Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-02
Consumption of Sugar.

Consumption of Sugar.
Regarding sugar, Secretary Taft says:
mo sugar is now imported into this coun-
try from the Philippines Two or three car
goes were sent as an experiment, but they
resulted In heavy loss to their owners.
They were called 'cargoes in Distress
This country is now using 2, 100, 900 tons
of sugar, of which 1900, 600 tons from Cuba
pays 80 per cent of the Dingley rate of duty.
6OOU0 tons from other foreign countries
pays 100 per cent of the Dingley rates, and
100000 tons are raised either in Hawaii,
Porto Rico or the United States proper. 1t
follows that as long as the United States
demand creates the need for Importation of
the supply of 100000 tons or any part of 1t
from the rest of the world the price of raw
sugar in the markets of the United States
will be regulated by the price at which for
elgn sugars can be sold after paying the full
Dingiey rates. and that after such foreign
importation shall cease the price of raw
sugar in the United States will be regulated
by the price at which Cuban sugar can be
delivered in the United States after paying
50 per cent duty
ut follows that no supply to the markets
of the United States at any cost and at any
duty, however low, from the Philippines will
or can affect the price of raw sugar in the
United States until both foreign and Cuban
importatonS cease. If the price of sugar in
the markets of the United States is not af-
fected by Philippine importations then the
domestic producers are not in the slightest
degree affected to their prejudice.
Philippine Competition.
1T follows, therefore, that until the do
mestic production of sugar and the Phil
ippine importation combined, shall increase
:he supply of the United States by more.
than 100000 TONS the price will not be
affected either by the Philippine or the
domestic production. AS the growth in
the United States demand for sugar from
year to year is considerably greater than
the increase in domestic production of su-
gar 1t follows necessarily that the Phil
ippine importation into the United States
must increase from nothing, as 1t now Is,
to $4,000 tons, to sustain the contention
of the opposition"
Secretary Taft then at length and in
detail undertakes to show that any consid-
cradle increase in the importation of sugar
from the Philippines is impossible.
Consumption of Tobacco.
Regarding the tobacco industry of the
Philippines Secretary Taft says:
mo tobacco Of any kind is exported COM
mercially from the Philippine Islands to the
United States. No tobacco Is raised in the
Philippines except leaf adapted either for
wrappers or filters or for smoking tobacco
Six hundred million pounds of tobacco is
raised In the United States, of which $780,
100000 is exported. One hundred and sixty
four million pounds of leaf for cigars is con-
sumed In the United States. Not more than
10000. 600 pounds OF tobacco is produced In
the Philippines, and of this but 100000
pounds is exported OF these exports very
small amount, say 10 per cent, is wrapper
leaf, and the remainder is filler leaf and
smoking tobacco. The price for wrapper
leaf In Manila per pound Is 30 cents. (See
Governor Wrights cable) The duty per
pound at % per cent of the Dingley rate
would be 4G cents, making the cost in New
York, without freight or insurance, 16 cents
1r;1 t,ei<91 HI crrnn ~ a
Connecticut wrapper leaf, which is better
leaf than the Philippine wrapper leaf. The
price for filler leaf in Manila is 10 cents a
pound. (See Governor Wrights cableo The
duty per pound ats25 per cent of the Ding
ley rate would be s cents a pound, or the
filler tobacco from the Philippines OF the
best quality would be Is cents a pound in
New York without freight or insurance,
price several cents higher than filler from
Ohio or Pennsylvania or other states. In
other words. there is not the slightest dan
ger of wrapper filler tobacco from the
Philippines competing with American filler
leaf.
1.-THE Philippines only export 105,000,o00
cigars to all countries, whereas America
alone manufactures seven billion cigars.
The suggestion that the export from the
Philippines could seriously affect the Amer
lean market is absurd.
There is little prospect of any great eX-
panson of the tobacco growing industry Of
the islands, as the area is limited, the land
sparsely settled and the supply of labor
small
Passage of the Bill Urged.
For the considerations above stated. I
earnestly urge this honorable committee to
report favorably the bill under discussion
reducing the duty on sugar and tobacco to
% per cent of the Dingley tariff. / sincere
ly hope that the committee will not be led
in spirit of compromise to a reduction TO
merely so per cent of the Dingley rates. l
am confident that so per cent rate would
not do the islands the slightest good or re-
suit in any appreciable importation of either
tobacco sugar into this market At one
time l hoped it might, but our experience
with a reduction of rs per cent satisfies me
that / was mistaken. The only possible
good that 80 per cent rate would do would
be to show how ridiculous are the claims
of the beet sugar and tobacco men who
have appeared before you as opponents of
this bill and thus led you slowly on to tardy
Justice to the Philippine Islands.
II hope, moreover, that the committee
will not be led to hesitate to vote right on
this bill and on the showing made here, be-
cause of a fear or belief that it may not
pass the House or the Senate for shortnesS
of time. | plead for justice for the Philip
pines before this the leading committee of
the House of Representatives, and ask a
decision on the merits of this bill without
regard to the future fate of this particular
bill: because your just judgment will be of
the greatest weight in every one of the flu
ture discussions of the issues presented to
which / propose. as long as through official
channel I may properly do so, to invite
the continued attention of Congress-