New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-08
4 SUGAR COMMISSION.
,rprpr AIMS LAtER COLONIAL
POLICY coNTRAsTEp WITH HIS
EARLIER PRocLMATIoNs-

...,,an VII ,se knowledge or the industrial
,,.,ors and economic requirements Of the
,.,., sependencies in tat quarter of the world
p,.,,sd Rut so praccal a statesman as the
for the Colonis can hardly I've expect
.,s a serious vief Of the functions OF the
Gu " commission. TIL facts respecting the de-
=, the cane Industry of the West Indies are
o A. Known The main cause Is equally clear.
90. The destructive cmpetition OF the bounty
..-,r,o.sd beet Industry Of the Continent The
-, .necfive measres OF relief would De
..- svsten, Of honties at the expense OF the
,~.,sr,al Treasury II discriminating tarin
~. Continental sgar. Neither measure can
So osonted without IN abandonment or funoa-
vital principles Of English fiscal policy
III. commission Is one of exceptonai aoiii'y
s,,.au,rence Sill Henry Norman. the chalr-
has been Governor Of Queensland ana may
=. considered a spec alist on tfr sugar question
Go Davjd Barbour j. an EXPERIENCED Oiiiciai anu
MAN ~ many accomplishments. SIT ho"aru
r-s, is one Of the brightest OF the nS'hs young
MAN Of the House Of Commons'and mas oeen ue-
.c-,bsa bv so competent an observer as MT. La
~orchere a. a future Prime Mnlster MT Hyu-
,ev Olivier an Official Of the Coonial o'l'ce par
.,crlary we'll informed in West indian SUBJECTS
a.. ,he secretary Of the comrissioh' ana MT.
nanjel Norris. Assistant Diretor OF tne hoyai
Gardens al Kew Is TO accompany the conifiiis-
,,o,srs as A botanical expert. Inc personnel OF
,,a commission has been arrnged with pans
,akinc care: but it's appontn1nt Is superhuous
80, and practically a confssion that nothing
"a, he done for the relief the chlef industry
:. tho British West Indies II is a well-known
device for covering administrative or legislative
,naction When the Government or the DAY con-
siSers il inexpedient npractlcapie 10 uea'
with any urgent public qestion koyai COM
-, 20 1rc,,irv is anrinted as a convenient
method OF Sinking offici' or imperlai RESPONSE
nifty r. the prosperityi Her Majesty sugar
xaiands could have been estoreo ps '"S"l '"'"-
-, ...,- would bat hlossomed az the rose
long ago
~ Chamberlain wi entertain the commits
.,orers Craciously. an readily convince them
that he understands NJ sugar question IN al
vance ~ their invest cation and report; but he
%, hardly escape frin a humiliating sense Of
ra-soral failure IN hing compelled n have re-
,,-se ~ eo harren N expediat Before enter
,,s .he Colonial Odce. wher medocrity had
been installed for bng period he had acquired
co,onrehensive kn0vledge ofthe resources ana
necessities % the weli-wide dependencies of the
Crown He was ambitious AMI far-signied, ana
Re seemed destined 70 make IS great reputa-
zion AZ the Colonial Office ashe had done as a
municipal reforme, at birmingham His hrst
speech as Secretar- for the Cdonies contained
declaration that many Rriii7 colonies We're III
the condition 81 neglected esates. when couid
not be improved without 1parai assistance
and that he would he prepard to consider care
fully any case wherein by jnicious investment
If Treasury funds an impoverished and Ian
eyisbing community for wbh British rule had
done nothing might he adehately developed
This WAS a promising bsinning for a leader
nbo had introduced mutcpal ownership OF
ra.ar gas and tramwaysand transformed the
Sums Of Birmingham IN fine business tnor-
onghrare. by investment OF corporation tuncs
<or the ultimate enrchnnt OF the town treas
u-v. II was followed bya circular dispa'ch 10
the Governors Of the collies asking for detaiied
information respecting lie causes d decHhe u
trade with the motheTountry' ana the "io''
r-actical measures 70, increasing the exports
Of colonial products subsequently came MS /
manifesto in favor Of imperial customs union /
nv which the operatn Of Free Trade should I
Ia restricted 70 the mpire. and duties should
=. Levied n FngIap. upon food products like
wheat and sugar. nd also upon wool and
o,ber articles Of lare consumption coming from
.~a,cr countries T. Chamberlain was justi- /
<ri,e the chorus ofoud acclaim with which he /
raa hesn hailed his admirers as the one /
s,-ong man capah Of welding the bow Of
rrvsses Rut he VS. getting on so rapidly that T
r,s Ntiris,arial coeagues could not keep pace .
with hin, 4 hal-iad 70 he sounded. The Duke p
If Devonshre VS. called upon n explain that .
Mr. Cba,nherlai, had not made formal pro-
nosa1s for an inperial zollverein. and that his
snaeches had bel interpreted too literally. The 4
Secretary for II Colonies. who is seldom mis-
nndsrstood sim he is master Of the art Of plain
snaech reraisd silent. Re has now fallen
hack upon al old-time device. and created
royal commison
The West ldian planters have stated their
case and iris a strong one. Sugar is their
nrincinal inlstry. and II has been ruined by
tho fall in rice caused by the overproduction
RI beet susr in Europe They have improved
their n,acnnery. cheapened their processes and
struggled desperately 10 hold their markets;
but. comfing as they have done with Euro
pean SUR upon which export bounties are
paid th( are going 10 the wall They do not
require jcientiic information from botanists
and chAists. They have nothing TO learn re-
.pectinI the economical production Of cane
sugar They want a market where they can
have ,mething like fair play. This they can
no, he so long as they compelled 10 COM
re,a nth bounty-aided sugar They have &C
cord,gly asked for a system Of countervailing
tou,ies upon their own sugar Royal Com
nsrn is not required for settling this question.
], q detail Of imperial policy. which can be
eeAed by the Government Of the day. without
,xert testimony from the Yves: Indies
ot long ago Baron Henry de Worms. now
Id Prbrght. attempted to convince the Eu-
rsean Governments that they were cutting one
so;her's threats by paying sugar bounties
was not successful. The bountes were in
raxd and the beet industry continued 70
pv1 cane sugar out Of the markets Of the
'orM Negotiations for securing the abolition
u C5n tinental bounties hopeless now as
hey were then. and Lord Salisbury lacks cour-
lge for renewing the undertaking. The ques-
ton raised by the West Indian planters is
wheher the British Government will endeavor !,