The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-07
rnE PRICE OF SUGAR.

On the first Of the current month the
provision Of law aboiishlng the tariff on
sugar went into effect. Since the tariff
rate has been just two cents per pound, it
has been supposed that the price Of sugar
would be reduced by exactly that amount,
fourteen fifteen and sixteen pounds of
sugar for one dollar naturally expected to
get sixteen. eighteen and twenty pounds
for one dollar. 1t has been supposed that
this would be the inevitable result. and
there was every reason to expect it. OF
course with clean-cut reduction of two
cents per pound in original cost of sugar
there ought to be corresponding reduc-
ton in price to the consumer.
Furthermore it has been known that the
government by its policy has been pre-
pairing the way for an immediate reduc-
ton to follow the abolition Of the tariff.
During the month Of March, through
special order of the treasury department,
the sugar refiners were allowed to receive
raw sugar free in order that they might
refine it and accumulate q stock Of fine
sugar which they could hold ready for the
reduction in rates promptly upon the day
the tariff was cut off, This sugar was re-
fined in bond and permitted to go into the
hands Of Wholesale dealers.
With the idea of ascertaining if the sugar
refners and dealers were treating the pub
lie fairly. the Posr-IxTELLIcExcER caused
inquiry TO be made yesterday afternoon at
several Of the leading wholesale and retail
stores in this city. At Schwabacher Bros.
& Co.'S (wholesale) it was learned that
white sugars came down one-quarter of
one cent per pound on the first of April"
At Fisher, Mcdonald & Co.'S (wholesale)
the reporter was informed that ION the
first Of the month there was q decline of
three-quarters Of one cent per pound on
white sugar and an advance of one-eighth
of one cent per pound on brown sugar."
Mr.. Fisher remarked to the reporter that
1.-THE tariff calls for reduction oftwo cents
per pound and we had expected general
cut of at least one cent per pound on the
first Of the month, but it did not come"
Pursuing his investigation at the retail
stores the reporter called on Haley &
Glenn and was informed that one month
ago they were supplying sugar at the
following rates: Granulated, sixteen
pounds for one dollar; extra c. nine
teen pounds for one dollar; &C." twenty
pounds for one dollar. The charge now is
for granulated, fifteen pounds to the
dollar; ''extra c." eighteen pounds to the
dollar, and &c, nineteen to the dollar
an advance Of something like per
cent. all along the line. AT Louch's
retail store the reporter was informed
that within month white sugars had
gone down three-quarters of one cent
per pound and that brown sugars had
declined about one-quarter of one cent
per pound.
The discrepancies in these several QUO
tations all collected in one general market
within an hour are striking and remark
able and illustrate the general loose
ness which characterizes the methods
of fixing prices to consumers. But the fact
that at the largest and most heavily pat
ronized grocery store in this city the price
of sugar 10 the consumer has actually gone
up since the cut in the tariff is astound-
ing.
1t is very evident that the condition of
affairs herein suggested is due to a conn.,
bination on the part of the great sugar
dealers of the country by which they pro-
pose to keep for themselves the two cents
per pound heretofore exacted by the gov
eminent in the form Of tariff And this
means nothing more nor less than that in
addition to the large profits heretofore
made the sugar kings viii divide some
thing more than sixty millions of dollars
| per year.
And yet there are people who insist that
trusts" are legitimate and there are legis-
lators pledged by their oaihs to serve the
| people honestly who will vote against anti
| trust messuresl