The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-12-31
Many Sugar Importers and Producers Be-
fore the Ways and Means Committee.
THEY ALL WANT SPECIFIC DUTIES
ls Els Claimed that Ad vnIOrem Rntes
Are Unfair TO the Merchant and
TO the Government-One Dealer
Says the Consumer Pays the Tax
Methods of the Trust

~,
sion 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 Mr.. John Farr, of New
york. who said that at recent meet
ing or the sugar importers of that city,
1t was unanimously decided that an ad
Nalorem rate Of duty was unfair, unre-
liable and exceedingly difficult In prac-
tice: that l cent pound should be i'm
posed on all sugar below 10 degrees
polariscope: that additional discriminat-
Ing duties should be levied on the SUI
Ears coming from bounty-paying coun-
tries. The beet sugar interest was rep
resented by Mr.. Henry T. Oxnard, of
Grand Island. Neb.; Mr.. Herbert Mirich.
Agriculturist, and Mr.. Smallen, OF Ames,
Neb., president Of the Beet Sugar Asso-
citation. The cane sugar interest of
Louisiana was represented by Mr.. J. d.
Hill. of New Orleans. No representa-
tive of the sugar refining industry had
applied FOR hearing, and there was a
conspicuous absence of the members of
the Sugar Trust.
FIGURES PROPOSED.
In the course of his statement Mr..
Farr gave the following figures as be-
ing the nearest TO an al valorem basis
and as representing fairly all interests:
ON all sugars testing by the polaris-
cope, when landed 90 degrees or under.
] cent per pound. or net landed weight
adding .o3 per degree for each degree up
to 100 degrees, fraction OF degree to
be assessed in proportion
An additional duty OH sugars above
number lG Dutch standard in color, to
prevent the foreign reiiners from enter
ing their soft refined sugars here at
the same rate of duty rs raw sugars
of the same test"
1t was also recommended that an ad-
ditional discriminating duty on all SUI
gars coming from bounty paying coun-
tries, with authority to the executive
To reduce or increase this additional
duty in such proportion as the bounty
paying countries may from time to time
raise or lower their bounties
II was estimated that the average
poiarlZation of raw sugars imported into
this country is about % degrees. Such
sugars would pay 1.5l cents per pound
duty. which would produce an annual
revenue on this article of about so, 600
oUo, calculating on importations of about
100000 tons of dutiable sugars, which
mas been the average for the past few
years.
The next speaker was Mr.. Solon
Humphreys. of New York. who said that
lie had been appointed chairman of a
committee of the sugar trade of New
York 10 come before the Ways and
Means Committee and tell II something
tariff, an al valorem rate. as applied
to sugar. and to ask that. in making its
new tariff measure. IL should be made
on the line of specific duties on sugar
MIR. Humphreys enumerated some of the
reasons why Il specific duty on SUGAR.
should be substituted for an ad valorem
system. The al valorcm system he
SAID. was unfair to the merchant be-
cause he never knew what duties he had
TO pay until the cargo was liquidated:
Unfair To the Government as Il revenue
measure and entirely unreliable. The
revenue from sugar two years ago had
been about $4,000 O00 and he doubted
whether this year 1t would reach S21,
100000. This decrease of revenue was
que not TO any falling off in importation.
put III the reduction of the invoice
prices lie estimated. however. that
under the specific rates as advocated by
the sugar trade of New York the revc-
nue from sugar would be from $A9. 900. :
900 In $50,00O,000.
THE CONSUMER PAYS IT.
Would not the cost OF sugar" Mr.
Evans of Kentucky. asked, "be advanc-
ed to the consumer"
Yes" Mr.. Humphreys replied. but
the additional cost would be so mex
presshly small that it would cut no
figure i'm the expenses of n family"
MIR. Evans inquired as TO the total
5mportation of sugar from the Hawaiian
islands
Mr.. Humphreys estimated the impor
tntion of this years crop at 100000
tons.
Ten per cent of the whole sugar
Importation of the country" Mr.. Evans
Yes, sir; ten per cent" said Mr..
Humphreys
I'VE want" he continued, call the
raw sugar that can be used in this coun-
Try and we recognize that, unless Il
diilerence is made on sugar above No
10 in color, the importation of refined
sugar from abroad will go on increas-
inS very largely, to the detriment Cf
the sugar trade OF the United States
we also recommend an additional dis
crhhlhating duty on all sugar coming
from bounty paying countries 1T is
nanifcstly unjust to all sugar. pro-
ducing Interests in the world for any
one country to allow an export bounty
ON sugar. Such export bounty Is n dis
organizing factor In the sugar trade
all over the world. We are therefore
unanimously of opinion that one-ten,h
y cent pound now imposed on sugar
from bounty paying countries Is not
Suliiclent. as within the last few years
Germany mas increased the bounty TO
ABOUT onc-fourth cent nound. We
hope. therefore, that instead of l-lO cent
pound on such sugar, an additional
discriminating duty shall be made. at
sSeSt to the actual bounty"