Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-07-29

TIE ssssr Trust anl TIE New Tariff Law.
0w Special Correspondence.
WARRINGTON, D. c., July "a, 1897
Now that the popocratic orators and
editors have been reduced to the single
subject for a attack upon the tariff bill
Of it. relation to the sugar trust, it is
we'll enough to state some plain facts
bearing upon this subject.
The bill, a. . whole, IL probably more
satisfactory to the people than any
tariff measure which has passed Con-
gress in the recollection Of the present
generation, and the features Of it relat-
ing to the sugar schedule will be found,
when thoroughly understood, as salts.
factory - its most highly commended
features.
It was generally conceded when the
bill passed the House that 1t was not
In any way advantageous to the trust,
but that, on the contrary, it took away
from the trust much Of the advantage
which it had under the Wilson law.
Stripped Of all technicalities, the
cold facts are that as the bill left the
House the rates on refined sugar we're
12} cents per hundred pounds greater
than the rates on raw sugar. OF course,
the rates on different grades of raw
sugar were different, but taking the
aumber Of pounds of any grade which
were required TO make hundred
pounds OF refined sugar it was found
that the rates we're on an average of
III cents per hundred pounds less than
those on refined sugar. This means
that the sugar refiners Of the country,
whether in the trust or out of it, we're
allowed . difference Of l2l cents per
hundred pounds, or ! Of cent q pound,
difference between raw sugar when i'm
ported and refined sugar when import
ed, thus giving them IN opportunity to
import raw sugar at Of cent pound
less than the rates at which refined
sugar can be imported. 1t is generally
conceded that the cost Of refining sug-
sr is not less than about ! Of a cent q
pound, 90 that the rates really given to
the sugar refiners are simply the bare
difference between refined and unre-
fined sugars Of the cost of refining.
1t 10 veil known that the rates adopt
ed by the Senate were more ad vantage
Gus to the sugar redners, but it is
TACT that the rates agreed upon by the
conferees made precisely the same diff
ference between raw and refined sugars
that the House bill made when it was
passed by that body. Tho conference
report did increase the rates on refined
sugar slightly, but it also increased the
rates on raw sugar, thus making tie
difference in the rate of duty between
raw and refined, or the ''differential,
a. it is called, precisely what the
House bill made it originally, l2t cents
per hundred pounds, or / of . cent a
pound.
But, says the objector, II the confer
ence report gave to the sugar trust no
advantage, why was 1t that sugar-trust
stock advanced during the time that
the bill was in consideration by the
conferees and after it was presented 70
the public
The answer to this Is simple enough.
The sugar trust, knowing that the new
bill would certainly advance the rate
Of duty on sugars as . protection to
American producers, has been bringing
into the country - rapidly as possible
sugar In enormous quantities, getting
it in, of course. under the comparative
" low rates of the Wilson law. It has
secured the world for sugar. and had in
stock by the time the conference re-
port was presented to the public over
100 thousand tons Of raw sugar, or, in
round numbers, 1900, 0OO, 900 pounds.
Think Of III Enough sugar to load
seventy thousand cars, or to load three
thousand Ave hundred freight trains Of
twenty cars each, or to make one con-
tinuous train over fifty miles in length.
On every pound Of this sugar which it
had In stock It was perfectly apparent
that it would make whatever profit
there was between the tariff rates Of
the Wilson Law and the increased tariff
rates named by the Dingley law, or an
aggregate profit calculated at 1900
600 dollars.
10 1t surprising that sugar stock went
up In view Of the fact that this organic
alton would make upon the sugar which
It had brought into the country IL
million dollars by the mere advance