New-York tribune., 1896-12-31

$Sn;sed Stafes. and by such methods as insure
scrntqctiof, equivalent to that suggested.
COST OF REFINING SUGAR.
NJ. Payne tried to obtain from Colonel Hill as
As did from other men who appeared 'o-oa''
some definite information In regard 10 'he 'oo'
of refining sugar Colonel Hill could not give IT,
ana called upon Benjamin Oxnard. VINO was lot
merly engaged in the refining business lie ex-
messed the opinion that the cost was apou' ~
cents a hundred pounds, an estimate wh'ch N.Y.
PAYNE evidently regarded as too high MT. mum
phreys who was recalled thought 'hat 'he co''
varied from OK cents to 021s cents huhure"
pounds, basing his opinion on the iac' ''a'' ia
s<llins raw sugars to rehners. he was COM
PEELED to stand a reduction on account OF 'he
loss in and cost of refining different grades.
As to the refining industry IN the tn''e"
States and the degree of control exercised by
the Sugar Trust. Mr.. Humphreys said that there
are now five or six Independent rehneries' all
established in the last four FIVE years, and
that III YOU let them alone think there VIII oe
five or six more within a short time.
T. r Thurher of New-York. then appeared as
% commemorative Of all who are engaged or IN
terested in the production, refining ana d,s'ri-
hutton" of sugar He has been "all his Ire us
trlhuter Of sugar" and he remarked to-day that
the business had not been profitable one. MT.
rhurber is violently opposed to the apphcauoh
of specifc duties 10 sugar, in whicn atti'uue hc
Is strongly supported by the refiners he TOOK
M the cudgels in behalf of the refners ana useo
them vigorously In response 10 dlrec' ques-
tions he said that he was not III any way co''-
nected with the Havemeyer company. Accord-
,ny 10 his information the cost of refining sugar
In the United States varies from 3'ls cents 10
62i. cents a hundred pounds lie saia that .ne
oft
tries of Continental Europe had crushed ana
ruined the refining industry OF free-traoe Ens
land and would have ruined that OK .ne IN. me-. :;
States but for the protective barrier against IL.
THE discriminating duty on bounty-paiu sugars
however. ought to be applied only to those which
were refined abroad
THE TRUSTS BUSINESS METHODS.
Mr.. Thurber gaze some interesting Information
concerning the Sugar Trusts method or DONG
business with its customers. 1t appears mat
this business is ION commission OASIS 1he
Wholesale dealer Is an agent OF the American
Sugar Refining Company and receives COM
mission Of 3-16 Of a cent pound IN mo FORM
of a rebate on the amount or his purchase Plus
freight charges to the place OF delivery. This re-
bate is not allowed. however. until the whole-
sale dealer or agent furnishes certhcate 10 the
effect that he has not sold any OF the sugar pe-
low the list price on the day OF SALE IL he should
sell below that price he would lose his com ils
sion" and would not be allowed Thereafter 10
purchase sugar from the company at any rate
be,ov the regular list price. OF course no at
tempt is made to control the retail dealers
prices. suor ,,ho
w. j. McCann. Of Philadelphia, reiiner, VINO ,ho
IS not a member OF the Sugar Trust said that the ne
existing tariff had resulted in an increase OF ~
per cent In the importation of refined sugars anu
Of only 10 per cent In raw sugars ne eoc;So %So
strongly opposed to the substitution Oh speei"c
for ad valorem duties. His experience ioi a
single year in which a strict account was kePtC
showed that the cost OF Tehnins sukar ,o,syer w~S
cents a hundred pounds. The refinery hows.el' s
was no, running to its full capacity he aiteI
ward explained that after making certain FiopSStt
deductions the actual cost OF re,,ns ersce m"' he
cents hundred pounds The dinerehce oe
tween the prices Of raw and renned sugars ii
the English market yesterday was 10 Genus q
hundred pounds less than in the Ihi'eu ota'es ,, s.,
N,r NrcCann did not believe that sugar couiu De
refined as cheaply IN this country as apioau
and asserted that unless greater pro'ec.,u,n ,,n
should be given. the iefning Industry oi tnIs
country would be ruined by foreign compettl9I.
He said that was the competition he reared. ne
knew the Sugar Trust would not sell below cost
as the Germans often did. to get rid or 'her sur
plus. $4,000, .,.c,, ,>D,-crRy
rhs condition and wants Of the beet sugar
growers and manufacturers were ably presented
md their claims to more adequate degree OF
protection argued by Henry r. Oxnard, president
of the American Beet Sugar Association anu
others Mr. Oxnard is one OF the pioneers ol ,',e ,
beet sugar industry in the United States, anu -
Interested in three large factories two OF Which
are in Nebraska and one in California lie con-
tended that the protection AFFORDED ny eHlstins
law to this industry is wholly inadequate. en
tho encouragement afforded by the act or 1871
sbrea large factories had been built and seVeral
Others projected before blight fell upon the IN
dustry. Duties had been levied upon sugar Tor
protection as we'll as for revenue during a long
ssres of wears prior to 1894. In 1870 the duties
had been increased 20 per cent in oroer 10 raise
additional revenue, and down to 1870 the average
%
,ose6 was 81 per cent. The Mills bill proposed
rates which were equivalent TO 10 per cent au
valorem at a time when the revenues were
abundant. Under the stimulus OF the ACT ol ioov
the production Of cane sugar in the United
States had increased 800 per cent ana that OF
beet sugar 800 per cent.
There are now seven factories in operation, ana
this years production of beet sugar Will amount
10 75 600 900 pounds. But no more captal VIII
venture into the industry under the eXis'ing
tariff If the policy adopted IN n13" % naa peen rn
.duoed within the period covered by the legisIa-
ton Of that year all the sugar required FOR nome
.consimption and the country would have been
richer not only by that amount, but by the ad-
.yantages derived from greater divershcat.on
.of agriculture. Beet sugar could be profltabiy
produced in at least twenty states or the Union
under proper encouragement
C;ERMANY'S UNFRIENDLY ATTITUDE.
Mr. Oxnard strongly advocated specific duties
and the abrogatlon OF the Hawaiian reciprocity
treaty. lie also Ieieiieo ~ @"0 N0'Ni''''''
of Germany to ruin the sugar industry of the Uni
ted States II in her power do so. by the export
bountv system or any other means. Within the
last three months. ne said, an atache OF the Ger
man Embassy at Washington had visited ana
inspected every beet sugar factory IN the Shiteo
,Sistes and every facility had been furnished to
MIN 10 obtain information. and ne had now re-
rurned to Germany 20 submit his report. MT;
rOxnard contrasted the treatment ne received
from American producers and manufacturers
with that OF an accredited agent OF the United
States Department Of Agriculture. who was de-
:ried the privilege OF attending conference OF
,Cerman beet sugar manufacturers within the
last few months.
Mr. Oxnard said he was aware that there were
conflicting interests involved In the sugar tarlH'
degree Of protection that would be suflcient
1ar he raAnnrs vnuld be WHOLLY Inadequate for