St. Paul daily globe., 1891-03-02
SWEETNESS TO BE CHEAPER.

The sugar schedule in the tariff goes
into effect the 1St of April, when the
sweetness of MckinleyiSm is to come in
such volume as to remove any bad taste
in the mouth. Sugar is then to be free
from tariff taxation, and will drop in
price very materially. There is already
some downward tendency. 1t is to be
hoped that the claims made will be fully
realized, and that sugar will fall from 2
to 215 cents a pound. 1t will Oe pleas
ant to have the 81 package of sugar
swollen from twelve or fifteen pounds
to twenty or twenty-five. This is the
claim put forth, and no good reason ap-
pears why it should not be verified.
The duty collected by the government
has been from 2l4 to 2$i cents per
pound Oh the raw sugars from which
the refined sugars are made, and "a
cents on lower grades. The refinerS
paid their duties in the first instance,
and then passed them over to the con-
sumers with such additions as they saw
fit to make. 1t is not one of the cases
where 1t is insisted that the foreign
growers of the importation pay the
the pockets of the people. After the
1st OF April there will be no duty on
raw sugars. On refined sugars the
duties have been from 8 to 81 cents per
pound. This is cut down to half cent
pound. 1t might be supposed the re-
fineries would give the consumers the
full benefit of the reduction; but that
is not anticipated. The sugar trust will
improve the advantage the bill affords
in enabling it to take its tribute from
nearly the entire consumption. The
drop will be immediate upon the eX-
piration of the duty, and persons
who are buying considerable guam
titles will no doubt defer their
purchases, as far as possible, till after
the date. The law allows the imported
raw sugars to go to the refnerS and be
stored in bond until April, and released
then without the payment of any duties.
This process has been going or, and
the refiners are selling the bonded sugar
to jObberS at AZ cents a pound, to be
delivered in April, while that for imme-
diate use sells for s. cents. This in
sureS the consumer reduction of al
least . cents pound, and is matter of
congratulation to the consumers. 1t
will save the average family of small
means IS or 81 in the year, and is the
first place that the MCKINLEY act has
relieved in the regimen of the common
citizen. 1t has been enlarging his bur
denS in all other directions, and this
sweet passage ought to be made
the most of. One of the high
eXpoSitors pronounceS it zone of the
great triumphs Of the MCKINLEY law" "
The others are not yet Ill sight, but the
protection seers insist that they believe
they are coming. In the meantime LET
| every family man be as happy as he
can over the reduction in sugar. even if
he has to pay several times the amount
of the saving in increased cost of other
articles. 1t may be averred that cheap
sugar is good thing, and the people
will not consent to the restoration Of
duties on it. 1t is true it will make q
| gap in the treasury of S50,000.000 OF
more, in period when deficiencies will
have taken the place OF the swelling
| surplus that was so persistent under
Democratic management. Then another
hole is to be made as fast as the thing
can be worked out 10y the payment of &
bounty of two cents a pound for all the
sugar made by the planters of Louis
ana, the maple sugar makers of New
England, Ohio and elsewhere, not to
speak of the beet evolvers, who expect
| to supply most of the consumption
eventually. This will require a good
many millions in the early time. Bu
there is useful suggestion in this. L
may lead to the inquiry why not have
cheap clothing and pay the manufacture
ers so many cents per yard as bounty:
For the present 1t is sufficient TO reve
| in cheapened sweetness. No doubt the
consumption will greatly increase in
| consequence of the reduction. In Eng
land it is twelve pounds per capita more
than in this country. Saccharine matter
contributes to obesity also, so that all
can grow fat, as we'll as hilarious, Ovel
| cheaper sugar.