Birmingham state herald., 1896-12-31

the part of the home producers Of sugar whose hopes it was that under the tarin which they recommended there would be such a development of the sugar grow ing interest in this country as would sup ply all its consumption. He asked first that specific duties, dependent upon both polarscopic and color standard, should be imposed in lieu of ad valorem
 Second, that commencing with l.4O Tor sugar testing 75 and under 16 Dutch standard, and pro oeeding by .04 for each degree above 75, the duties on sugars above 16 Dutch standard be proportfon- ately increased.
 Third, that eounter-vailing duties off, setting export Counties be imposed.
 Fourth, proportionate duty be inn posed on mofasses.
 Fifth, that the new law should have force from the passage of the act, and.
 Sixth, that in the event of the adoption of reciprocity treaties and conventions, it shall be without injury to the domes- tic sugar industry and on lines which fully recognize the oversha dowing in- portanee of developing sugar production in the United States, and by such meth ods as insure a protection equivalent to what we have hereinbefore suggested.
 MT. J. Hale Sypher. formerly of Louis jana, presented some additional facts in regard to the cane sugar industry of Louisiana, and gave it as the result of his experience and inquiries that the cost to the sugar trust of refining sugar did not exceed one quarter of cent pound, while in Louisiana the cost was about three-eighths of a cent. This, he added, did not include waste
 MT. Solon Humphreys, of New York; made some additional remarks and was inquired of as to the cost of refining sugar. He disclaimed any personal ac- quaintance with that matter but estl- mated that with high grade of raw su- gar the cost would not be far from that stated by MT. Sypher, one-quarter cent pound, but with low grade Of raw sugar the cost would probably be half Of cent a pound, or as the refiners asserted five-eighths of a cent per pound. MT. McMillin inquired as to whether sugar refining in this country was not in the hands of the sugar trust.
 MT Humphreys showed manifest dis inclination to go into the matter, saying that members of the committee knew as much about it as he did.
 Practically, however, he said the su- gar trust was a combination of all the re. fineries which had existed at the time or it's organization.
 But" he added 'since then three or four or five outside refineries have grown up, and if you let the matter alone, l believe that within the next two or three years there will be half a dozen more established"
 F. B. Thurber, of New York, president of the American Grocers' Publishing company spoke in behalf of the consum- CTS, distributors and refinerS of sugar or the United States. He said that there was no just reason why American sugar interests, whether engaged in production, refining or distribution should not be en- titled to the same degree of protection as other countries. No other product reaches the consumer in this country with the same small margin of profit to the manufacturer and distributor. As dis tributor of sugar for many years he had done so at less than the cost of the ser vices rendered. When the organization of the industry aimed to give distributors commission equivalent to the cost or the service rendered, cry of combina- tion and monopoly was set up which was calculated to coerce legislators and courts into favoring chaos instead of jus tice. At no time has there been mo- nopoly and today there are four compet- ing refining organizations with fifth threatened
 Today the consumers of France and Germany, the largest producers of sugar in the world, pay about 50 per cent. more than those of the United States, but those countries protect their sugar industries with bounty which enables them to dump their surplus on foreign markets at abnormally low prices, which have brok- en down the refining industry of England and but for our barrier of protective du- ties they would do the same for both our producing and refining industries.
 The American Sugar Refining compa- ny, or the so-called sugar trust" was organized in 1887. Before the consolida- tion many ref1neries were driven into bankruptcy or out of business, but since that time, owing to the organiza tion of the industry, consumers, distributors and refiners have been benefited. Represen- tatives of special interests are now seek ing to change the basis of duty and mini mize the principles of protection, but, di- vested of all allusions, the question pre- ic " fine work of refining should be done abroad or in the United States Specific duties in many lines have an honest basis for preference, but in such commodities as sugar, in which pound values may vary as much as 100 per cent, the principle is manifestly incongruous and impracticable. Raw sugar worth cents a pound should not pay as much per pound as refined worth cents pound, and while schedule based on graduated saccharine strength. as de- fined by the polariscope, might approxi- mate justice, 1t would not do so to an extent which would justify the disturb ance of the present basis, to which trade has already adjusted itself.
 One feature, he said, should not be lost sight of: Any differential imposed upon the product of any country granting a bounty should only apply to the refined product, and not to the raw material re- quired by our refneries.
 By MT. McMillin-What are the meth- ods of the distribution of sugar by the American Refining company?
 MT. Thurber-The distribution of sugar by wholesale Is now practically on the commission basis. The sugars are sold with the understanding that certain commissions (about 3-16) Is paid to the wholesaler as his prifit; and while the
 American. Refining company will sell sugar to any one at its list price he can- not get the benefit of that 3-16 commits sion unless he is bound by that agree ment.
 MT. McMillin--Does the Sugar Refining company require that the sugar shall not be sold below certain figure?
 Mr. Thurber-Yes; that it not be sold at less than the manufacturers list price.
 MT. McMillin-Is payment of this com mission made in the form of rebate when the sale is made and do those who deal in those goods have to make statement before they can get this re- bate that they have not violated their undertaking not to sell below list price?
 MT. Thurber-Yes, they have to so certify.
 MT. McMillin-And without that they do not get paid for handling the goods?
 Mir Thurber-No sir.
 MT. McMillin-Suppose that any one who handles those goods proposes to