The record-union., 1896-12-31
Subject Of Discussion Before the Ways
and Means Committee.
Importers, Growers and Consumers
Given a Hearing.
Additional Discriminating Duties
Asked on All Sugars Coming
From Bounty-Paying Countries
The Hawaiian Treaty Referred to
as Failure and One-Slded
Agreement.

as Failure and a One-Slded
Agreement.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30.-The ses-
zion of the Committee on ways ana
Means to-day was given to the questlon
OF sugar duties. The opening was de-
voted to the sugar importers, Whose
views were voiced by john Farr OF New
York. who said that at recent meet
ing of the sugar importers OF that CITY
it was unanimously decided that an al
valorem rate was unfair, unequitaole
and exceedingly difficult IN practlce'
that one cent a pound should De I'M
posed on all sugar below 10 degrees
polariscope, and that additional d1scrlm-
mating duties should be levied ON all
sugars coming from bounty paying
countries. The beet sugar interest was
represented by Henry A. OXnard or
Grand Island, Neb. Herbert of New
York editor of the American Agricul-
turist" and r. NJ. Allen of Ames, Neb.,
President of the Beet Sugar Associa-
ticn. The cane sugar interests Of Lou
isiana was represented by j. D. Hill Of
New Orleans. No representative OF the
sugar refining industry had applied for
q hearing, and there was a conspicuous
absence of the members of the sugar
trust
In the course of his statement Mr..
Farr gave the following figures as being
the nearest to an advance from the
present basis as representing fairly all
interests: On all sugars tested by the
polariscope, when landed. 70 degrees or
under, one cent per pound on net
landed weight-adding .03 per degree
tor each degree up to 100 degrees, frac-
tion of degree to be assessed in pro-
Iortion; an additional duty on sugars
above No. 16 Dutch standard in color
to prevent the foreign refiners from en-
tering their soft refined sugars here at
the same rate of duty as raw sugars of
the same quality.
1t was also recommended that an ad-
drional discriminating duty on all
sugars coming from bounty paying
Countries with authority to tire ixrcu-
tive to reduce or increase this addition
al duty in such proportion as the boun-
ty-paying countries may from time to
time raise or lower their bounties, be
levied.
1t was estimated that the average po-
1arfzation of raw sugars imported into
this country is about % degrees. Such
sugars would pay 81 CENTS per pound
which would produce an annual revenue
On this article of about SGT, 100000 cal
culating upon importa tions of about
100000 tons of dutiable sugars. which
had been the average the past few
years.
The next speakers We're Solon Hum
phreys and j. Smith of New York.
James D. Hill of New Orleans made
an argument in behalf of a committee
of the American Cane Growing Asso-
citation. He asked that the rate of duty
ON sugar under the Act of 1883 be re-
imposed. Nothing less than that he
said, would be satisfactory.
Hale Sypher. formerly of louisiana
presented some additional facts in re-
gard to the cane sugar industry of
louisiana and gave it as the result of
his experience and inquiries that the
cost to the sugar trust of refining
sugar did not exceed one-quarter of a
cent "a pound. while in Louisiana the
cost was about three-eighths of a cent
This. he added. did not include waste.
Solon Humphreys of New York made
some additional remarks, and inquired
as to the cost Of refining sugar.
Mr.. McNIillin inquired as to whether
refining in this country was not in the
hands of the sugar trust.
Mr.. Humphreys showed a manifest
disinclination to go into the matter. say
ing that members of the committee
knew as much about it as he did
F. B. Thurber of New York. President
OF the American Grocer Publishing
Company. spoke in behalf of the con-
sumers, distributors and refineries of
sugar of the United States He said
the consumers of France and Germany,
the largest producers of sugar in the
world, pay about fifty per cent. more
than those of the United States but
those countries protect their sugar in
dustries with a bounty, which enables
them To dump their surplus on foreign
markets at abnormally low prices,
which have broken down the refining
industry in England and but for our
barrier of protection they would do the
same for both our producing and refin-
ing industries. one feature he said
should not be lost sight of: Any diff
ferential imposed on the product of any
country granting a bounty should only
apply to the refined product and not to
the raw material required by our refin-
cries
Mr. Thurber said that the distribution
of sugar by wholesale is now practically
on the commission basis. The sugars
are sold with the understanding that a
certain commission (ahout 3-16 per
cent? is paid to the wholesaler as his
profit. and while the American Refining
Company will sell sugar to any one at
fits list price, he cannot get the benefit
of that 3-l6 commission unless he is
bound by that agreement. the sugar re
fining company requiring that the sugar
shall not be sold at less than the manu-
facturers' list price. The payment of
this commission is made in the form of
"A rebate when the sale is made and
those who deal in those goods have to
make a statement before they can get
this rebate that they have not violated
their undertaking not TO sell below the
list price. Without this certificate they
do not get paid for handling the goods.
He said, in answer to another question:
Il think that one-fourth cent a pound