, 1892-05-18

mana OF Cu0 pIcSCHC
The more important feature OF the week,
however, affecting all the sugar interests or
the country, has been the inauguration OF d
little local movement from the city OF fhnla-
delphia to procure the introduction Oh d
tariff bill into the present Congress, Whlch
shall remove the duty upon all sugars ABOVE
No. 16 D. S. Unlike the Mckinley OH,
which had q national origin ln Ine uenhanus
of the different interests OF the couDCry, tnIS
hill evidently grows out OF q local grievance
un1 il aimed at what is called the sugar
mononoly. without regard to the ultimate
eject which the passage Of the bill might
have upon the entire su gar interests OF the
country, and upon the prices which would
have to be paid by consumers OF refined su-
gar, in place of he present prices.
We do not see wherein the country would
be the gamer by the passage OF such a Dil1a
and, on the contrary, we are inclined 10
think that It would be a loser in oil respects.
1t is fresh in the minds of all, that the Mo
Kinley bill, as it relates TO sugar, was the
outcome of widespread demand for free raw
ugar. That conflicting State interests
stood in the way, which were finally over
come by what may be called q mutual com
promise, under which til United States, III
consideration of raising the color limit from
No. I'D. S. to No. l6 D.. s. and admitting
all sugar No. 16 D. S. free ofdnty, granted
the reiners a minimum protection against
foreign refined, the smallest under which
they could continue to exist, aud gave the
States interested in the production OF SUI
gar q bounty of 2 cents per pound on all su-
gars raised for q series of years. The bill
has now been in operation for one year aud
has given general satisfaction to the cOun-
try.
The raising of the color line three pun
bers took away the refner's profit from re-
filming those numbers, as heretofore, and EhaS
during the year, caused O. very considerable
direct consumption Of fOreign sugars OF
Nos. Is to l6 ID. s., which consumption is
on the increase of the present time, as the
foreign countries come to understand the
requirements of the trade. The Mckinley
bill in it's intentions, as to foreign refined
sugars, has acted like u perfected piece Of
machinery. Just as soon as prices rose to
the low limit mark of protection in April of
last year, just so soon the foreign sugars
began to come into the country in Quanti-
ties.
With the recession of prices, the impor-
tatiOns ceased, until now for the second
time, i'll April of this year, prices are nearing
the limited point, and Scotch yellows and
Liverpool cane sugars are already arriving.
We are receiving Consignments ourselves and
if refners would hold to the present prices
will guarantee to keep a supply on hand all
the time. A further slight advance in granu-
lated sugars here, and along will come the
German, Austrian and Russian crystals. The
Mckinley bill works like clock work; it could
not be bettered; foreign trade is pushing, and
watches, as a cat q mouse, for its every oppor-
tunity. Whether there is but one refner in
the United States, or twenty, the result is
exa city the same. At certain seasons of
largo demand, the price of refined must always
rise to the limited point; but it can never get
beyond, for the Mckinley bill is always there
to say, "Thus far aud no farther" No one
understands this better than the A. S r. Co.,
as is evidenced by the fact that they do not
advance the price o. refned.
AS q perfect piece Of legislation for the
protection of consumers, it is a marvel in
It's workings as thus far developed. To at
tempt to interfere with it at this early stage,
for any reason, would he the height of folly,
to say nothing of the moral obligationsresting
on the United States to carry out it's contract
for a period Of years with Louisiana and other
States now engaged in the home production
of sugar. Many OF the Western States, at the
present moment, are holding conventions and
devising ways and mea0s for increasing the
beet root culture. The removal of the pro-
t~eotion duty would jeopardize all such move
mants We NAV add that philadelnhia and