Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-04-17
FREE SUGAR.
The New Tariff Bm a Peoples Meas
ure

Mchenna, of California, who insists
that coast sugar refners should be
protected. There was another strong
effort made toplace lead mixed with
other ores on the free list as at pres
ent, but the lead men made a strong
aud determined fight and finally
won the battle.
OF sugar the report says the COM
mittee recommend that sugar up to
an5 including No. Is, and molasses,
be placed OH the free list, with IA
duty of 40 of per cent. per pound
on refined sugar above 16. A boun-
ty of , cents per pound shall he paid
from the treasury for "A period Of
fifteen years for all sugar, polarized
at least 50 per cent. made in this
country from cane, beets, or sorg-
hum, produced in the United States.
In 1883 the consumption of sugar in
the United States was ,469, ,907 tons,
or 53.l pounds per inhabitant. Of
this only 1854 tons were produced
in the United States, so that large
proportion of the sugar was import
ed. The home production of sugar
does not materially affect prices and
the duty is therefore II tax which is
added tothe price, not only Of the I'M
ported but of the domestic product.
In 1889 the duties collected on i'm
ported sugar and molasses amounted
to sos, ,7S5,Gl0. Add to this the i'll
creased price of domestic sugar
arising from the duty, and it is clear
the duty on sugar and molasses
III Ide the cost Of sugar and
molasses at least $64, 900, 600,
or about$l foreach man, woman and
child in the United States, more
than it would have been, if no such
lu'ies we're levied and the domestic
product had remained.
Even on the assumption that with
proper encouragement we shall
eventually he able to produ, e all, or
nearly all, the sugar required for
the consumption of our people, this
encouragement can be given much
more ec nonlically and effectually
by II bounty of , cents per pound,
involving the expenditure of but
little more than $7,000,000 per all
mum, with the present production of
sugar in this country, than by the
imposition of Il duty involving the
collection of S55,875,6lO in duties
in the last fiscal year, not to
mention the amount Indirectly in.
volved. In providing that not only
raw sugar, but also sugar including
No. 16, be admitted free of duty,
opportunity is given for the free in.
PRODUCTION of yellow sugars suited TO
family use, an arrangement which
will secure to the people, sugar at
the lowest price existing in the
markets of the world, while even
imported white refined sugar will be
subjected to u duty Of only 4-lO Of l
per cent. per pound.
The majority reportbegins with Il
statement of the financial situation.
1t estimates that the surplus at the
end of the present fiscal year will
he $92, 100000, and deducting the
sum required to make the payments
of the sinking fund, the net surplus
of receipts over expenditures will be
$43, $4,000. The estimated surplus
of the next fiscal year will be S43,-
so, 900, which, with the amount of
cash OH hand and available, reach
ing 800, 900, ,00J, will justify u reduc-
tion of the revenues in the sum con-
tempInted by the bill as reported,
of $50, 1887, 900 and probably more,
from customs, aud say $l0.32S,O0O
from internal revenue or II total of
SAL ,265, 900.
The report further says that the
bill as proposed will result in de-
creased revenue; that in all cases
the increased tariff will result in
decreased impOrtations, and there
fore decreased revenue; that the
committee aimed to put an Increased
rate en- manufactured goods and
farm products producible in this
country, in order TO develope home
market, and that the committee
was not so much concerned about
the prices of the articles we con-
sumo as to encourage the increase
and diversificatiOn of home products,
and giving fair turns to the pro-
ducers and fair wages to American
workmen, believing that home
competition will regulate prices.
The committee admit that free trade
would cause temporary reduction
in prices, bus argue that it would be
at the expense Of domestic product,
aud that prices would advance with
the country at the mercy Of foreign
syndicates and man ufacturers, and
the ultimate result would be disad-