The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-31

WASHINGTON, Dec, S0.-The third
= day Of the tarla hearings given BY the
ways and means committee was devoted
to the SUGAR schedule. Four interests
were represented. the importers. cane
growers, bee; ralsers and rchncrs.
The importers Were heard first, Mr..
John Farr, OF New York, opening the
argument. Their recommendations as
presented by Mr., Fnrr were:
First. on all sugar testing IS degrees or
less duty OF cent II pound, adding .O3
cent per degree 70 100 degrees.
Second. an additional duty of about y
~ cent difference on all sugars above
Is Dutch standard In color, to prevent
TcnnerS from entering refined sugar9 ut
the same duty as raw sugars OF the
same test.
Third an additional discriminating
duty on all sugars from bounty paying
countries with authority to the Prtsl-
dent 20 raise lower dulles on goods from
these countries US the bountleS were
raised or lowered. This scheme, the
importers estimated, would yield the
government Il revenue OF $50, 900 per
year, the amount or sugar paying duty
being about one and Il hale million tons;
the average polari9copc test being % de-
Erecs.
In reply TO questions from Chairman
Dlngley, NJ. FQrr declared there was no
differentiation of sugars impaired now.
but owing to the strict Interpretation OF
Che law by tho customs officials the ten
dency was 10 pay more duty than the
law called for. Appra!3alS Were made
on The basis OF the estimated values in
Trinidad and other countries where there
were no market values.
What would you say" asked Mr..
Dingley, ito the statement furnished the
committee by Henry a. Brown. OF Mas
sachusetts, that the involced value OF all
sugar imported IN 1898 WAS an average
OF a-lo cents pound under the London
valunuon?"
Mr.. ,Farr considered the statement un-
truthful and entirely theoretical. Lon
don valuations were not representative.
rs Germany had absorbed the business.
London prices on cane were merely NOM
:nal.
The Sugar Trust.
Mr.. Fnrr was questioned by Air.
Payne. OF New York. on the effects OF
the operations OF the American sugar re-
dining company on the business. The
importer e-SSerted that only in occasional
bargains could the American refining
company buy its goods cheaper thnn
other firms Its influence had been 10
reduce the price OF sugar Throughout
the world. Under the present diireren-
t!al rate OF $40 OF q cent the !mpOrta-
eIons OF :he last year had been $1,000, 900
tons larger than ever before. y differ
entIal OF u cent L pound would enable
the soft waite sugars to compete with the
centrifugal refined.
Mr.! Soien Humphreys, OF New York.
chairman OF the committee appointed by
The sugar trade. explained the Difficult
tiss oS All al valorcm taI'iG on sugar and
made a plea for u specific system. The
change. he said was unanimously de-
snardel by the trade. Ad Yalorem valua-
lions were uujus; and impractical OH
accouu. OK fluctuations: in pr!ces.
The sugar schedule had given The
treagury department more trouble than
any other feature OF the tariff act now In
force. II had been estimated by the de-
pariment that 1t would Yield Il revenue
OF St30O0. 900. hut for the past year the
revenue had beer less than S20OG6.rN0
and under existing conditions u wnn!l
noc exceed S2l,000,QoO for the current
year.
Higher prices for raw sugar undoub:-
.dly would be the result OF the schedule
asked, Mr.. Humphreys CONTINUED. but
the advance would be so small It would
uDt be felt by the average family. y
duty beginning at Z Of n cent AZ 70 de-
grees would yield 900 revenue.
Production OF sugar WIS now regulated
By consumption and no reduction IN
prices could be expected Sur several
years.
declared they were a diEorTnnlZiHS lac
tor In the sugar business OF the world.
The German government recently hnu
raised the bounty to something over u
OF a cen, n pound which enabled Ger
many 70 dispose OF all her surplus pro-
duct The system was working ruin to
all tho British Islands so tnat they must
-eso-t 20 the same scheme or go out or
tho business. Instead OF lilo OF cent
on b0urtv sugar Imported Into this coun-
Try the additional duty should equal the
b0untica.
p. j. Smith, another New York I'M
1orter. made brief argument aShiAz.
I'D valorem duties.
The Cane Growers.
Col. ]. D. IIill, OF New Orleans, repre-
r.u:Ing the cane growers association OF
Louisiana, was the first 10 spg:lk FOR the
producer. He argued for L restoration
or tine duty OF the act OF 1857. He spoke
OF the stimulation produced BY the b0uh-
~ act of 1850 with the duty imposed
therein on refined sugn". and frankly
IL
IN the prospective law ami lis perTnn-
o.r1ce guaranteed the sugar producers
would prefer IT, But all things chnaid-
cred. they asked for Il ro-enactHlcht OF
the prdvlHIVn In The act OF 1855. Tic
produced figures II show the reuuclloh
az Tho. price NJ refined sugar Under The
operation OF the act at the times when
'hc crops were being marketed TO Sll0"
ihs benefits 10 the country AZ l9fBe from
home competition.
Col I'm laid special H'rc'S on the
dangers nrIAInS from the dlbpoHtion "l
all continental countries producing eu-
EIr IN Rive cxp0r, DOuntIci. lie said
that NJ industry offered 20 Wide nnd so
.diSIrlbutlye results 1s the GiISar ilidll"-
try, and hh glI'r figures u shD% sNr
widespread stlmulUg II gave 20 other
.!nhua;r!ca. In reply TO q question Dy Alr.
JghnsJE. of North Dakota. Coz. mn
"lpgeaScd the uplGiOH that WIN tin pro-
tftlOn asked the can" and beet suGhr
iHdI'trC,i OF In" GHiD'd states c0lllh
produce enough SDEJr to supply me
CDnmimptIpH Of this country. He fur-
thcr declared that he had not lie slight
"si doubt II tho bounty Of 1850 had been
continued during ;hc term " years pro-
VId"h for. She EueIr ;;rOwrr1 would have
supplied the consumption Oy the tlmG the
bounty period expired.
The caaa growers asked:
Flrlt, that specific duties dependent
on both p0larigc0pic t"St and cDlor
STANDARD be imposed in llcu OF al rdi1-
rem duties.
Second, that commencing with Ito
""n'T Tor suHnr tezrtIHR II and undPr iG
l)ht"h rt0nHNrd thu rs.tr be proportion
ntcly ihcrrAsru.
Third, thar Gullnd equal 90 export
lyuGlIfIgs LA lrp.ff1Etl a. nff IfRt inpnI