, 1896-07-22
NEW GERMAN SUGAR BOUNTY.
Baltimore Sun.


On The first Of june an act-of the German
Reichstag went into operation, the effect of
which will be t. increase the bounty paid bv
the German government on exported sugar to
about oue-third of cent a pound and the
DUTY on sugar consumed in Germany to about
Il cents q pound. The production Of the
present season Will accordingly be stimulated
and probably increased to a material extent.
Already the low plice Of German beet sugar
has ruined the sl2u flowing industry in
competing countries which DO not protect
then growers by mean, II bounties or high
tarltfs The cane Sa"ar interests Of Cuba
and Louisiana have bec. seriously injured
by the German c mrrlj' German pro
ducers are, in the first place, able to produce
at the lowest possible cost BY reason of their
intelligent employment Of we'll educated
chemical engineers to construct their appara-
tus and by their employment of tho best
chemists to advise in regard 10 Improvement
III processes. In the second place. after bav-
ing thus got a decided advantage over all
rivals, they receive a further advantage in a
bounty OF Sc much per pound on all sugar
sent out If Germany. The effect Of these
two advantages has been to enable the Cor
mans to export beet sugar at prices that DEFY
competition.
Such was the result in the past vixen the
process of extracting sugar from beet iuice
was less perfect than it now is. and when the
bounty was less. But with the increased
bounty, leading to ovelproduction, there is
a prospect of still Ch, aper sugar. It NAV be
expected, perhaps, that sugar will after
awhile be sold everywhere by our retailers.
ut . cent or less per pound. even after it has
paid a high tariff rate. This viii be to con.
Sumers a welcome fact. Cheap sugar means
the cheapen1ng Of many wholesome articles
OF diet. 1t stimulates many domestic indus
tries concerned in the preservation of fruits.
Maryland canning industries are much
advmtaged by cheap sugar and cheap tin
plate, he law materials Of an important class
Of products. The English likewise rejoice
at the goodness Of the German government
in cheapening sugar for them, their annual
Importation from Germany bong over
So. 200, 900 worth.
The real movers in the matter are the Ger
man farmers. Or rather the landowners, who
insist on a bounty from the government on
their beet crop to compensate for the high
tariff tax paid for the benefit of manufac-
turers. The agrarian party hnS considerable
influence by reason both of the number and
social position of its supporters. They cla-
NOR for tariffs and bountieS on agricultural
products as an offset for the enhanced price
of manufactures produced in the cities. 1t is
their noisy insistence that inspires the high
er duties on American grain and severe in
spectiOn and exclusion of American meat.
In some respects they resemble our Populists,
but are a trife more intelligent. perhaps. and
while advocating bimetaIlism have not como
to the length of demanding a 50-cent dollar.
Had they been in the position of American
farmers-inhsbitsnts of a country which
exports grain and meat-they would proba-
bly, have made absolute free trade their pro-
gramme, but Germany being an importer of
food products, they have taken the other
course and insist upon protection through q
boun'y.-Hargord Daily Times