New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-02
THE SUGAR SCHEDULE.
SOME COMMENTS ON SENATOR ALDRICIrs
SPEECH


To the Editor Of The Tribune.
| Sir: The full report Of Senator Aldrichs
speech on the tariff embraces the following i'm
portant explanation regarding the sugar sched"
| ule.
! In the tables have submitted no allusion Is made
ate and House proposals The adoption of these or
similar provisions for countervaing duties seems seen,
! to be a necessity II 10 develop the beet-slgar
industry in the United States. Otherwise 1t Will be
possible for any foreign country by extension OF
| protective duties. . Whether II would be pos
sble to successfully collect the 80 cents or 2 cents
! per hundred pounds on any imported rennen IN
very problematcal 1t would be extremely difficult
ncd 9rs from Holland ' or Great Britain
which bounty-paid German raw sugars haye s pevn
| ing 1888 cents per hundred pounds differen'ial be-
| tween the bounty on raw and rehned sugar Is 80
given any considerable value in the discussion of
| this proposition.
| II does not seem quite clear why the Senator
regards the provision for countervailing duties
necessity If at the same time he seriously doubts
the possibility of enforcing it. If it is really
| matter of doubt whether the Treasury Depart
| ment can collect additional duty on sugar
| imported from countries which pay bounty on
| exports, then II would seem TO be time for Con-
| gress to provide some remedy. A statement
| from the Secretary OF the Treasury might be
desired on that part of the question. But the
| committee for which Senator Aldrich speaks
| has reported the provision for duties equivalent
| to any bounties paid, and 1t must be assumed
| that the committee did not suppose 1t would be
| found an empty or worthless provision. Mr..
Aldrch states that Germany pays an export
bounty Of 81 cents per hundred pounds on raw
and 80 cents on refined sugar, and until the
Senate decides to omit the equivalent extra
duty from the bill, 1t must be assumed that it
can and Will be enforced. at least sufficiently
to determine tho cost Of any large quantity OF
refined sugar brought in to compete with the
domestic product
II 30. the argument Of Senator Aldrich In re-
gard to the exposure Of the refining interest to
German competition loses much OF its weight.
1t Is entirely based upon the idea that the Ger
man first marks graduated is the refined sugar
which completes with the product OF American
works and, II 80, the additional duty Of 3S cents
per hundred pounds would surely suffice. with
the regular duty on all refined sugar to give the
preference to refined sugars from other countries
or to sugar for refining. 1t must be added
that those who are believed to know the business
well maintain that the trade Of German granu-
lated which the Senator selects does not in fact
compete effectively with American refined until
it has passed through a further process
The Senator states that fine German granu-
lated costs 13 cents per hundred pounds
more and Dutch cane granulated 30 cents
more. so that the duty on these would
be higher and the test of the advantage allowed
TO rehners would seem TO require comparison Of
the duties on such sugar with the duties on the
raw sugar from which similar refined may be
produced.
Mr.. Adrich states that nearly twO-thirds Of
the cane sugar imported tests 96 degrees. and
fixes the price at 225 cents, but the average cost
OF sugar Of that test In January was 2.069 cents,
while the average cost of all the cane sugar i'm
ported in that month was only 1.196 cents. 1t
seems to be obvious that the practical effect of
duties must be reckoned not upon the reported
value in a particular month Of particular grade,
but upon the sum actually paid by refners for
the sugar they imported. and that was between
the New-York value Of 81 and % degrees test for
that month 1t is therefore fair to assume that
the imported cane sugar would have borne under
the Senate schedule no higher duty than II 1t had
all been Of the average value Of % degrees test,
which would make the Senate duty 1.49SG cents.
In the same month the average cost of refined
sugar imported was 1884 cents, on which the
Senate duty would he 1879 cents, or about half
n cent moro than the duty on the raw sugar. By
selecting other months or particular grades a
different showing could be made, but the aver
age Of actual imports seems TO afford the only
test. In March the same test would make the
difference 040i OF n cent per pound.
Mr. Aldrich reasons that the differential must
be calculated on the quantity of sugar Of the
given grades necessary to produce one
hundred pounds Of refined. 1T the loss
in quantity is part Of the cost OF refn-
ing. 1t would quite as legitimate TO
deduct all other costs of refining from the
duty to deduct that part of it. Under the
Senate bill the refner would actually receive
close to half cent advantage in rate of duty to
cover all the expenses of refining, and it does
not matter what the allowance would be if one
part or another Of the cost were deducted. If the
loss In quantity Of sugar is so great that 114W
pounds Of % degree test are required to make
100 pounds refined, as Senator Aldrich states
then about .22i of cent would be lost In the
duty on the excess OF sugar thus used. But even
then the benefit remaining to refners on the
quantity consumed in this country. which Mr..
Aldrich puts at 100000 gross tons. would be
more than ST. 100000 yearly, and the entire
amount Of wages paid by refiners in 1890 was
only about S2S15000 Mr.. Adrich reckons that
the cost Of sugar to consumers would be $4,000
600 more than the cost of raw sugar, but no es-
innate puts the revenue of the Government at
over S52O0O00O The remaining S1S,000,000
seems large sum to contribute to an industry
in wages. G NJ. w.
New-York, May 30, 1897.