The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-01-11
Sugar and Wool.

One of the most remarkable features
of the presidents tariff policy is the
proposition TO retain the duty of sew
enty-six per cent on raw sugar, when
the revenue therefrom is not needed
by the government and when there is
no reasonable ground to expect that
this measure of protection will ever
increase the production to anything
like the demand for consumption. The
duty on sugar is imposed for the benefit
of few hundred planters, mostly in
single state. If this duty should be
abolished the revenue would be reduced
over S50,000,000 a year. If it can be
demonstrated that the removal of the
tax would ruin the sugar planters
then it might be well to pay them
bounty of five to seven millions of dol
lars year and save some $40 100000
to the people. No one can question
that the sugar interest is now in
ordinately protected. Sugar is an arti-
Gle of universal consumption and there
is no doubt that the tax upon it is all
paid by the consumer. In fact the
duty upon it amounts to one dollar
year for every man, woman and child
in the country. Our people consume
over two billion eight hundred million
pounds annually, and only about eight
hundred million pounds of this is pro-
duced in the United States. Our sugar
production is not increasing, while the
consumption is. Is it not absurd, then,
to claim that the sugar tax, which
amounted to S5S,000,000 last year,
should be maintained for the benefit of
less than five hundred planters in
single state, who produce only S16, 000,-
600 worth per annum? 1t is in fact a
tax for revenue more than for protec-
ton. Right here congress has the OPP
portunity to remove great and in
creasing burden from the people and
at the same time reduce the surplus
revenue by forty-fve to fifty million
dollars, and this without any appre-
ciable disturbance of the business of
the country.
But the advocates of the present
sugar tax are vehement in their de-
mand for free wool and large reduc-
ton of the duties on wooden goods.
According to late estimate there are
now in this country in round numbers
100000 flock-owners, who have 3d.
100000 sheep and produce 1886, 100000
pounds of wool annually, worth $780,
100000. This is taking no account of
the market value of the sheep. In 1880
the value of all our manufactures of
wooden was $267 ,252,9 13. Is it not
apparent that the vast wool industry is
not maintained exclusively for the
benefit of wool-raisers and manufac-
turers, but that the prosperity of all
classes of people is subserved by it =?
The stock argument of the free-trader
is that wool-growers constitute only
one-thirtieth part of the population,
hence it is unfair to protect them at
the expense of the rest. The benefits,
pecuniary and otherwise, conferred by
this vast interest upon millions of peo-
pie is apparently treated as inconse-
quential. But the reduction of the
wool and wooden goods tariff, as pro-
posed by the administration, would
drive home wool practically out of pro-
duction and greatly increase the inn
portation of foreign wooden goods, to
the injury of the home product. In
his great speech, last week, Senator
Sherman said the presidents whole
argument for " free wool " rested on
the allegation that the price of wool
was increased to the extent of the
duty, and that but for the duty the
merchant could buy this wool cheaper
in South America and Australia. "This
argument" continued the senator, is
fallacious, because the destruction OF
the wool industry in the United States
would at once advance the price OF
wool in foreign markets. But, even il
the argument were true, it would apply
as we'll to all domestic productions and
to all manufactures. Wool is the com
pleted article of the farmer, Just as
cloth is of the manufacturer and as the
coat is of the tailor, and the objection
that the duty on wool raises the price
to the consumer applies as well ii
true) to the duty on cloth and of tn,
infinite variety of articles produced b,
American labor competing with for
eign labor. This diversity of produc
ton inures to the benefit of all classe
of the people alike, and is the secre
of the enormous growth, power AM
wealth of the republic"
Congress.
Both branches of congress reas