The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-31
THE TARIFF HEARINGS.
SUGbR SCHEDULES DISCUSSED
BEFORE COMMITTEE


Washington, Dec 30 THE sugar
schedule was the subject OF the hearings
before the Ways and Means committee
to-day and IL was the most interesting
as wei as the most important schedule
SO far considered The conflicting inter.
ests Of tine producers, rciincrs and I'm
porters were brought ont In sharp CON
trws4 The producers wanted higher
duties adj along the line and the rehners
pressed for high Duties on refined and
mot 50 high on raw sugars. The lattcr
were especially anxious that in imposing
counteryaihng duties against export
bounty countries the additional duty
should be levied only against the refined
article The Importers, the cane grow
ers, the refiners and the beet growers
were each given innings by the commit.
tee.
john Farr, Of New York; Soion Hum.
phreys, OF New York, and +. j. Smith
Of New York. represented the importers
Col. +. u. Hin, of New Orleans, repre-
serted the cane sugar growers; w. J.
Mccain, OF Philadelphia, the re6ners
and Henry Il. Oxnard, OF Grand Island,
Neb., and Herbert Myrick, the beet sugar
interests.
Francis r. Thurber New York mer-
chant and J. II. Sypher. Of This city,
Bishop Thomas X. Cutler, Utah and
r. NJ. Allen. of Nebraska. also made ar
guments while Senator Perkins, of Call
f0rnia submitted a printed brief
The importers were heard FIRST, Mr..
John Farr, or New York, opening the
argument Their recommendations ms
prosecuted by Mr. Fau were.
First On all sugars testing IS degrees
or less duty Of one cent pound add
ing ,03 cent per degree to 100 degrees.
Second An additional duty of about
one f0urth OF u cent differential on all
sugars above 16 Dutch standard in color
to prevent refiners from entering refined
sugars at 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 president
to raise or lower Duties on goods from
these countries as the bOunties were low
cred .or raised. This scheme the import
ers estimated would yield the govern
ment a revenue OF S50,000,000 per year,
the amount Of sugar paying duty being
about one and a half million tons; the
average polariscope test being % degrees.
In reply to questions from Chairman
Dingley, Mr.. Farr declared there was
no differentiation OF sugars imported
now. but owing to the strict interpreta-
tion OF the law by the customs officials
the tendency was to pay more duty than
the law called for Appraisals 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
Massachusetts, that the invOiced value
Of all sugar imported in 1893 was an
average Of $40 cent a pound under the
London valuation"
Mr.. Farr considered that statement un-
truthful and entirely theoretical Lon
don valuations, he said, were not repre-
sentative, there were few refRaTs left
there as Germany had absorbed the bust
ness. London prices'on cane were merely
nominal
Mr.. Scion Humphreys, of New York,
chairman Of a committee appointed by the
sugar trade, explained the difficulties Of
an ad vaIorem tariff on sugar and made
plea for a specific system.
AlBneF PRICES 4oF raw sugar hAoOuDb-
eddy would be the result Of the schedule
asked, Mr.. Humphreys continued, but the
advance would be so small it would not
be felt by the average family. A duty
beginning at three fourths of a cent at
rs degrees would yield S43, 100000 reve-
nue. Production of sugar was now regu-
lated by consumption and no reduction
in. prices could be expected for several
years
Speaking of bounties Mr. Humphreys
declared they were a disorganizing factor
in The sugar business OF the world.
Col. J. ID. Hill, Of New Orleans, repre-
senting the Cane Growers Association
OK Louisiana, argued for restoration
produced by the bounty act OF 1890, with
the duty imposed therein on refined sugar
and frankly said if similar provision
could be made in the prospective law and