Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-06-13
viii. SUGAR.
lConcluded.)

| In most countries of the world sugar
Is made a principal means of produc-
| ing revenue. In continental Europe,
| where beet-Sugar manufacture is pre-
valent, an excise duty is imposed either
| on the beetS used in the manufacture
of the sugar or on the sugar after it is
| manufactured. In this country and In
| Canada. and in most parts of British
| Australasia and India and throughout
the civilized world generally, duty
Is imposed on sugar imports. Great
| Britain is the only important country
| that does not impose a tax on sugar,
either to help to produce revenue or to
| protect the home production of sugar
] or to effect both these purposes. In
| our own country we do not impose a
tax on our home produced sugar, but
| we impose a tax on imported sugar
| except that which comes from the Ha-
waiian islands-both for purposes of
| revenue and as means of encouraging
| the production of sugar from our own
naturaI reproducing plants Of
the Whole revenue that we get from
customs duties sugar contributes by
| lar the largest share. For the year
ended June 30. 1898, our sugar duties
amounted to nearly S30,000,0OO, or over
| one-ffth of all our import duties In
some years QSS5 to 1900 they were as
high as $50 100000 annually. and in one
year QSSg they were S55,000 900.
|
l. 1881. sugar imported into this coun-
try was practically free of duty. Dur
| ing this period bounties were paid to
our sugar producers. the bounties in all
amounting to 100000 1t was in
tnese Tree" years that our importa-
lions or foreign sugar were heaviest
and our consumption of sugar per
capita or population largest. In the
four years ended June 30 1891, our i'm
portation of foreign sugar Gall free)
averaged over $3.50. 900 pounds a
year. The year 1897. owing to the
enormous production of sugar in Eu-
rope and the competition of European
sugar growers to control our sugar
market. was also a. year of excessive
importation.
In the beet-sugar producing countries
or Europe the excise and import duties
are so arranged that not only Is the
home manufacture of sugar encour-
aged, but the importation of foreign
sugar Is. commercially speaking. pro-
hioited- In most of these countries
also on all domestic sugar that is ex-
ported rebate is allowed. and this re-
pate is so managed that not only does
IL recoup the manufacturer for the ex-
else duty that he has paid on sugar he
exports. but also it becomes an actual
bounty paid to him for selling this
sugar to go abroad The rebate in
turer to sell his sugar in a foreign
| country at lower price than he other
wise would be able to do. AS the money
| Tor the payment by the government of
inns rebate comes from the excise duty
levied on the sugar that is not ex-
ported 1t follows that the consumers
/ WITHIN the country manufacturing the
sugar help to pay the cost of the sugar
used by the consumers in the country
importing it.
| France. Germany and Austria Hum
gary and the three beet-sugar produc-
fHg countries of Europe whose govern
| inents have done most to encourage the
production of sugar at home, by grant
ing rebates Cor indirect bountes) for
its export abroad. Frances bounties
paid for exported sugar have averaged
during twelve years $40, SOC, 900 per an
mum. Germanys bounties during an
equal period have averaged almost
S4,500.0OO. Austria Hungary's bounties
are hxcd as to maximum amount year
by year. but recently they have been
as high as 1854 900 $4,000 600 horins).
IN carrier years the amounts Of these
European sugar bounties we're much
greater than these. These bounties
enable the sugar producers of Europe
| 10 sell their sugars abroad at much
| lower prices than they can sell them at
home. For example, in France in re-
| cent years the premium paid by the
| government on exported sugar has been
as high as cent pound. This bounty
OF cent pound enabled the French
sugar manufacturer to sell his product
| abroad at cent a pound less than he
| otherwise could do; in other words TO
pay the consumer abroad a bonus or
subsidy of cent a pound for using his
sugar. OF course this cent pound sub
say must come from the pocket of the
| FTenCh consumer TOT
amount at present paid by the people
OF continental Europe as bonuses or
subsidies to foreign consumers of their
oeet sugar is estimated at not less than
s!a'oOO'000 per annum. Some years ago
me BOARD of trade of Great Britain
e the gain to the people Of
Great Britain and Ireland in cheap food
and cheap raw material because of the
sugar bounty system of continental Eu-
rope to be not less than S25, 1000. 900 per
annum.
There Is among the nations of the
word. even among those nations that
maintain them, very general objec-
tion 70 these sugar bounties The peo-
pie OF Great Britain indeed have greatly
benefited from them. Sugar. because
OF them, is very cheap in Great Britain.
and the consumption of sugar there per
capita is to-day SIS pounds. as compar-
ed with Is pounds In 1910 and SO pounds
in 1860. a great deal of profitable in
dustry has grown up in Britain as a
consequence OF cheap sugar such as
Discriminating. jam making. chocolate
making, confectionery making, varnish
and backing marking. ETC., etc. But
though England would not go so far as
to prohibit the importation Of bounty
FED sugar or to impose a "countervail-
Ing import duty upon 1t, few people
In England would regret the abandon
ment of sugar-bounty giving by the