St. Paul daily globe., 1894-03-06
SENATORS SPLIT ON SUGAR
The Most DIFFICULT Tariff FEAT-
ORE TO Be ADJUSTED.
EVERYTHING ELSE SETTLED.
War Between the Sugar Pro-
ducers and the Refiners-
Whisky Tax Question Not FL
in Years VIII Occur When the
Bill ReaehPs the Senate


naiIy Settled = Biggest Fight
in Years VIII Occur When the
Bill Reaches the Senate.
WASHINGTON. March 5.-The Wilson
tariff bill has been the subject OF an
earnest consultation among the senators
today. 1t has reached = certain stage OF
completeness, ana yet may be thrown
out of gear by single article; that arti-
Gle is sugar. and it was generally under
stood that if definite agreement could
be reached on this article ii would then
be possible 10 agree upon everything
else and that the bill could be reported
without delay. 1t is understood that by
mutual concessions aud frequent con-
situations the demands made by those
Democratic senators who opposed the
bin i'll the form in which it was first
presented have been met and tenta-
lively agreed upon; but even these
agreements are subject TO the approval
OF the treasury department and the
needs Of the government in the
matter of revenue. Secretary
Carlisle has been with the members of
the committee most of the day and met
with them again this evening to discuss
and compare changes. but. while these
concessions have been made and the
members of the finance committee and
the objeeting senators have found
middle ground. there yet remains the
matter Of sugar, and the difficulties sur
rounding an agreement upon this are
the greatest that the tariff makers have
TO cont' nd with. The Louisiana sena-
tors have one plan which does not meet
with favor by the refners. The plan of
the reiners is Objectionable TO the
Louisiana senators. a suggestion has
been made that an az YalOrem tax be
Laid. and the rcfnerS say this would
afford them no protection. Some sena-
tors, looking toward concession. have
urged that if an ad valorem rate is
NOT JUST TO REFINERs.
a differential be made in their favor
This is stubbornly resisted by those
who claim that an ad val0Tem rate would
afford them just protection. as the
higher price of the refined sugar would
n5cessitate a greater tax when imported
tnan the raw sugars. Il appears also
that the proposition for an Increased tax
on whisky Is mixed up with the pro-
posed duty on sugar.
If the latter is agreed 10, the necessity
for an increased whisky tax disappears.
For this reason those VINO have been in
slsting upon Increases in the whisky tax
are not favorable 10 a sugar tax.
One of the senators who was openly
opposed 10 the Wilson bill as it was
amended by the senate subcommittee.
and who was active in the caucus, said
today that the outcome was matter OF
considerable doubt.
Had the bill made equal reductions"
he said. land had no attempt been made
10 give special interests an advantage,
we could not complain. But when ii
was proposed 10 protect the Louisiana
sugar men we could not sit still and see
Interests in our states suffer. This led
TO the caucus. and it was there shown
how unjust 1t would be TO make the bill
protective in one locality alone. 1t NAV
be that the concessions winch have
been made will be agreed TO. and that
the
TREASURY DEPARTMENT
! will find them satisfactory: and yet one
little thing may resui. in undoing all
that has been done, and the Wilson bill
reported very much in the form it came
over"
Then there would be a fight in the
senate?''
Yes. and the biggest that has oc-
CURED for years. But the whole matter
is on such delicate ground that rejection
by the senate of one Of the points in
dispute might kick it all over: besides.
the house may also kick over what tie
senate does nOt. We hope. however.
that we are going 10 reach an adjust
ment which will settle the Natter 1t is
understood that the committee has also
been giving attention to the tobacco
schedule in the Internal revenue bill
daring the day. and that the internal
revenue commissioner was before them
10 make suggestions concerning rates
and the method of collecting. as well as
other tax in this part of the bill. The
committee is having uouble 10 satisfy
the manufacturers with the rate Ot this
tax, as they are urging that if there is
10 be an increase it be placed at IL
cents, because their machinery, which
Is expensive. Is made 10 produce pack
ages corresponding with either or
l2-cent tax. 1t is stated that the COM
mittee had Increased this tax 10 10
cents.
Senators Jones, Mcpherson and Vest
continued their work on the Wilson bill
at the capitol until 10 O'Clock tonight.
BAL NtN AOA GSL lilc tA84 III Slape 10 suit
them. anu stopped at that hour with the
intention OF resuming the work toInor-
row morning. They announced at The
conclusion OF the meeting that the bill
would not be in shape TO be reported 10
the full committee tomorrow.
The senators had the clerk of the
house ways aud means committee with
them during the meeting this evening.
and il is understood that they went over
many o. the items of the bill. making
careful comparisons of the changes
with the house bill. II has been found
that some amendments made do not
consist of the main portion OF the bill.
and many corrections have been
found necessary al the last hour. This
WORK is consuming much OF the time of
the committee as well as that which it
is necessary 10 give to the fixing OF rates
on the disputed items.