Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-06-17
IT COMES ON ABRUPTLY IN TIE
SENATE
ANTI. TRUST AMENDMENT
One Will Be Offered by Senator Petit
grew-Republicans Seem TO Be
Somewhat Divided Regarding It
Jones and Vest Make Lengthy Ar
guments on Sugar Schedule

the sugar schedule of the tariff bill
came on abruptly after the senate had
disposed Of the cereals in the agricul-
schedule has been whetted for weeks
and aside from the fact that more rev
enue is derived from sugar than from
any other article, there was an added
interest due to the sensational charges
made of late within and without the
senate concerning irregularities in
connection with the progress of the
schedule. But the debate failed to
develope any dramatic incident.
The senators and spectators
soon lapsed into a state of
IL difference as the speeches dwelt with
a labyrinth of technical details of
vital interest to the sugar refiner and
expert, but not to the general public.
When the schedule was taken I'D Mr..
PettlgreW gave notice that he would
offer his amendment to admit free of
duty goods made by trusts, in connec-
ton with the schedule. Mr.. Allison
asked that the proviso relating to the
Hawaiian island go over. He said i'll
this connection that the action of the
senate committee relative to the
Hawaiian proposition was not due to
any purpose to exclude Hawaiian sug-
ar. The committee had never cOnsid-
cred the question and had let it go
over for future consideration. Later
he thought that proposition on that
branch of the subject would be pre-
scented. Mr.. Allison in behalf of the
committee then moved an amendment
striking out 1915 and inserting .95 as
the duty on refined sugars.
Mr.. Jones (dem., Ark) was recog-
nized for a speech on the general
features of the sugar schedule. The
senator had before him small bottles
showing various grades of sugar, raw
and refined, and with these he illus
t1ated his argument as he proceeded.
He asserted that the new sugar prop
ositiOn would increase the profits of
sugar refiners at every point. If that
bill they should let it be known. He
was in favor of tax on sugar, but he
believed it should be made as light
as possible and should give no special
benefit to anybody by the way in
which the duty was arranged. He
then answered Mr.. Aldrichs state
ment on the sugar schedule. The SEN
ator held that the rates proposed
gave the reiners an excessive differ
entail and pointed out how they had
thrived on the Is differentiaI of the
present law
Mr.. Vest (dem., Mo- followed Mr..
Jones in a criticism of the general
features of the sugar schedule. It had
always been, he said, the Cape Hat
teras Of the tariff debate. 1t in
volved the whole question of the ex-
1stence Of the gigantic sugar trust
which had absorbed refinery after re-
tinery until it was supreme and all
powerful in the field. Proceeding Mr..
Vest pointed out the great revolution
which has occurred in the past two
years in the sources of the sugar sup
ply. He described the new sugar
schedule as ingenius and artistic.
Spectators understood it, He had
ascertained and was prepaid to prove
automatically that protection given
the trust on sugars testing 90
degrees in the present law
was "a cents per pound;
in the Dingley schedule So in the orig
inal senate bill go, and in the new
schedule agreed on by the republican
senatorial caucus 81. In conclusion
MI. Vest declared that the Schedule de-
luded the public in the interest of
this gigantic monopoly
Mr.. Lindsay OF Kentucky offered an
amendment which strikes out Of the
schedule in paragraph 206 the words
mot above No. 16 Dutch standard in
color. and also strikes out the
provision in the same paragraph for
dltferential duty Oh refined sugar.
Mr.. Morgan gave notice that the fol-
lowing amendment would be offered in
proper time: "a tax Of one cent per
pound is hereby levied and shall be
assessed and collected on sugar that
is the product of any sugar refinery III
the United States; but persons or cor
porations engaged in the BUSINESS of
refining sugar in whose business there
is employed less than 100000 of cash
capital and who are not connected IN
business by an agreement with any
other person or corporation engaged in
refining sugar are exempt from such
tax. The laws for the collection of
the tax on tobacco, so far as they are
applicable to the subject of this en-
actment, shall apply to the collection
OF the tax imposed by this act upon
refined sugar."
Mr.. Gallery (dem., La followed in a
vigorous speech in which he opposed
the schedule as a whole. The old fight
between the producers of raw sugar
and the refiner which in this country
in trust, was, he said, again on. He
sugar schedule.
1t IS Mr.. Pettigrew's intention to
offer his antitrust amendment to the
tariff bill at the end of the sugar
schedule and the manner of its &C
ceptance is beginning to be a matter
of speculation among the senators.
There is some talk of the necessity
for a republican caucus to decide the
position that party in the senate
should take upon the proposition,
which grew out of the we'll founded
reports that some republican senators
had announced their intention to vote