Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1894-08-08

UcIcoto, ySe nv oo.iNA '"~ 50
world is more easily humbugged.
Take for example the tariff tax on
sugar. The Mckinley bill made
pretense of placing sugar on the
free list, and the protective" tariff
arrogated to themselves
great merit for this concession de-
signed especially for the benefit OF
the struggling poor. Observe the
falsity Of the pretense involved in
this tariff trickery. The Mckinley
robber tariff in paragraph 726 OF
the Stree list" provides that sugars
all not above number sixteen, Dutch
standard in color, all tank bottoms,
all sugar draining and sugar sweep
ings, syrup of cane juice, melade,
concentrated melade, and concrete
and concentrated molasses, and mo-
lasses" shall be free of taxation.
There is no family in the country
so poor as to use any OF the crude
raw sugars, OF sugar producing sub
stances mentioned in this paragraph.
There are but few, if any places
where these crude sugars are kept
OH sale; they are the base from
which the sugars of consumption
are manufactured by the sugar re-
finers and the great sugar trust
combination of the country. To
them crude sugar is free. The
sugars of consumption are not free
to the consumers.
Paragraph 237 of schedule E,
sugar, provides that "all sugar above
number sixteen, Dutch standard in
color, shall pay a duty of fve-tenths
of cent a pound upon sugars OF
consumption produced therefrom
by the refiners; and those sugar re-
fners, as the Mckinley act intend.
ed they should do, have organized
themselves into one vast combina.
ton and monopoly for plunderine
the consumers of sugar, and buying
up senates.
Some idea of the immense profits
this sugar trust is making under
and by virtue of the false pretense'
of the Mckinley act may be gather
ed from the testimony of President
Havemeyer given before the senate
committee appointed to investigate
the alleged attempt to bride thu
United States senators, which wa
in part as follows:
Q. Mr.. Havemeyer, is it not tru,
that you control-that is, that tn,
American Sugar Refining Compan.
controls--the price of sugar to al
Louisiana refneries?
A. Directly we do not; indirect
ly we do.
@. Through your organization
you do. If you fix the price o
your graduated sugar Throughout
the United States the others Obtain
it don't they?
A. We undertake to control TIN
; price of sugar in the United States
That must be distinctly understood
Q. And the price of refined su
), gar in the United States is highe
to the American people in conse
quence of the existence of the Amer
lean Sugar Refining company tina
{ it would be if the different CON
= panies in your organization wer
distinct and independent companies
A. For short time it is.
q. And what difference does
: make for the consumers in thi
country in a year- in-Xogrjjatag.
ment
, A. 1t has been in three year
a past three-eighths of a cent more o
e every pound they ate.
S q. And that would be abou
1 how much in round numbers?
: A. 1t is large sum i'll the ag
r gregate.
r q. How many millions?
A. | should say close to S25
r 100000 in three years.
@. And you intend to keep you
t hold upon the American people a
e long as you can?
e A. As long as the Mckinley biI
r is there, we will exact that profit.
Q. Is that the result of the Nc
D Kinley bill?
= A. We should not have achieve
T. it without the Mckinley bill.
e On reading this bit of testimon
no one can fail to notice how nice
ly this scheme for plundering til
: masses for the benefit of special
i, favored class fits in all its parts
g First, the people are humbugge
! with the idea that they have sire
! sugar" and are expected to worshi
e the author of this great boon; sec
ond, "free sugar" is given to the re
finers in condition not suitable fo
. consumption, but the sugar pre-
, pared for consumption by the pre-
cess of refining these crude sugar
: is taxed five-tenths of cent pc
(: pound-that is four-eighths of cen
: a pound-and Havemeyer inform
us that this tax on consumable su
r gar has enabled him and his fel
, low plunderers to make "three
: eighths" of a cent pound on tn
sugar they have handled, amount
. ing to $25, 100000.
This testimony illustrates tn
: falsehood of the pretense that Amer
, lean manufacturers need "protec
ton" to enable them to compel
with foreign products. The ta
upon imported consumable suga
four-eighths of cent pound; tn
sugar trust can sell it's sugar at
profit of three-eighths Of cent pc
pound above a legitimate profit
and make 25,000,00O extra ne
prOfit ont of the people who hlindl,