The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-07-01
SUGAR TRUST PROFITS.
John DE witt Warner Makes some r.,
mntHa and Scnres the TruSf

John de witt Warner Makes Some E-ti.
mates and Scores the Trust.
Ex-Congressman John De Witt War
ner Is one of the best posted men In this
country ON sugar tariffs When in con-
gress. he carried the house for free sug-
at. In recently published statement
he estimates the net protection to the
trust given by the Aldrich schedule at
from 30 cents to $l.l4 on every 100
pounds Of refined sugar
Without attempting to give his argu-
ment as to each of the ways i'll which
the trust would be protected we give
his summary Of trust profits as follows:
Specific ditfcrential ..............s -. 1890 40t
Thirty five per cent al valorcm
dinercntial. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OHIO O2l
COuntcrvailing duty, say. go. OusD O35
Additional by substitution OF IS
per cent al vnlorem for specific
duties in low grades. ............ OnG OBS
Total sDIS6slla
In the vast ma ority Of cases, however, the
actual result Is between Is and 10 cents per loo
pounds net protection to the trust, and 1t is
impracticahlc To combine circumstances as
to bring this below - cents or above To cents
for any considerable amount
As al item of tariff taxation tho sug-
ar schedule is ideal from the protection
ast standpoint Sugar is the one article
used by poor and rich to an equivalent
extent, and tax on which therefore
falls most heavily on the poor in pro-
portion TO their ability to pay it. Its
production and distribution are control
led by concern which Is at once the
.>S !
meanest Of our great ones.
1t is consistent therefore that on this
one article there should be levied more
than one third of our total tariff taxa
ton. and that our people should be bur
dened by tax Of more than 800, 000,-
600 that realizes less than $40, 000,-
600 for the treasury and more than
$20. 900. 900 for the sugar refining com
bine, while the same combine is enabled
opportunity given it to import at present
duty rates raw sugars from which it
can make refined to be sold by 1t under
the enhanced price assured it by the
proposed Aldrich schedule. The net
protection" Of from IS to 60 cents per
100 pounds given the trust on its refin-
ing process alone should be considered
as sufficient when we remember that
the labor cost OF this process is slightly
less than 6>e cents per 100 pounds-that
Is to say, Senator Aldrich, i'll behalf Of
American labor, proposes unduly to tax
wage earners i'll order to give the trust
from five to seven times as much pro
lection AS it pays for all the labor In
VOWED
Next to the wage Garner the farmer
Is dear to the protectionist heart, and
be Is therefore equally favored by the
sugar schedule. OF late years through
out the eastern and middle and many Of
the central states the competition CT the
Tar west has driyen our farmers from
grain raising into fruit culture This
has now SO developed that except fox
exports of canned goods-jams, pre-
serves. etc.-in which We ought to sup
ply the world. the business of fruit rails
Ing has. III its turn, become almost profit
less And poverty is now assured to
those who are dependent upon fruit Gull
ture by the proposed tax Of two cents
a pound on sugar. This increases
by from 90 to IS per cent the article
which would make up from 40 to IS
per cent Of the total weight of the jams.
etc. the export Of which might insure
living prices for the surplus fruits, but
which is now practically prohibited.
And this is "a government of the
people. by the people and for the peo-
PIE Who are the people:"