New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-16
WEST INDIAN SUGAR.
REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION.
A COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME OF
PROTECTION VERSUS VARIOUS
PEDDLING DEVICES

W
The appointment Of Royal Commission Is q
familiar device for covering administrative or
legislative inaction Whenever a government
of the day finds it inexpedient to deal with any
urgent public question. commission is estab-
llshed for conducting an impartial and exhaust
i've inquiry. 1t Is the recognized method Of
Sinking official responsibility for troublesome
affairs OF State Ministers aware that the
difficulties of the question are insuperabe. but
they do not like to say so. To appoint Royal
Commission is convenient eXpedient for de-
ferring action indefinitely. The Commissioners
ordinarily understand the nature of their mis-
.ior and adapt themselves to the circumstances
They go about their work In lesurely way,
and in the course Of two or taree years blue.
book is published. Seldom does 1t contain any.
thing which the experts have not known before
hand Not oftener than once in a decade does
1t lead to any tactical result
The West India Sugar Commission was ap.
pointed eight months ago because Mr.. Cham
berlain as an ambitious statesman. who was
bent on making a great reputation in the Co
lonial Once and forcing his claims upon the
Premiership the champion CT Imperial poll.
cIes WAS unwilling to confess that nothing could
be done. As an investor who had listened too
credulously TO Sir Ambrose Shea's forecasts Of
the fortunes 10 DE mace III Ddildua H'Hp' ara
mad paid heavily for his experience in attempt
ing to introduce new Industry IN the tropics
he was not In need OF information concerning
the neglected estates OF that portion OF the
British Empire. He preferred to have Royal
Commission suggest dozen little things which
were not worth doing. and to withhold as i'm.
practicable the one great thing which was In.
dispensablc. He appointed a Commission Of
nd fnta nv
Sir Henry Norman a specialist on the sugar
ouostion who had had administrative expert
ence in the West Indies and in Queensland. This
Commission has made thorough investigation.
and it's report is embodied in one OF the most
Iucid and interesting bluebooks ever Issued by
the British Government
The Commissions main conclusion VIII not
surprise any one who is familiar with the indus
trial conditions OF the British West Indies. II
is that the sugar industry is threatened with
such reduction in the immediate future as may
not. IN some of the Colonies. dffe: very greatly
from extinction and must seriously affect all
az them with the single exception Of Grenada
which no longer produces sugar for export NO
ATTEMPT is made to disguise the fact that
crisis in the fortunes OF Her Majesty's West
Indian possessions is rapidly approaching ana
that immediate measures must be adopted TO
help them to prepare for 1t and to enable them
TO tide over II. These measures fall under three
heads: ID The restoration of the sugar Industry
to a profitable basis; GO the SUBSTITUTION OF
BILE agricultural. industries for 1t, and 90
subsidiary expedients. which may assist IN pre-
venting or alternating the strain to which the
Colonies are about to be subjected
The three Commissioners agree that the first
NJ these remedies is the only one which Will
completely avert the dangers OF an impending
crisis but only ore of them has the courage re-
auired for recommending I. This Is sir Henry
Norman, who urges that duties shall be ievleo
on all bounty aided sugars brought into inc
United Kingdom He does not think that much
more can be done In the direction OF economy
Of production. and is convinced that without
these countervailng duties the Industry VIII
decline and perhaps disappear. He is awers
tina. his proposals Will not be we'll receivedNn
England but he declares boldly that there Is
no other method Of saving a considerable group
of British Colonies from disaster or OF over
whelming the Mother Country with onerous
OBLIGATIONS His associates. Sir Edward Grey
and Sir David Barbour. dissent from TINS con-
clusion They admit that the foreign-oounty
system is destroying the sugar industry or the
West Indies and that the prosperity OF the Isl"
ands is dependent upon the prontable cuiuVa-
ton of cane: but they are unwilling to recon-
mend countervailing duties on beet sugar or any
other practical measure fol securing the aoah'
6onment Of bounties in beet countries
NOT THE CANADIAN GRATUITY METHOD.
What Sir Henry Norman proposes Is the pro-
lection OF the cane sugar industry OF the Brit
ish West Indies at the expense OF the English
consumer. He would levy sugar duties equal 10
the bounties paid in France, Germany ana
Austria Hungary. and thereby impart an I'M
petus to the cane industry Of the British sugar
islands and possessions Their sugar could theh
he brought into the English market on equal
terms with Continental beet sugar and at hisher
prices. The countervailing duties would prob
ably add half a penny to the price OF sugar oy
the pound in England and increase the price OF
lam and marmalade which are now largely
used in place OF butter. With a domestic con-
sumption Of 3O.OOO,OOO hundredweight In the
United Kingdom, this increased cost OF sugar
would be tax upon the consumer FOR 'hs
benefit Of the British West Indies.
This Is not the sort Of Imperial tarin !esls!a'
ton which is regarded with any favor IN Eng
land. What is considered reasonable compact
between the mother country and her COLONIES
is one which will cost her nothing. The Ca
madam differental tariff. for example. lowers
Colonial duties on English manufactures ana
yrovides for no compensatng advantage. "
a one-slded bargain by which England mas
every thinS to gain ard nothing to lose Enshs"
manufactures are placed on preferential OASIS
in Canadian markets and Canadian produee
is allowed no advantage In English markets
over competing products from the Cnitea
States. Russia or Argentina. This Is the kina
OF Colonial tariff policy which is popular IN
England. 1t tends to enlarge English trade ana
involves no sacrifice. The countervailing sugar
duties proposed by Sir Henry Norman wouio
impose a burden upon the English consumer LOT
the sake Of restoring the prosperity OF her
Majesty's unfortunate possessions In the west
Indies This would imply willingness on tho
rart Of England to make a sacrifice for the