Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-03

TIE PLEA kOR ATGAR.

The facts and arguments submitted TO
the ways and means committee last
! Wednesday in behalf of Il change in the
tariff on sugar were the most compre-
hensive ever made on the subject and
can hardly fail to convince all who will
consider them in an unprejudiced way of
the eXpediency of legislation that will
foster the development of the sugar in
dustry in the United States. AS was
| pointed out the expectation of revenue
from the sugar schedule of the present
| tariff has not been fulfilled. 1t was cSti-
mated that the annual revenue from this
source would be about $4,000. coo.
whereas for the last fiscal year it
| amounted to less than $30,0OO,O00 and
for the current year it will fall consider
| ably below that sum. At the same time
! it has afforded little if any protection
to the American sugar industry, so that
in no respect is it satisfactory, unless it
be TO the Sugar trust, mt whose sugges
| ton the schedule was framed
one of the most forceful arguments
New York, who said that it required
every pound of the wheat and -four eX.
ported by this country during the past
fiscal year to pay for the sugar imported
The total value of all live and dressed
beef, beef products and lard exported
during the last fiscal year barely eQualcd
the amount paid for imported sugar
Our immense export trade in cotton rep
rCsentS in value only twice as much as
our import of sugar Such facts must
arrest attention and in view of them
there are few who will not concur IN
the opinion OF Mr.. Myrick that it is an
economic crime TO compel American
farmers to raise staples in competition
With the cheap land and labor countries
with which to pay for imported sugar
lie urged that the American farmer de
mands fair chance to produce every
thing our people consume that can be
produced in this country and one of these
things is sugar. Sugar beets can he
grown from the Hudson river to the
Pacific and every acre devoted to their
production will by so much reduce the
competition in other branches of farm
ing.
Senator Perkins of California. in q
written argument. showed that the area
in the United States adapted to the pro-
duction of sugar beets is sufficient to
more than supply the demand of our
people. He pointed out how the Euro.
pean countries which produce beet sugar
are protecting that interest by bOuntics
and duties and the sugar producers of
the United States are thus forced into
competition with the protected sugar of
Europe, for which our people pay an
nually more than $1OO,OOO,OOO Senator
Perkins undoubtedly voiced the senti-
mont of the sugar interest of California
in urging specific tax of ~ cents n
pound on imported raw sugars.
There were other very instructive and
interesting contributions TO this hearing
in behalf of fostering the sugar industry
and there is unquestionably n very gen
cral sentiment. especially strong among
the agricultural producers, that SO prom,
ising and important an industry as
sugar-growing should receive the foster
ing care Of the government. 1t is per-
fectly obvious that only in that way can
the industry be developed. 1t must have
protection in some form against the I'm.
creasing competition of other sugar-prO.
ducing countrles-a competition which IL
being encouraged by such countries in
every practicable way. Doubtless the
required protection would for time
slightly Increase the cost of sugar TO the
consumer, but not TO an extent that
would be seriously felt and as produc-