The Portland daily press., 1896-12-31
SUGAR WANTS PROTECTION.
Ways and Means Committee Given An
Earful Yesterday.

different Ideas at to What is Needed
Specific Duty Opposed By Importa-
tions of Sugar to This Country.
Washington, December 30.-The session
of the committee on ways and means to-
day was given to the question OF sugar
duties
The opening was given to the sugar
importers, whose views were voiced by
John Farr of New York, who said that
at a recent meeting Of the sugar impor-
ters of that city, it was unanimously de-
oided that an advalorsm rate Of duty was
unfair, unreliable and exceedingly diff
cult in praotics; that one cent pound
should be imposed Oh all sugar below 70
degrees polariscope, and that additional
discriminating duties should be levied
on nil sugars coming from bounty pay
ing countries.
| The beet sugar interest was represent
ed by Henry L. Oxnard of Grand lsl.
and, Neb., Herbert Myrick Of Chicago,
editor Of the American Agriculturalist,
and e. Mallen of Ames. Neh., president
of9 the Beet Sugar association. The
sugar interests of Louisiana wers repre-
sented by j. d. Hill of New Orleans. Nc
representative of the sugar refining III
dustry had applied for hearing, and
there was a conspicuous absence nf the
mem bers of the Sugar Trust.
Solon Humphreys OF New York. said
| that be had been appointed chairman
of committee of the sugar trade Of New
York to come before the ways and means
committee and ask that, in making the
new tariff measure, it should be made
on the line of specific duties on sugar.
The advalorem system, he said, was un.
| fair to the merchant.
| +. B. ThurEeE IF New York, president
of the American Grocer Publishing Com
pany, smoke in behalf of the consumers,
! distributors and refners of sugar of the
| United States. ue said there was nc
| Just reason. T7hy American sugar inter
ests, whether engaged in production, re-
| fining or distribution, should not be Oh
titled to the same degree of protection
as those Of other countries. M other
product reaches the consumer in this
country with the Same small margin Of
profit to the manufacturer and distribu.
tor. AS the distributor of sugar for many
years, he had done so at. less than the
cost of services rendered. When the Or
ganization Of an industry aimed to give
distributors an equivalent to the cost
of service rendered. the cry Of combina'
ton and monopoly was set up, cnlculat-
ed to coerce legislators and courts into
favoring chaos instead of justice.
AT no time has there been monopoly
To-day there are four competing rein
ing organizations with a fifth threatened.
Today the consumers OF France and
Germany. the largest producers of sugar
in the world. pay about SC per cent more
than those OF the United States. Those
countries protect their sugar industries
with bounty which enable them &c
dump their surplus on the foreign mar
@ broken down the iqe refipping industry in
England. and but for our barrier OF
protective duties would do the same fol
both our producing and refining indus
| tries.
TIE American sugar refining compa-
ny, or so-called Sugar Trust. " was orga.
nized in 1887. Before consolidation, many
rehneries driven into bankruptcy or out
Of business, since that time owing &c