Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-05-09
CUBAN RELIEF BILL
ACTION OF THE HOUSE PLACES IT
IN A NEW POSITION.
Possibility That Combinations of Votes
May Carry the Measure Through the
Senate In Substantially Its Present
Shape-The Morris Amendment.

Inc result or the voting In the mousse
on the Cuban relief bill places not
merely the prospect for securing re-
lief, but the whole sugar schedule Of
the tariff, If not the entire tariff, in
new and quite unexpected position.
This results not so much from the
adoption of the Morris amendment by
the combined vote of the Democrats
and the beet sugar and other Repub-
licans as from the passage of the bill
as amended by the combined vote OF
| the Democrats and the administration
Republicans.
There seemed to be sufficient reason
| to believe that the adoption of the
| amendment would have the effect to
kill the bill. Since it did not, we need
not be greatly surprised to see like
succession of combinations carry the
bill in substantially its present shape
through the senate. The possibility
of this outcome makes the situation
extremely interesting.
The Morris amendment goes far be-
yond the abolition of the differential
duty on refined sugar. 1t wipes out
the entire sugar schedule and substi-
tutes one specific rate on all grades OF
sugar from the cheapest up to the re-
fined article.
The present schedule starts with
duty of ninety-fve hundredths OF
cent per pound testing by the polari-
scope not above seventy-five degrees,
and adds thirty-five thousandths Of a
cent for each additional degree of
saccharine strength. This makes the
rate 1926 cents per pound on sugar
testing 100, or the maximum. The
Morris amendment makes this the uni
form rate on all sugars from the low
est to the highest grade, including re-
fined.
If this should become the law one
effect would be to shut out all low
grade raw sugars, because 1t would
not pay the refiners to import any but
the highest grade sugars even from
Cuba.
Another effect would be to place the
refiners at a disadvantage in compel
ing against foreign reflners, except in
refining sugars which they could get
free of duty from Hawaii and at re-
duced rates of duty from Cuba. Pay
ing the same specific rate on raw sug-
ar as would be charged on refined.
they would be paying higher ad
valorem rate. This obviously would
place our refiners at disadvantage,
Just as it would the foreign producers
of low grade sugars. Absolutely free
trade in sugars of all grades would be
better for the refners than the Morris
tariff.
Still another effect of the passage OF
this bill would be to abolish the coun-
tervailng duty on sugars imported
from countries which pay bounties on
their home product. Those countries
give their sugar producers an advan.
tage in foreign markets, just as we
by our tariff give an advantage to
our producers of steel and many other
articles.
If protection is defensible in any
case it is defensible for the protection
of our home producers against for
eign products which are directly or
indirectly bountied.
The most important practical effect
of the bill in case it should become
law in its present shape in all proba-
bility would be the importation OF
enormous quantities of refined sugar,
where now scarcely any is imported,
and a corresponding decrease in the
importation of raw sugar.
Our refiners would still refine the
home product and all that we might
import from Hawaii and Cuba, but
their business would be vastly reduced.
This would the more certainly be the
case if the bounty policy should be
continued by European countries. If
that policy should be abandoned our
refiners very likely would be able to
hold their own.
When we consider what the effects
of the bill would be we find it difficult
to believe that it will ever become
law in it's present shape. 1t is not
merely that the refining interests will
fight it to the best of their ability,
and that their ability has proved to
be very formidable in the past but
that the administration Republicans
when it comes to pinch will prefer
to sacrifice Cuba rather than permit
such a dangerous breach to be made
in the protection wall as this bill
would effect.
Besides, there must be getting to-
gether, or there will be an irreparable
breach in the party, which Is nothing
if not protectionist.