of meat, lard, butter cheese,
lumber. all kinds of articles in wrought iron and
steel, all kinds of instruments for agriculture
and the industries, are to go in free of duty
while cotton fabrics, leather finer articles
Of iron and steel, and many other things
are admitted at very much reduced rates, and
wheat flour is cut down in duty about So per bar
rel. Under the present law the duty in Cuba is
about cents per pound pork cents per
pound lard, three quarters of a cent Der
pound on corn, So 40 per 1000 on lumber, and
other articles in proportion. Cuba and Porto
Rico import from all sources now about
$50 900, 900 worth per year, of which about one
fourth, or $l3, 600 900, already comes from the
United States, OF this, manufactures of wood,
provisions and manufactures Of iron are about
81, 800, 900 worth each, breadstuffs being also
$500, 900, and many other articles OF manufacture
here running up to $780, 600 or 5000 600 in value,
making the total S., 000. 900, as indicated above
OF the total importations of Cuba at present,
onefourth, in round numbers, come from
the United States, one-fourth from Spain.
one-fourth from Great Britain, and the
remainder from Canada, France, Bel
GUM, and "all others" The impression
prevails here that the reciprocity treaty, which
removes our duty on Cubas sugar and removes
Cubas duty ON about 200 articles Of the pro
auctions of this country, will on the one hand
cut down our tariff revenues about thirty or
forty millions year, but WILL on the other hand
increase our exports to Cuba and Porto Rico
about thirty millions per year, besides reducing
the price of sugar to the masses at least cent a
pound or fifty cents per head per year all around
for the people of this country now eat fifty
pounds of sugar each per annum, or onethird
their own weight each year.
Will Congress confirm it, thought That is the
question. With the combined opposition of
three or four hundred influential sugar-growers
of the South and Claus Spreckles, who controls
the Sandwich Islands sugar trade and don't of
course want any more free sugar than his own
the chances seem to be against it,