The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-26

ence was thirty-three hundredths of a cent
per pound. The importations of refined
sugars into the United States amounted in
1891 to 100000 pounds and in 1892, to 14.0o0.-
900 pounds. The importations in 1896
amounted to $4,000 900 pounds while the i'm
portations in the single month of April 1887
amounted to nearly y, UUJ 600 pounds
German refners have driven the sugar
refining industry of Great Britain almost
entirely out of existence. They are, as
have already stated. invading every sugar
market of the world with their product
Most of the German granulated imported
is the result of a continuous process of re-
fining. For months raw beet sugar and
German granulated have sold on an abso-
lutte parity of value, taking only into ac-
count, the percentage OF pure sugar con-
tanned in each. If we assume the cost of
refining sugar in the United States TO be
approximately one-half a cent per pound,
ana II German refined can be sold without
loss on the same basis with German raws
IT must be evident that the differentials
suggested in the Senate proposition are not
only not excessive, but they are quite likely
In the near future to prove inadequate to
secure the continuance of the business of
sugar refining in the United States If the
importat1ons of German granulated should
increase at the same ratio that they have
since the act of 1894 was adopted the Ger
ma will certainly secure at an early day
a large part of the American market. The
protection afforded by the differentials pro-
posed by the Senate committee is, l believe
not only less by percentage. but less with
reference to the actual requirements of the
industry than that afforded by the rates
imposed upon any other important product
by the terms of the bill.
THE HAWAIIAN TREATY.
The senator then took up the Hawaiian
treaty and said: THE committee will also
prepare and present an amendment to the
House provisions in regard to the Hawaiian
treaty. The existing commercial treaty be-
tween the United States and the govern
ment Of these islands provides for the free
10 of
the islands, into the United States If this
treaty should remain in force it would re-
SUIT IN giving bounty to the Hawaiian
sugar producers amounting to more than
$80O0,0OO per annum. 1t was not contem-
plated, when the original treaty was made
or when 1t was extended, that any possible
advantage of this kind could ever result
from It's terms 10 the people Of the Sand
Wich islands. The effect of this bounty
Will undoubtedly be to stimulate enormous
~ the production of sugar in the Hawaiian
Islands. While we cannot fairly abrogate
treaty OF this kind with a friendly cOun-
try, without notice, we believe that negotia-
tions should at once be entered into look
ing to such modification of the treaty as
VIII reduce the bounty to be paid Hawaiian
sugar producers to reasonable sum, and
the committee will present an amendment
looking in this direction at an early day.
There should be no difficulty in securing
through the treaty making power such
notifications of the treaty as will be salts
factory to both countries without injury to
either. 1t certainly cannot be expected that
the United States will continue for any
length of time to pay a bonus of seven or
eight millions of dollars per annum as
an inducement to any foreign cOun-
try to trade with us assume
there will be no difficulty in securing proper
notifications of the treaty SO that it will
not be necessary for the government of the
United States to give the one years notice
of the abrogation as provided for by it's
terms
CHANGES IN WOOL AND WOOLENS.
important changes have been made in
schedule K both on the rates on wool and
on manufactured woolens. In dealing with
the wool schedule the committee has sug-
gested more liberal rates to the domestic
woolgrower than it has recommended for
the producer of any manufactured article
in the schedule. 1t has also suggested for
him a more effective protection than he has
ever received under any tariff law of the
United States at the time of it's enactment.
The wOolgroWer is given the benefit of a
specific duty upon all classes of wool IN
der the operation of this fixed specific duty
the amount of protection afforded will in
crease with each new decline in the foreign
value of this raw material. The committee
has aimed to give the WoolgroWers a rate
of duty which will average from 10 per cent.
TO 20 per cent. higher than the rates of
earlier tariffs. In doing this it has given
q higher protection upon the raw material
than upon the manufactured product in
every case
Very careful consideration has been
given to the compensatory duty on wooden
goods with the result of reducing the
compensatory rates on low-grade goods
into whose manufacture more or less of
other materials than wool enter. On the
high-grade goods the compensatory duties
are fixed on the same basis that has OBJ
tanned in all previous tariffs. The House
bill rate of 81 per cent. on carpet woods
, costing less than IL cents pound mas
created more agitation and opposition than
any other feature of the wool schedule. 1t
is alleged by the WOolgroWers that this low
10 Of int m ia
effectiveness of the protection afforded
upon the higher grades of wool by reason
of the temptation it offers to import these
low woods to be used in cheViots, golf suit
ings and other popular fabrics which do not
require fine woods.
without undertaking to affirm the cor
rectness of these allegations regarding the
extensive use of these carpet woods for
clothing purposes the committee recog-
nized the fact that there is some such use
made of them. TO remove. all possible
ground for complaint on this score they
have fixed the duties en- Glass 8 woods at 4
cents a pound under 10 cents in value and
at Z cents a pound over that valuation.
Under these duties the al Valorem equiv
alents will range on the various clips from
So per cent. up to GO per cent, and in some
instances 20 per cent. and they are higher
than in any previous law. 1t is certain
that under these duties foreign carpet
woods cannot be imported to take the place
of domestic woods in the cloth manufacture.
Taking this feature of the wool schedule
into account it is a fact definitely demon
SIGdIeu
lection given the American woolgrower I'M
der the Senate bill is greater and more
effective than he has ever before received
in an American tariff. Under this schedule
wool growing should become in time one
of the most profitable branches of Ameri-
can agriculture.
THE DUTY ON HIDES.
"Many changes are made in Schedule n.
The one which will attract most attention
is the placing of duty upon hides of cat
tie. Representatives of the Western States
in which cattle are raised have been for
many years insisting that duty on hides
should find a place in the tariff bill which
was intended to protect all American in
terests. This contention has been resisted
by the tanners CT the country, who be-
lieved that it would place an unnecessary
burden on their important industry. l shall
not attempt to enter in detail into the rea-
son which led the committee to suggest
the imposition of the duty. Speaking Io'
myself, 1 believe that the fears which have
been so emphatically expressed as to the
injurious effects of the duty have been
largely oVereStimated, and that no very Sc
rious burden will be placed on either the
tanning, the leather, or the boot and shoe
industry if the amendment should be
adopted.
MANY changes are suggested in the free
list. Among the more notable of these Is
provisions of existing law with regard to
the free importation of books, works of art,
etc. under certain conditions.
AT the time the bill was reported from
the committee ] stated in its behalf that
an amendment looking to the more rapid
development and extension of reciprocal
trade with foreign countries would be re-
ported from the committee at a later day.
The committee has not yet found the oppof-
tunity TO prepare such an amendment. 1t
seemed to it that the provisions of the