The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-07-01
SUGAR TRUST PROFITS.
John De Witt Warner Makes Some Est
, mates snd Scores the Trust.

John De Witt Warner Makes Some Esti-
, mates snd Scores tho Trust
Ex-Congressmau John De Witt War
per is one of the best posted men in this
country on sugar tariffs When in con-
g1ess, he carried the house for free sug-
ar. I'm recently published statement
be estimates the net protection to the
trust given by the Aldrich schedule at
from S5 cents to $l.l4 on every 100
pounds of refined sugar.
Without attempting to give his argu-
ment as to each Of the ways in which
the trust would be protected We give
his summary Of trust profits as follows:
Specific differential. l................ I3Sso.4 .40+
Thirty-Ave per cent ad valorem
difercntial. l................-.......O O.iF9 o.zl
Countervaiaing duty, say. ouSS o.so
Additional by substitution Of IS
per cent nd valorem for specific
duties In low grades. .....-...... 00c9 olS
In the vast majority Of cases, however, the
actual result Is between Is and 10 cents per lou
pounds net protection to the trust, and 1t Is
hnpracticable 80 to combine circumstances as
to bring this below " cents or above 6o cents
for any considerable amount
As an item Of tariff taxation the sug-
ar schedule is ideal from the protection
ist standpoisk Sugar is the one article
used by poor and rich to ali equivalent
extent and a 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 q concern which is at once the
greatest Of our mean trusts and the
meanest Of onr great ones.
1t is consistent therefore that on this
one article there should be levied more
than ope-third of our total tariff taxa
ton, and that our people should be bur-
dened by tar of more than 800. 00O,-
600 that realizes less than $40, 0,000,.
600 for the treasury and more than
$40, 900, 900 for the sugar refining COM
bine, while the same combine Is enabled
to net an additional $40, 900, 600 BY the
opportunity given it to import at present
duty rates raw sugars from which it
can make refined to be sold by IL under
the enhanced price assured it BY the
proposed Aldrich schedule The net
protection" Of from 46 to 90 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 6x cents per 100 pounds-that
is to say, Senator Aldrich. in behalf OF
American labor, proposes unduly to tax
wage earners in order to give the trust
from FIVE to seven times az much PRO
lection" as it pays for all the labor in
volved.
Next to the wage Garner the farmer
is dear to the protectionist heart. and
he 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 Of the
far west has driven our farmers from
grain raising into fruit culture This
has now SO developed that except for
exports Of canned goods-jams, pre-
serves, etc.-in which we ought to sup
ply the world, the business Of fruit rails
ing has. in its turn. become almost profit
less. And poverty is now assured to
those who are dependent upon fruit cul-
ture by the proposed tax Of two cents
a pound on sugar This increases
by from 80 to 70 per cent the n.icle
which would make up from 40 to 20
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-
ple." Who are 1.-THE people!"
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