The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-09-05
As To SUGAR PRICES.

The Sentinel is always grateful to the
News for the aid it offers in the con-
struction Of tariff and other editorials. 1t
is a neighborly act which is always to be
expected from paper that is self-ap-
pointed guardian to its contemporaries,
watching carefully over their morals,
manners and general interests. But for
the benefit of the readers Of the News we
would suggest that it inform itself on the
subject occasionally before it tenders its
advice Casually. it may be mentioned,
that The Sentinel is in no fear Of mis-
leading its readers on the sugar tariff
or any other tariff question. They are
too well educated for that. They are also
too we'll educated to imagine that the
general rules Of tariff imposition affect all
articles in exactly the same way. They
know that a tariff on wheat does not have
the same effect as tariff on copper. They
know that a change of tariff on wool,
from existing rates, will not have the
same effect as a change from the rates
on wooden goods.
The readers of The Sentinel do not,
therefore, measure all tariff changes on
a procrustean bed, as the News does. and
their faith in general tariff rules is not at
all shaken by the fact that sugar is cheap
er now than 1t was one year ago under
the republican free sugar law" The
reason why sugar is an exception to gen.
eral rules is that it is controlled abso-
lutely by a trust whose monopoly is so
complete that 1t has been enabled to ex-
tort far more than mere tariff advantages
from the people. Perhaps we can explain
this more successfully to the News by
quoting the market rates of sugar, as
given by Minford & Co.'S circular of
Aug. %, for that date and for the same
dates in 1898 and 1892 which are as fol-
lows:
1894. 1898. 1892.
Fair refining, So deg. test. 3ls 27s
sc deg. test centrifugals.... 3A 81 93s
Standard granulated $3.50. SIS Asa
The prices Of the first two qualities are
met cash." and Of the last less S-16"
GRADUATED sugar is made from sc deg.
test and yet by comparing the figures
for 1892 and 1898, both under the McKin-
ley law 1t will be seen that the trust
was selling granulated sugar five-eighths
Of a cent higher in the latter year, al
though it paid only one-eighth Of cent
more for its material. Il 1894, still I'M
der the Mckinley law, it sells granulated
three-eighths of a cent cheaper, although
its material is one-fourth of a cent dearer.
Here is a range Of seven-eighths OF a
cent in the profits of the trust, all under
the same law. Why? Simply because the
trust puts prices where it wants them,
influenced chiefly by the speculative in
terests Of its officials.
While The Sentinel has the most pro-
sugar trust. and has protested most earn
estly against them, it does not believe
that the real object Of the trust in de-
handing them was merely to secure the
object was something worse. 1t does not
fear ordinary occasional importation of
refined sugar, because no sugar dealer
will dare import refined sugar unless he
can be assured Of a constant supply as
cheap or cheaper than trust sugars.
What it does fear. and does want to pre-
vent is the establishment Of any per1na-
nent foreign competition, and It's only safe
guard against that is a tariff Last year
its real protection" did not exceed six
tenths Of a cent, and yet it exacted about
2 cents profit. This year its protection
is certainly not greater than six-tenths
Of a cent and it is exacting about cent
profit. In both cases the profit is so