Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-08-05
WASTHEIR LASTSHOT
DEMOCRATS HOWLED AT RISE IN
SUGAR STOCK.
claimed 1t Was Eue to the Great Adj
vantage Given the Trusts by the Com
ference Report-The True tause of
the Advance.
Due to Inn portations.

Due to Inn portatiOns.
Special Washington correspondence:
The Democrats in the House and
Senate shouted themselves hoarse
when sugar stock went up by leaps and
bounds Immediately following the ac-
ton of the conference committee on
the sugar schedule. They claimed that
the conferees' action gave to the sugar
trust all the advantage it asked and to
a casual observer and one unfamiliar
with the facts this might seem the case.
But little study OF the situation shows
the true cause Of the advance, and not
to be in any way attributed to any ad-
vantage given to the trust by the ac-
ton of the conference committee; on
the contrary, the trust had genuine
setback from the advantages 1t has
been enjoying under the Wilson law.
That sugar trust stock advanced us
it became apparent that the tariff bill
was approaching completion Is unde-
niable. That it did advance with leaps
and bounds when the action Of the
conferees became known is equally
true.
Now what is the cause? Does the
bill give the trust any secret and mys-
FERROUS advantages of which the public
does not know in detail? Are Chair
man Dingley, Representative Payne,
Senator Allison and others mistaken
when they say that it does not? The
people will not believe that these men.
in whose long public career there has
been no suspicion of dishonesty, are
wilfully and knowingly misstating the
facts or making assertions that are not
based upon facts, or at least what they
believe to be facts.
These men assert that the tariff rates
protection than the actual cost of REIN
ing, viz, Is of a cent per pound. No
body who knows the men making this
assertion will believe that they are
stating other than what they believe to
be the truth. The question then is as
to whether they are Observation-Disclosures
er, to use the term of the day-they
have been "buncoed" by the sugar
trust or by the experts upon whom
they have to rely for their information.
If not, is there any other cause which
would legitimately result in the ad-
vance in sugar trust stock as has been
the case?
1t was generally conceded when the
DILL passed the House that it was not
in any way advantageous to the trust,
but that, on the contrary, it took away
from it the advantages which it had
under the Wilson law. AS the bill left
the House the rates on refined sugar
were 1917 cents per hundred pounds
higher than the rates on raw sugar. OF
course the rates on different grades of
raw sugar are different; but taking
the number of pounds of any grade
which We're required to make
hundred pounds of refined sugar
it was found that the rates were
on an average Of 121h cents per hun
dred pounds less than those on refined
sugar. This means that the sugar re-
finers of the country, whether in the
trust or out Of it, were allowed a differ
ence of 1917 cents per hundred pounds,
or n of cent per pound difference be-
tween raw sugar when imported and
refined sugar when imported, thus CIV
ing them an opportunity to import raw
sugar at IA of a cent pound less than
the rates at which refined sugar can
be imported. Since it is generally con-
coded that the cost of refining sugar is
not less than about Is of a cent a
pound, it is apparent that the rates real
ly given to the sugar refiners are sim
ply the bare difference between refined
and unrefined sugars, or the cost Of re-
filming.
While the rates adopted by the Sen
ate were undoubtedly more advan
tageous to the sugar refiners, those
finally agreed upon by the conferees
made precisely the same difference be-
tween raw and refined sugars that the
House bill made when it was passed
by shat body. The conference repor..
did increase the rates on refined sugar
slightly. but it also increased the rates
on raw sugar, thus making the differ
ence in the rate of duty between raw
and refined, or the 'differential," as it
is called, precisely what the House bill
made it originally.
If. however, the conference report
really gave the Sugar Trust no advan-
tage why was it that Sugar Trust
stock advanced during the time that
the bill was in consideration by the
conferees and after it was made pub
lie? This is a pertinent and proper
qsestion.
The answer to this is simple enough.
The Sugar Trust, knowing that the
new bill would certainly advance the
rate of duty on sugar as protection
to American producers, has been bring
ing into the country as rapidly as pos
sible sugar in enormous quantities, get
ting it in of course under the compar-
Of tho YEilSoIa lax