The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-11-20
SUGAR TARIFF THE ISSUE Il.

SCG A Il L RlFE Il Ii II ISS y Il.
The allegation that the so called
"Sugar Trust controls the price
paid the grower and the price charg-
ed the consumer of sugar, the Secre-
tary of War putting himself on rec
ord as a champion of free entry for
Philippine sugar and the general
"standpat" attitude of the beet sugar
growers who appeared before the
Ways and Means Committee of the
House were the features OF Tuesdays
hearing on the revision of the tariff
as it would affect sugar.
S .cretary of War Luke E Wright
and Gen. Clarence Edwards, chief oil
the Insular Bureau, were present st
the hearing. Chairman Payne ask
ed Secretary Wright if he cared to
make any remarks.
81 just heard that the committee
was hearing arguments on the tariff
on sugar and tobacco, which aft, cts
the Philippine Islands" said the
former Governor of the islands I'VE
are now having an investigation
made in the Philippines regarding
the cost of production in the islands
and other matters relating TO the
question. From what l haye Just
heard the principal objection by the
beet surgar COVER to the admission
of Philippine sugar free of duty lies
in the danger that their markets VIII
be inundated by the Philippine artf-
Gle.
at is not possible that the Philip
nine Island could supply the actual
increase in demand for sugar year by
wear in the United States. In that
case there is no reason why the Phil
ippine Islands should affect the
market until the beet and cane sugar
produced within the tariff wall in
creases 100000 tons. Before the
best sugar industry is in the slightest
danger it must increase from 40 600
tons annually to 100000 tons, and
from annual reports it would take so
wears to do this. [ can't see how it
would affect the domestic product if
Philippine sugar were placed for a
time on the free list"
Chairman Payne indicated that
the possible action of the committee
with regard to the schedule would
be to recommend that certain
amount of Philippine sugar be adj
mitted free of duty each Year and
that the present tariff be imposed on
any above that amount. lie told
Secretary Wright that the menace,
if any, was from the Cuban sugar.
which enjoys a reduction in the
tariff of 90 per cent: He also init
inflated that the question of Phil.
ppine tariff was so important 4pes,
ton that it might not be considered
as bein g strictly a part OF. the work
of revising the Dingley tariff, but
would be taken up separately.
Secretary Wright asked to be heard
further on the subject as soon as be
could gather more information He
said he favored limited free entry
on sugar and tobacco from the
Philippines.
Secretary Wright said that the
production of sugar in the Philip
pines would not increase to any ex-
tent. Representative Fordney, of
Michigan, who has a large number
of sugar beet farmers among his
constituents, told the Secretary that
the same argument was put forth
with regard to Cuban sugar several
years ago, and yet the production
in Cuba had increased very largely
and the American beet sugar in
dustry has not increased very much.
"The beet sugar people say that
the American Sugar Refining Com
pany has no interest in their fac.
tories" said the Secretary, refer
ring to the so-called trust" yet three
years ago they said trustee, under
stood to represent the American
Sugar Refining Company, owned
81 per cent. of the stock of all the
beet factories. That may be the
reason why the beet sugar industry
in this country has not grown and
the importation of Cuban sugar, as
alleged. There has been no reduction
in the prices of. sugar in a number
of years"
A DISTINGUISH CAT II