The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-21
The SUGAR CONTENTION

There is talk of pushing Senator Tell
er's resolution to send an investigating
committee to Cuba to inquire how the
relief to be acquired by Cuba. through
the house measure providing for a reel
procity treaty with the coming Cuban
government, would be dispensed thus
adJourning any consideration of the bill
until the investigating committee reports.
Delay IN the senate, in any form which
will carry: the relief matter into the sum-
mer, will be adverse to the interests of
the Cuban sugar producers, for they have
about finished grinding cane of the crop,
or 1901, which, in the absence of any re-
ductlon CT duties by congress, will have
to be sold at loss. Indeed, the 20 per
cent reduction would barely give them
fractional relief. If the senate chooses
to adopt the bill passed by the house the
gates would be opened for the beet sugar
producing countries of Europe to dump
their big surplus Of refined sugar on this
country at the same rate of duty they
are now paying on raw sugar. If anybody
can discover any advantage to Cuba in
such an arrangement as this it would be
interesting to see the demonstration.
The strenuous fight made by the beet
sugar men during the last three months.
has brought about much education of the
public on tie subject of the sugar duties
and 4others. By insisting upon an in
tensive discussion and defense of protec-
ton amounting to about 100 per cent,
the berefciaries of this enormous pro-
tective duty have invited consideration
of what is legitimate protection and what
is not legitimate. Protection has nothing
whatever to fear from free traders if the
controllers of the tariff hold the principle
of protection exclusively to it's legitimate
function. This has not been, done, and
insistence upon an unyielding mainte-
demand for even such slight reduction
as is embodied in the Cuban bill, is en-
tirely likely to make the prevailing senti-
ment on the subject distinctly heard at
the polls in November. The public would
like a tariff based on the business prin-
ciple of adopting the difference between
the cost of producing an article at home
and the cost of producing the article in
foreign lands as the true measure of duty
to be laid upon the imported foreign ar
ticle. This is scientific and adequate pro-
lection, and a tariff commission sitting
continuously could effect the adjustme mt
as the respective cost of production varies,
and on this principle congress would no
| longer be the arena of fierce fights over
the size of the various protective duties,
the general rule now being to make them
as high as possible.
| The senate will be wise if it quietly
accepts the house bill, -only amending il
to increase the reduction Of the sugar
duty so as to give Cuba not less thar
80 1-3 per cent off regular duties, and 81
per cent, if it's liberality can be stretched
that far, for SO per cent might do some
good. To wrangle over yielding anything
and resisting any reductionSin the heigh
of the tariff wall, is not very acreditabl,
to the statesmen so contending. The,
take no. thought whatever .of the abso
lutte equivalent we shall get in Cuba1
trade. Instead of. limiting the arrange
ment with Cuba so that it will expire il
December, 1903, it should stand for a
least five years.
There is little doubt that the tariff will
be a conspicuous issue in the next cam
paign, and it is evident, also, that tn
extreme nrot ecti0njsts have made if nos
sible.