The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-05-26

rlch'S explanation OF the sugar schedule
adopted by the senate committee on
finance In the tariff bill, reported to-
day in the senate:
In the sugar schedule, We have suE-
Essted change In rates and in the
manner Of assessing the duties. AS the
schedule Is a very Important one, It
seems proper that should explain de-
dnitely the effect Of the provisions we
recommend.
The annual consumption Of sugar In
the United States IL about 100000 gross
tons, Of 2,2lO pounds each, with value
based on foreign prices approximating
SSOOoOOOo. II the high duties proposed
in either the house or senate bill should
be adopted, the annual cost of sugar to
consumers would be more than $4,000
600. OF the consumption OF 1895. 10000
tons, or two per cent were beet sugars
produced In the United States, and stS,'
900 tons, or l. per cent. were domestic
cane sugars, and $4,000 tons or elghS
per cent were sugars admitted from the
Hawaiian islands free Of duty under
Sbe treaty with the Hawaiian govern
noent. The 2,OOO,O 900 tons Of sugar con-
gnnoed N the United States constitute
1earlv so per cent OF the total cOnsump-
lion az the world. the total sugar crop
~ fE0g being approximately I,OOo,OOO
toms Of which 100000. or about sixty
one and one-halt per cent OF the whole
were beet sugars.
The pressing necessity for securing
greatly increased revenues seems 10
render q return to the Republican poll
icy of free sugar adopted IN 1851 an I'M
possibility. The demand Tor revenue
purposeS, and the belief that every rea-
eonSbIe effort should be made to en-
cosiraCe the production OF beet sugar In
the United States, led a majority OF the
finance committee to recommend the
hIFh rates upon sugar which ore con-
tained in the bill now before the sem
Il is believed by the friends Of the
hest sugar industry that we can sue
cessfully initiate the example OF Ger.
mnny in the rapid development OF beet
sugar production.
The bill. as It came TO us from the
bouSe Of representatives, contains pro-
yiGIons which levy a specific duty. bas-
"a upon polariseopic test upon import
"a sugar, varying from one cent per
notind al seventy-fivc degrees. 10 one
and seven-eIghth cents per pound on all
guVars above No. l6 Dutch standard In
color ana refined sugars. The enect
az these rates. as applied 70 the total
importations at the port OF New fotk
for the month Of January lSyd' Is
shown by a table which submIt 70 the
senate which has been prepared by the
enStou1s Officers In New York. The
rates suggested show n range OF ad
volorem equivalent from 7S.2, TO iH.S
per cent. 4 careful examination OF the
tableS will show that the scale OF rates
adonted bears very unequally upon all
iow Grade sugars. The character and
extent OF this discrimination led your
committee to believe that the schednle
should be modified. The committee de.
termined after a careful examination OF
ire whole subject 70 recommend rates
which would be in their enect as hlBn
Al least as the house bill, but which
would be levied In a manner that would
make the ad valorem equivalents more
We believe that the imposition OF the
high specifc rates upon low grade SUI
cars testing eIghty-seven degrees or be-
low would have the effect 10 exclude
them from the markets OF the United
States, The total amount OF these low
grades produced Is, as nave aireaoy
fine total sugar crop, but their continued
importation into the United States Is
veTv important when viewed from the
standpoint OF our trade and commerce
With other countries.
Would be UnwIGO.
To exclude from the American mar
ket all the low grade cane sugars from
the nearby countries, and sugars OF all
grades from distant countries would
condne American purchasers TO beet
sugar and to centrifugals from, points
nearest the United States, and send
eleven other sugars to free markets IKE
Canada and England.
Thig policy would undoubtedly IN
crease the price OF the sugars from
nearby countries and necessarily add TO
inc cost Of sugar to consumers In the
limited States. These are the reasons
which led your committee 60 suggest an
nd Valorem rate Of seVenty-lve per cent
on all sugars AAHtIng net above eighty
seven degrees. but this rate can never
apply to but a very small portion OF the
sugars OF the world. as from OBVIOUS
causes. the proportionate amount 0i
anch sugars IL constantly decreasing
on the cane sugars testing above
eIghty-sevcn degrees, very much the
larger portions. as have already stated
ara centrifugals, testing about ninety
GIY degrees. The committee. In consid-
eTInr the question whether they should
adopt the specific scale contained IN the
house schedule for sugars testing above
elEhty-seVen degrees, were confronted
with the fact that these rates would
dIGcrimlnate In favor OF the sugars or
certain localities and values against
tn ~. W so%n,J,Ic. After full copsIdera-
tion, reached the conclusion that the es-
Genital element Of a certainty OF Feve-
nue. and an adjustment OF rates that
SvoriId lessen determinations could best
~ secured by the adoption OF compound
rates The committee therefore adopt
"a the suggestion which Ia contained In
the bill we have reported to the senate
Of imposing q specific duty whlch IS
equivalent to nbout forty per centum
Al yalorem with an additional duty OF
thlrty-five per centum ad valorem on all
sugars from eighty-seven degrees to one
hundred degrees, with thirteen hun
dFedths OF cent per found additional
on oil sugars above No. 16 Dutch stand.
ara in color and on refined sugars,
More than ninety per cent OF sugar
which is imported into the United
states has heretofore been imported In
a raw condition and has been reiined
here, and It IL therefore OF Importance
that we should consider carefully tho
eject which the schedule proposed by
the senate committee would have upon
the refining industry.
/ assume that II viii be admitted IN
all quarters that this industry is EMIT
led 10 fair treatment The fact that the
business az conducted to-day n In com
pAratiVely few hands and that q large
portion OF It Is carried on BY one com
pany. while It furnishes a reason iior