The Red Cloud chief., 1897-01-08
BEET SUGAR GROWERS.
Their Arguments for an Increase Of
Duty In the New Tariff 1911.

Their Arguments for an Increase Of
Duty In the New Tariff Bni.
WASHINGTON, Jan. i.-Before the
House wavs and means commit
tee Henry Il. Oxnard of Grand
Island. Neb., president of the Amer.
can Beet Sugar society, in behalf OF
the beet sugar industry. charged that
the present tariff not only failed to
give protection TO the sugar r~aisers,
but discouraged the investment OF ad
ditional capital. II had been pre-
dicted that under the Mckinley law
the beet sugar industry would grow
rapidly and three refineries had beer
brilt in the administration OF that law,
bu. since then fca of change had de-
tered new investments. Any schedule
on sugar which had been in force since
1860. except that OF the Wilson law,
would permit the spread of beet sugar
growing. Beet sugar could be pro-
duced in twenty states and under Q
proper tariff the United States could,
in fifteen years, raise all the sugar
necessary for home consumption.
Mr.. Oxnard delivered an argument
in favor of a bounty and proceeded to
quote department. cal reports and other
authorities to show that the country
Lad sufficient climates and capital
requisite to the production OF all it's
own sugar. Every other nation. even
Sweden, which could supply itself with
| sugar had taken every mcasurc TO do
so. Even little Bulgaria had liberal
duties and bounties enforced for this
purpose.
Mr.. Oxnard took strong grounds
against any reciprocity. He thought
n dual policy doth duty and bounty
would he fair TO all interests n
jcopardizc none. Such a policy, he
said. would increase the revenue out
| Of which the bounty could be paid, and
would encourage the sugar industry.
The schedule he proposed was a duty
of one cent per pound on all sugars
testing - degrees or less; g cents per
100 pounds additional for every addi-
tional degree between sc and 100, with
y of l per cen differential on sugars
above III Dutch standard. He asked
for the Mckinley duty on molasses and
contravai,ing duties against bounty
paying countries on both raw and re-
fined sugars. The bounty he proposed
was u cent per pound; u to go off at
the end of each four years, the whole
bounty to cease in twelve years.
Herbert Myrick. president OF the
Orange judd Company, spoke in the
interests Of the farmer. His argu-
ment was exhaustive and was largely
devoted to showing the advantage Of
the production in this country of the
sugar consumed here. II was an
economic crime, he said, TO compel
| American farmers to raise staples in
competition with the cheap land and
labor countries, with which To pay for
imported sugar. besides standing the
freight and commission both wavs.
What stands in the way Of American
beet sugar industry, he said, Is mainly
European competition. What is need
ed, he says, is a reasonable specific du-
w on all imported sugar, with an ad-
d~itional discriminating duty for coun-
tries paying an export bounty equal to
that bounty. Then with such aid as
the various states and territories in
terested may offer to secure sugar fac-
tories. the beet industry could be put
on it's feet in this country within o
very few years.
Mr.. X. NJ. Allen Of Ames, Neb., spoke
in behalf of the farmers of the trans
Mississippi country. Low prices OF
wheat for years and corn at IL cents,
Mr.. Allen said, had turned the thoughts
of the Western farmers to beets. Beets
were almost as desirable for cattle
feeding as for sugar.