The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-06-24
SUGAR TRUST PROFITS.
John De Witt Warner Makes Some Est
mates and Scores the Trust.

John De Witt Warner Makes some Esti-
mates and Scores the Trust.
Ex-Congressman John De Witt War
her is one of the best posted men in this
country on sugar tariffs. When in con-
gress, he carried the house for free sug-
ar. In recently published statement
he estimates the net protection to the
trust given by the Aldrich schedule at
from 30 cents to 81. IA on every 100
pounds of refined sugar.
Without attempting to give his argu
ment as to each of the ways in which
the trust would be protected we give
his summary of trust profits as follows;
Specific differential. 50. 1890. 4Ot
Thirty five per cent ad valorem
differential. l.......................0 0.14GG 0.2l
Oountervailinr duty, say. .... 0.0sl9 0.35
Additional by substitution of IS
per cent al valorem for specific
duties in low grades. .............. 0.0c0 O.1S
Total NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. s0.35Qs1.H
In the vast majority of cases, however, the
actual result is between 45 and 60 cents per l00
pounds net protection TO the trust, and 1t iS
impracticable so TO combine circumstances
to bring this below 40 cents above 10 cents
for any considerable amount.
AS an item of tariff taxation the sug-
ar schedule is ideal from the protection
list standpoint. Sugar is the one article
used by poor and rich to an equivalent
extent, and tax ON which therefore
falls most heavily On the poor in pro-
portion to their ability to pay it. Its
production aud distribution are control
led by concern which is at once the
greatest of our mean trusts and the
meanest of our great ones.
1t is consistent therefore that on this
one article there should be levied more
than one third of our total tariff taxa
ton. and that our people should be bur
dened by tax of more than 800, 000,
600 that realizes less than so, ,000,
600 for the treasury and more than
$50, 600 900 for the sugar refining COM
bine. while the same combine is enabled
to net an additional 80. 600, 900 by the
opportunity given it to import at present
duty rates raw sugars from which 1T
can make refined TO be sold by it under
the enhanced price assured it by the
proposed Aldrich schedule. The net
"protection" of from 40 to go cents per
100 pounds given the trust Oh its refin
ing process alCne should be considered
as sufficient when we remember that
the labor cost of this process is slightly
less thar 61a cents per 100 pounds-that
is to say, Senator Aldrich. in behalf CT
American labor. proposes unduly to tax
wage earrers in order to give the trust
from five to seven times as much pro
tecticu" as it pays for all the labor in
yclvcd
Next to the wage Garner the farmer
is dear to the protectionist heart. and
he if therefore equally favored by the
sugar schedule. Of late years through
out the eastern and middle and many of
the central states the competition CT The
far west has driven cur farmers from
grain raising into fruit culture. This
has HOW so developed that except for
exports of canned goods-jams, pre-
serves, etc.-in which we ought to sup
ply the world, the business of fruit rails
ing has. in its turn. become almost profit
less And poverty is now assured to
those who are dependent upon fruit Gull
ture by the proposed tax of two cents
a pound Oh sugar This increases
by from 80 to 75 per cent the article
which would make up from 40 to rs
per cent of the total weight of the Jams,
etc, the export of which might insure
living prices for the surplus fruits, but
which is now practically prohibited.
Aid this is "a government of the
people, by the people and for the peo-
pie Who are 1.-The people,