The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-07

HnsTts 81 the RetAeslanas 70 nave Nor puears
Adr,itted Wilhelm tho nrtrn nntI.

~ ANN
WAsHrEoroN, Nov. q. - Assistant Secretary
Howell still has under consld Grafton the plea Of
Minister Weckherlin. from the Netherlands, for
the admission into the United States, without
the imposition Of countervailinR duties. OF sugars
from that country. II Ia understood that Mr..
WecknorIn assured Mr.. Howell that the only
charge made by the laws OF bis Government
upon the production Of sugars was in the
nature OF an excise tax, based upon the
100 Kilograms Of production. II tho sugar
were exported. that tax was remitted; but
retained II consumed In the country. He con.
tended that this could not DO construed as an
export bounty under any Interpretation Of tho
torm' That n slight excess OF payment might
be made, owing to the difficulty Of exact ascnr-
tninment OF the amount Of raw sugar used In
the production OF q specified amount Of the re-
lined material, was conceded; but that did not
warrant tho construction that the rebate was
In any way a bounty. 1t was pointed out that
tho Unitod States, at one time, ovcrpaid dis
tillers in the matter OF rebate Of tax assessed
on whiskey when 1t was withdrawn from bond
for export. but no one would say that The
United Statos paid a bounty for export whiskey
because the rebate allowance was too high.
comes to the Treasury Depart
ment that its decision 10 awaited with much
anxiety in New York. for the reason that 1t is
expected to AFFECT tho price OF the stock of the
American Sugar Refining Company. Officials
here do not see how any disturbance of values
could lcsitimately result, for the importation
of sugar from tho Netherlands is Of small impor-
lance compared to the vast amount consumed
In the United States, being only about 100000
pounds u year. No material change in the pres
ent conditions, it Ia said, would result from o
decision that the Netherlands product Is ad.
INVISIBLE without n countcrvailing duty. For, IL
tho raw material out of which 1t was refined
was the product of any country that paid an
export bounty ut the time OF production, a coun.
tervailing duty equal to tho amount OF that
bounty would be imposed. And 1t is the opinion
OF Treasury officials thnt the original cost OF the
sugar, with the regular and countervailinR du.
ties added. together with the cost of transporta-
ton, would equal IL not exceed the price at
which sugars refined in the United States are
sold at the factories.
Some interesting figures Of the cost of trans
portatiUn VI sugar have been compiled at the
Treasury Department. Freight rates are u
factor OF prime Importance in the sugar trade,
the variation of 1.32 OF a cent n hundred pounds
In the freight charges determining the destina-
ton of q cargo. The low cost Of tran,por, alton
Of German sugars has resulted in making Ham,
burg the greatest sugar market OF the world.
OF loading tho vesse the freight charge is only
$1.44 a ton. To bring sugar from Cuba to New
York by steamer costs from 81. 80 to $50 a ton.
Sugars from Java are transported at a cost
varying from Sc to % a ton by steamer. and by
sail at $5. 80 q ton. From other large sugar ex-
porting countries the rates per ton to New York
are: