News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1894-09-20
TO PROSECUTE.

MAPLE SUGAR PRODUCERS HAVE A
GRIEvANCE.-THEY WANT THE EARN
ED BoUNTIEs ON CROPS OF 1894
EX SENATOR EDMUNDs GIVES HIS
VIEWS REGARDING THE QUESTION.
From the Boston Journal
Acting upon the advice of ex-Sen-
ator George f. Edmunds, a number
of the licensed maplesugar producers
of Vermont propose to unite in in
stituting a prosecution against the
United states government for earned
bounties on the crops of 1891, the
payment of which has been refused
by the Secretary of the Treasury.
Several claims of licensed producers
have already been placed in the
hands of Harvey Spalding & Sons of
Washington, d. c., who will bring
suit for the payment of unpaid
bounties before the United States
Court of Claims. Concerning this
subject, ex-senator Edmunds said to
a Journal representative:
"The refusal Of the Secretary of the Treas
ury to pay the bounty to licensed producers
on the crop of 1894, which was accepted and
tested by the government cannot be justified
in law or equity. Every cent of bounty due
under the Mckinley law is collectable, and
can be recovered in the United States courts
in suits brought for that purpose. The Yer
mont sugar makers should combine to bring
action in the courts to obtain Judgment in
this matter. The licensed sugar producers in
Vermont for the season of 1894 numbered
upwards of 1000.
These producers made application on
forms prescribed by the department, and ex-
ecuted their papers and filed the necessary
bonds, and they were accepted by the Com
missioner of Internal Revenue, who duly for
warded licenses on the form of elaborate en-
graved certificates to the sugar makers who
had applied for the bounty.
These licenses authorized the producers to
have their product weighed and tested by the
Deputy Collector appointed for that purpose
These Deputies numbered over 100 in this
State, in addition to which force a dozen or
more officials we're employed for testing sugar
and recording the tests made at the govern
ment laboratory in the Federal building at
Montpelier, from March l to May l, 1894
Over four and one-half million pounds of ma
pie sugar produced by licensed makers was re-
ceived and underwent the polariscopic test
at the laboratory.
"The sugar makers were required to keep a
daily record of their production and to send
sworn statements of the amount made to
the Collector of Internal Revenue at the close
of the season. Fully 80 per cent. of the sugar
product last season under the Mckinley act
passed inspection above the so per cent. re-
quirement, which made about 4,000,0 600
pounds entitled to receive the bounty of ia
cents a pound, the product of something like
3 800 makers.
Few, if any, checks in payment of the
earned bounty were received by producers
prior to the passage of the Wilson bill, under
the provision of which Secretary Carlisle
seeks to deprive the sugar makers of the
bounty. In many instances the sugar pro-
ducers went to considerable expense in pur-
chasing new and improved evaporators and
apparatus so as to produce better quality
of sugar, and which would pass the test and
receive the government bounty.
1.-THE licensed producers consider the eXecu-
ton of the papers and their acceptance by
the government and the subsequent testing
of sugar by Federal officers in the nature of
a contract. They believe they have a just
and legal claim against the government.
The amount of the claims involved exceeds
$50,