The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-22
DUTY ON IMPORTS OF SUGAR WOULD
CAUSE MILLIONS OF Loss.

Russia has threa tened retaliation and the
felt in Savannah, where orders for naval
stores have been cancelled and a material
decline in prices has been induced. 1t is
hoped that through the concurrent action
of very many commercial bodies through
out the country it will be possible TO in
duce Secretary Gage to suspend the en-
forcement of his order until some salts
factory solution of the problem may be
reached through diplomatic channels.
At the meeting were President D. G.
Purse, Secretary c. l. Chestnut Messrs.
]. P. Williams, F. C. Battey, ]. f. c.
Myers, II. A. Crane, c. Schwarz and
others. Those engaged in the naval stores
business in Savannah, who are principally
interested in the continuance of amicable
and unimpeded trade relations with Rus
STA, predomnated at the meeting.
President Purse called the meeting to
order and stated it's object. Then he
asked Mr.. Frank C. Battey to take the
chair and offered the following resou-
tons:
honorable Secretary of the Treasury Of
the United States, Hon. Lyman ]. Gag,
in the matter of the importation of beet
sugar from Russia is unsett.ing the en-
tire commerce OF this country with Rus
STA, by Russia threat at retaliation;
which is practically endangering eXpor,s
amounting to many millions of dollars
for single import, represented by less
than a half mil ion dOllaIs. and
Whereas, the honorable secretary's de-
cision may possibly rest upon a misap-
prehension, or a misinterpretation of
Russia's laws, and whether the decision
promulgated be right, or not, this body
believes that the matter in dispute should
have been matter of correspondence
and be adjusted through that medium, in
a spirit Of mutual concessions, consider
ing the very close and friendly relations
of the two countries; though the honor
able secretary's position be all right aud
Russia's position all wrong;
Therefore, Be 1t resolved, That this
Board of Trade respectfully urges the
honorable Secretary of the Treasury to
suspend his decision and make the dit
ferences existing between this country
and Russia a matter of friendly CORE
spondence, that the unrest the promu ga
ton or his decision has produc upol
the commerce of the two countries may
be quoted; and,
Resolved further, That copy of these
resolutions, attested by the signatures of
the president and secretary of this body
he transmitted to the honorable Score
tary of the Treasury through our imme-
date representative in Congress, Hon.
Rufus E. Lester"
The resolutions were seconded by Mr..
j. f. c. Myers
In support of his resolutions Cant.
Purse said that Russia was a beet sugar
producing country, but that its entire
exports of this product were comparative
~ small, and would grow smaller and
smaller with each succeeding year. Rus
STA produces only about 10000 tons of
beet sugar annually, and of this amount
more than 100000 is consumed at home
IN Russia in Europe. With the compile
ton of the Trans-Siberian Railway "A
constantly growing percentage or the ex.
cess of production over domestic consume
ton would be required 10 supply the de-
mand in Russia's Asiatic possessions.
On the contrary, said Capt. Purse, there
are many American industries that would
be interfered with seriously if Russia
should adopt retaliatory measures and
place inhibitory duties upon the importa
ton of American products. With Asiatic
Russia the exports of the United States
in 1899 amounted to 81, $4,000, and for
eleven months of the year, 1900, to 50 s3s g.
O0J, having more than doubled in a sing;e
year.
Il am afraid" said Capt Purse. "that
the Secretary of the Treasury has placed
IN peril this vast volume of our trade
with one of our best customers, in order
to protect further a single industry, tina
doesn't need protection, and to neip mo
Capt. Purse said that in matters SUCH
as these the secretary had large dis
cretionary powers, and that it was am
ply within his right to suspend the ell
forcement of his order. which had brought
on all the trouble. until some satisfactory
and amicable adjustment of the matter
could be reached.
Mr. j. p. Williams was Of opinion that
the Secretary of the Treasury i'm passing
his order had only compiled with a man
date of the reciprocity law and that he
had no further discretion in the matter
Mr. Williams was doubtful of the possi
bility of obtaining relief by an appeal to
secretary Gage and favored sending comics
OF the resolutions to be passed by the
Board of Trade to all the representatives.
in Congress from Georgia and to all the
senators from the Southern states. in or
der that some congressional action on the
SdpJttN HllSuL ne iHduCeu ana some needed
change in the laws made.
But Mr.. Williams had no difference with
the others as to the III effects upon Savan-
nah's export trade with Russia that the
order of the Secretary of the Treasury
and the measures that Russia would
adopt in retaliation would be likely TO in
duce. He said that the order would prove
exceedingly detrimental to the naval
stores interests of the port.
Mr.. Williams said that $50 900 barrels Of
rosin are shipped from the United States
TO Russia every year and that almost all
of this went from the port of Savannah.
Already one exporter had told him that
orders for 10000 barrels which he had re-
ceived, had been cancelled by the Russian
customer of his house to which the rosin
was 10 have been shipped. The market
has shown the effects OF the secretary's
order and has declined perceptibly since
1t was issued.
There is one consolation" said Mr.
Williams. "a large and Influential class
among our friends in the North are In
The same fix as are we. The iron inter
ests up there will suffer a blow even
more serious than the one che naval
stores interests will receive. II is not
likely that our friends with steel raj a
and locomotives 10 sell will SIT du'es-ent
while their interests are thus inv, ded,
and with fhelr assistance we may n. %
70 accomplish much" Mr.. williams con-
eluded by repeating his suggestion thar
the Beard OF Trade take some Action
looking to the Inauguration of coreres