Evening star., 1896-12-30
TARIFF HEARINGS
Representatives Of the Sugar Interests
Present Arguments.
CHANGES IN TEE SCHEDULES ASKEl
Specific Instead of Ad Valorem
Duties Advocated.
QUESTION OF BOUNTY

| The third day of the tariff hearings given
by the ways ana means committee was de-
| voted to the sugar schedule. Four inter
| ests were represented, the importers, cane
| growers. beet raisers and refiners. -5eJ
The importers were heard first, Mr.. John
| Farr of New York opening the argument.
| Their recommendations, as presented by
| Mr.. Farr. were:
First, on all sugars testing 75 degrees or
| less, duty Of one cent a pound. adding .OS
| cents per degree to 100 degrees.
Second, an additional duty Of about one
fourth of cent differential on all sugars
above 10 Dutch standard In color to pre-
vent refiners from entering refined sugars
at the same duty as raw sugars of the same
test.
Third, an additional discriminating duty
or all sugars from bounty paying countries.
with authority to the President to raise or
lower duties on goods from these countries
as the bounties were raised or lowered
This scheme the importers estimated would
yield the government a revenue Of $50, ,OOO
OO per year, the amount Of sugar paying
duty being about one and One-haH million
tons. the average polariscope test being 92
degrees.
As to differentiation.
In reply to questions from Chairman
Dingley. Mr.. Farr declared there was no
differentiation Of sugars imported now,
but owing to the strict Interpretation of
the law by the customs officials, the ten
dency was to pay more duty than the law
called for. Appraisals were made on the
f<basis of the estimated values In Trinidad
and other countries where there were no
market values
What would you say" asked Mr. Ding
ley. to the statement furnished the COM
mittee by Henry A. Brown of Massachu-
setts. that the invoiced value of all sugar
imported in 1888 was an average of $40
cents a pound under the London valua-
tion?"
Mr.. Farr considered that statement un-
truthful and entirely theoretical. London
valuations, he said, were not representa-
tive; there were very few refineries left
there, as Germany had absorbed the busi-
ness London prices on cane were merely
nominal.
Mr.. Farr was questioned by Mr. Payne of
New York on the effects of the operations
of the American Sugar Refining Company
on the business The importer asserted
that only in occasional bargains could the
American Refining Company buy it's goods
cheaper than other firms. It's influence had
been to reduce the price Of sugar thro,eb
out the world. Under the present differen-
tial rate cf three-tenths of a cent the i'm
rortations of the last year had been Is OOO,-
OU TONS larger than ever before, diff
ferential of one-fourth cent a pound would
enable the soft white sugars to comnete
with the centrifugal refined
Plea for a Specific System.
MIR. Scion Humphreys of New York, chair
man OF a committee appointed by the sugar
trade, explained the difficulties Of an ad
Valorem terin or sugar, and made a plea
for specific system The change he said.
was unanimously demanded by the trade
Ad vaiorem valuations were unjust and i'm
practical on account of fluctuations in
prices in different countries, differences in
prices In exchanges. in bounties and
freiShts. cargo of a dozen cars bought
at one port on different days might have,
been paid for at half a dozen different
prices. - =. :.
The sugar schedule lad given the Treas
ury Department more trouble than any
other feature of the tariff act row in force
1t had been estimated by the department
that the law would yield revenue of $43,-
100000. but for the past year the revenue
had been less than $50. 900, 900, and under
existing conditions 1t would not exceed
81 100000 for the current year.
Higher prices for raw sugar undoubtedly
would be the result Of the schedule asked,
Mr. Humphreys continued. but the advance
would be so small 1t would not be felt by
the average family. A duty beginning at
three-fourths of cent at seventy-flve de-
grees would yield $43. 100000 revenue. Pro-
duction Of sugar was now regulated by
consumption, and no reduction in prices
could be expected for several years.
Speaking of bounties, Mr.. Humphreys de-
clared they were a disorganizing factor in
the sugar business of the world. The Ger
man government recently had raised the
bounty tc something over one-fourth of
cent a pound. which enabled Germany to
dispose Of all her surplus product The
system was working ruin to all the British
islands. SO that they must resort to the
same scheme or go out of the business. In
stead Of one-tenth of a cent on bounty su-
gar imported into this country. the addi-
tional duty should equal the bounties.
P. ]. Smith. another New York importer,
made brief argument against ad valorem
duties. which he declared handicapped the
importer. as 1t rendered him incapable of
telling when he ordered a cargo of sugar
how much the duty to be paid would be
owing to the fiuctuation in the price Of
sugar.
Louisiana Cane Growers.
Col. J. D. Hill of New Orleans represent
ing the Cane Growers Association of
Louisiana, was the first to speak for the
producer. He argued for a restoration Of
the duty Of the act of 1888. He spoke of
the stimulation produced by the bounty act
of 1890, with the duty imposed therein on
refined sugar. and frankly said II a similar
provision could be made In the prospective
law and its permanence guaranteed the
sugar producers would prefer it. But
all things considered, they asked for a
re-enactment Of the provision in the act of
1888. He produced figures to show the re-
ductioE Of the price of refined sugar un-
der the operation of that act at the times
when the crops were being marketed to
show The benefits to the country at large
from home competition.
Col. Hill laid special stress on the dam
gers arising from the disposition Of all con-
tineDtal countries producing sugar to give
export bounties. He said that no industry
offered SO wide and SO dlstributive results
as the sugar industry, and he gave many
figures to show the widespread stimulus
1t gave to other industries. In reply to a
question by Mr.. Johnson Of North Dakota,
Col. Hill expressed the opinion that with
the protection asked the cane and beet
sugar industries Of the United States could
produce enough sugar to supply the con-
sumption Of this country. He further do
clared that he had not the slightest doubt
II the boun y of 1880 had been continued
during the term OF years provided for the
sugar growers would have supplied the
consumption by the time the bounty period
expired.
What They Ask.
The cane growers asked:
First. that specific duties dependent on
both polariscopic test and color STANDARD
be imposed In lieu of ad valorem duties.
Second. that commencing with 40 cents
for sugar testing 75 and under 18 Dutch
standard the rate be proportionately in
creased