Evening star., 1897-05-28
PICKED = 70 PIECES
Senator Aldriehso Defense of His
Sugar Sch e1aB Disseoted.
REASONS REGARDED A[lQ As UNS0UND
Figures Reach9d BY an Unfair
Method ~ Calculation.
DIFF FICU LTIES IGNORED

iD1FFICU LTIES IGNORED
In a letter. to a member the House of
Representatives. a prominent sugar trader
| says: ...- .-. 80, ~.
"Ser ator Aldrich's defense of the finance
committees sugar schedule probably ap-
pears quite reasonable to any one not
rosted about sugar. but to any ons In the
trade the reasons given for adopting
compound instead OF. specific rates are ut
terly unsound and inAnitesimal,, compared
with the objections to am ad valorem duty
in any form.
First. He states that the Dipgley rates
applied to all importations of sugar at New
York during January last. show a range of
1872 to 144.3 per cent ad valorem, and are
very unequal on low grades. 1 do no. know
why the importatons during January were
selected, and how the percentages were ar
rived at, but from knowledge OK the busi-
ness 1 believe such a statement does not
fairly represent the facts, and If the COM
parisonsswere carefully figured out on the
basis Of the In bond values cX ship for
landed tests (Which is the only fair hasis),
the results would probably be Quite differ
ent, and might furnish better arguments
for specific duty.
1.-The raw sugar trade committee repre-
sents receivers of raw sugars from all parts
Of the world. and they have shown both
the finance committee and the ways and
means committee that the Dingley rates
figure out only about 72 per cent ad va
lorem on today's extremely low values.
and only about 50 Rer cent on low average
values such as prevailed when the Wilson
bill was passed Fully o. per cent of all
the sugars imported, test between "a de-
grees and 81 degrees, and under the Ding
| ley schedule the variation in duty on these
sugars is not exceeding l per cent.
SECOND. Senator Aldrich states that the
high specific rates on low grades testing
ul.der 81 degrees would exclude these su-
gars from the United States.
"IE reply to this l can only say that such
Rates In the Dingley Schedule.
| would not be the case. as the rates in the
| Dingley schedule are so graduated as to
| impose fair rates Of duty on all sugars
| testing from rs degrees to 100 degrees
Can Senator A:drich tell why more low
| rates were imported under previous less
| carefully drawn specific schedules than In
| der the present al valorem Wilson bill?
| Car he say why the entire raw sugar
| trade of New York protest against an ad
| valofem duty in any,forn. If It had proved
| fair, reliable practicable? .~
| Does he think. the receivers of all
grades of raw susaA Dboth high and low,
would recommend the Dingfey schedule If
| It would exclude any sugars?
Third. He statss the total amount OF
quantity is rapidly decreasing. but inti-
| mates the Importation of same is very i'm
| portant viewed from the standpoint of
| our trade and conpns1fe.
! ",rhis statement. Il rathes remarkable,
l as it Is difficult to how the importa-
tion of very small quantity of sugar
| tand even that sris IF quantity rapidly de-
crxasins,- is such; anr important matter.
4 viewed from the -staadpoint of trade and
I commerce. especially as the present bill
| is expected to enable, our domestic produc-
| q FGh Of
i consumption, andtWfat Will then become of
= this little, but SO important trade in low
p grfdes.' which nseaatar .AIdrich's ,counit-
.I *can Senator Aidrich say ,.Whx Al. al
sugars M nsS would % not 6asS essa adjusted any any
L discrimination against them, ii there are
4 any? And would this not have been a much
| better plan than adopting the ad iEalorem
rates, which rwepe strongly opposed by the
donesJs sugar producers. and tie raw
sugar trade. ahd were only wanted by the
4 refiners? =" -. ...,. =.
His remarks about driving nearby low
grades and all distant sugars from the
United States and to free markets like
I Caoada and England, are without founda-
/ tion, and are not borne out by the work.
j ing of previous graduated specific duties
At present Canada has a specific duty of
\ " cent Oh all grades Of raw sugar below
Ii D. s., SO that urder the fairly graded
rates OF the Dingley schedule the shippers
| Will be only too glad to send their sugars
i to the United States instead Of Canada.
Under Senator :Aldrieh's;3 schedule. all
sugars un Ter So degrees will be shut out
If the market advances, they will have
TO pay 70 per cent on the advance. while
sugars over 7ss degrees will only pay 30
i per cent On such advance. What Will then
become Of this important little trade in
low grades?" IT,
Fourth. Senator Aldrich states that the
compound rates were adopted sugars
over 81 degrees. because the specific rates
would discriminate against sugars from
some localities. as; compared with others.
No Need to Discriminate.
THE facts in the, case do not bear out
this statement as the variation in the
values Of cane sugars Of same test is very
slight. If any. AND: written statement
made by Prof Wiley of the Agricultural
! Department. and which was.fiied with the
nnance committee. states that as beet
sugars are made today thsre is no neces-
! sity to discriminate In their favor as
| lie for duty %'''
*Our committee showed tests of beet
| sugars recently arrived. which contain less
ASH ma and impurities than many cane sugars.
1 mere 49, therefore, no good reason for
adopting an ad valorem duty on sugars
testing either above or below 81 degrees,
while there were shown conclusive argu-
ments why the ad valorem duty in any
| form Is utterly unfair and resulted in great
determinations against sugars of same
values coming from different countries,
countries.
1T was also shown that It was unreliable
Tor revenue purposes, and in many cases
utterly inpracticable and resulting in con-
tinual reappraisements. disputes etc
| FIRTH. We heartily agree with Senator
Aldrich in giving our .refiners adequate pro
| lection. but It Is not necessary to have ad
valorem rates to do this. as II any increase
Is required 1t can; just as well be given
openly under specific schedule by adding
sufficient extra duty on all sugars over I6
= D. nnss"". ~ eo'or. 4 Il -.
.1rnasr ass,es. ,ss sa ss'y to Suffer;
the refining Industry would suffer under
the Dingley snecif9n ssSShed1le