The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-03-13
PROPOSED TARIFF On SUGAR.

ACGOIuIuS 10 tfe 3
Washington correspondent. the Ways
aud Means Committee has decided
upon the following rates tor tile sugar
schedule in the proposed new talltf
bill. to-wit:
"The basis of the new schedule is Ii
customs rate Of 1-2c en sugar Of SO
degrees Of polariscnpe test, which is
the dividing line between raw and re-
tintd. 70 this will be added IN eight,
OF a cent fn reciprocity purposes. thus
making the actual duty On sugar ot
81 degrees standard 1.62 lie pei
pound. This is the basis Of the Whole
schedule, and the duties ran ND and
down SO that at % degrees, which il
about the lowest grade of raw sugar,
the customs rate will be a cent 4
pound AFTER the reciprocity duty is
taken off. The rriineIs will get dis
eliminating duty Of an additional one
ei.f,tit cent a pound. This il il large
addition to the customs dues on raw
sugar and i material reduction Oh re-
finai sugar, ana in that sense is i
direct
THROW DOWN FOR THE TRUST.
The committee ae:eed almost unani-
ninnsly that tile basis of tile new tar
1T on sugar should be in all cases d
specific duty. Some effort was made
BY the agents Of the Sugar Trust to
continue the present id valofem sys
tenn, under which gross frauds are
practised. and the Sugar Trust has
mate large sums hv a systematic nm
dervaluation. There was practically
10 division of the committee On the
application of specific duties to sugar
Just flte same as the other schedules
in the new tariff bill. 1t was decided
that the regular duty On the high
grade 1T raw sugar, witch is So &C.
grees under the polafiscope test, this
peing the commercial standard. shonld
he | lie. The additional one-eighth
OF Il emf a pound Is added for tie ex
press purpose Ut becoming 4 feciproc-
ity feature. The duty under tile law
will he made l.62 lie. and the Presl-
dent will be authorized 70 remit the
one-eigilth Of q rent per ponnd when
ever foreign countries agree to the adj
missions or specified American prod
ucts on favorable terms
The present duty Oh sugar is forty
per cent. al raloren. and it IS estima-
ted that tile proposed new rate will
be equivalent to seventy per cent. dd
ral0rem on a fair valuation. 1t will
thus bc seen that the increased duty
If the proposed rate should be adopt
ed BY congress, will give the sugar
producers a decided advantage.
It is also proposed to confer upon
president the power to impose BY |
proclamation a eouutervalling duty Oh
all sugars imported from counties
an export duty. equal to such
duty.
If the project Of the committee
could be enacted into law, the sugar
producers could not ask anything bet
ter. 1t would accord them all tile
protection that any industry can rea-
sonably demand. There IS a fair pros
pect that the recommendations Of the
will be enacted into law.
The greatest danger Of defeat will
come from the banefal Influence ofthe
Trust which has received cold
comfort from the committee.
Il is reported that this corrupt cor
ooration will now carry the war into
he Senate where it hopes to shape
on the sugar tariff to suit
themselves. To be sure, it il tile
interest to have the duty on
sugars as low as possible, and in
hat fact and in the power Of that vast
now lies the greatest me-
lace to the sugar producers.
Time will demonstrate whether tile
rust will again, as it has done in the
'ast, control leg Station to suit its
disposition and to lie detri-
nent OF the producers.
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