Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-16
BUGABOO OF CONGRESS
Old Question Of Tariff on
Sugar Revived.
CONSUMER FORGOTTEN
BUYING LESS, BUT HE IS PAYING
MORE FOR IT.
Not Getting Any Benefit From the
Concessions Granted to Hawaii
and the Philippines.

Sugar which has been bugaboo in Con-
gress for a number of years, is again loom
ing up to cause trouble In both parties and
at each end of the Capitol. The cause of
disturbance this time Is the effort of the
administration to secure reductions Of the
customs duty on raw sugar entering the
United States from the Philippines. This Is
undertaken by the administration with the
idea OF encouraging the industries of the
Philippines and increasing the material
prosperity of the islands.
The movement is being opposed by the
beet sugar growers of the middle states
and the Pacific coast and the cane sugar
producers of Louisiana. Hearings are be-
ing held by the ways and means commit
tee, and the subject of competition of out
side producers of raw sugar with infant
American industries-the same subject
which was threshed over with Hawaii, with
Porto Rico and the Cuban reciprocity bill
Is again being gone over.
There are many sides to the question: and
statesmen In their alignment, necessitated
by their local conditions, find ready argu-
ment on all phases of the proposition.
The Consumer Not Benefited.
One fact stands out clear above all argu-
ments. and that is the American consumer
of sugar is the only one who is not getting
any benefit from the legislation OF the past
Offlcial figures just issued by the bureau or
statistics show that the consumers of the
United States paid $40.GO0.000 more for their
sugar last year than for the corresponding
period in 1904, and that they used less
sugar. The Cuban and Hawaiian producers,
the American refners ana the American
farmers are profiting, but the man Whs
buys the sugar for his table is paying more
for IT and using less. 1t was testified be-
fore the ways and means committee tnat
as to Cuban sugar the producer In Cupa
has made a gain of Is cents per hundred
pounds, and the refiner in the United States
Is cents per hundred pounds. That Will go
a little way toward explanation of the TACT
that the people Of the United States paid
$40 ,OO0,Oo0 more for their sugar.
German Importations Decreased.
Considering the subject impartially, 1t is
shown that the beet sugar industry in this
country Is increasing and the importations
of beet sugar from Germany fell off from
nearly $1,000 900 in 1904 to a little more than
81 .OOO 900 in 1905. The importations from
the Philippines increased from less than
half a million to s., 200, 600; they increased
81 600 900 from Porto Rico, about S12, 100000
from Hawaii and S13OO0,OO0 from Cuba. 1t
Is well known, Of course, that the Cuban
sugar comes in on a concession OF 70 per
cent from the Dingley rates and the Philip
pines sugar on concession OF 70 per cent
the Philippines concession to the extent OF
10 per cent.
While the beet sugar and cane sugar men
and the sugar-refining interests are squab-
bling in Congress 1t is likely that a number
of statesmen will take up the question of
why the consumers are not getting some of
the benefit of the concessions allowed by
Congress.
Political Parties Seriously Divided.
Another interesting phase of the stu
a ton In Congress is the fact that political
parties are dividing more seriously on this
question than ever before. The Louisiana
senators, who represent constituency
that wants low tariff duties on everything
but sugar, have been consistent in their
attitude all along. They will be Joined this
year by other democrats of the Senate
Dubois Of Idaho, Teller and Patterson of
Colorado Newlands of Nevada, Clark of
Montana, and doubtless by the new senator
from Oregon, Mr.. Gearin. 1t is said that
| these senators will oppose the reduction of
the Philippine tariff in the interests of the
beet sugar growers in the irrigated west
So, taken all together, the whole propo-
sition is likely to make an interesting situ-
alton in Congress.