The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-11-20
THE OWOSSO TINES
EDMUND O. DEWEY. EDITOR.
OWOSsO, FRIDAY. NOV. 20, 1908
The Tariff on Sugar.

Congressman Fordney was obliged
to cut short his deer hunting trip in
the upper peninsula, spending but
two days with his party and then re-
turning home to leave for Washing
ton to attend the session of the ways
and means committee which is hear
ing the various interests to The affect
ed by a change in tariff rates. On
Monday the question of the tariff on
sugar was taken up and the sessions
since were full of interest. Cong.
Fordney has been very prominent in
the work of the committee, looking
carefully after the interests of the
beet growers of Michigan and other
states. Secretary of War Wright APP
peared to urge free sugar and tobac-
CO for Philippine growers, declaring
that it was not possible for the in
crease in production in the island to
be sufficient within the next fifty
years to affect the domestic interests.
To this Cong. Fordney replied that
the same argument had been made in
behalf of Cuba several years ago and
yet the production of Cuban sugar
had increased very largely while the
beet sugar industry in this country
had not increased much. He also as
sured Secy. Wright that he had no
interest in behalf of the sugar trust,
saying that his course was directed
entirely by the interest of the 10000
Michigan farmers who are growing
beets. Secy. G. N. Smith of the
Owosso Sugar Co., assured the COM
mittee that the factories at Owosso
and Lansing are absolutely indepen-
dent of any trust connections and
that none of the stock was held by
people interested in the sugar trust.
Free trade in sugar was advocated
by Claus A. Spreckels, president of
the Federal Sugar Refining Co.. and
sugar refiners.
Mr.. Stillman, being closely press
ed by Congressman Crumpacker and
Fordney on the underlying principle
of protection to American labor, said
bluntly that he disliked the term.
81 do not think" said he. 'that
American labor is protected I think
it is degraded"
Giving what seemed to be his fur
Their confidence to the committee, Mr..
Stillman added that while he was in
favor of protective duty on refined
sugar as a manufacturer. as a citizen
he believed that the welfare of the
whole community would be advanced
by taking the tariff off "Sugar re-
finers did not need protection" he
said.
Mr.. Stillman admitted that fre>
trade in sugar would make it difficult
for the beet sugar factories of Mich
igan to exist, but he thought they
might survive by learning how TO
raise sugar beets more reasonably
and how to extract more sugar from
them.
committee he asserted that the tariff
on raw sugar was of no benefit to the
growers Of sugar cane, and he ad-
united candidly that. like all refiners,
he bought the raw product as cheap
1y as he could and at the most ad-
vanta geous season. Protection on
raw sugar was thus absorbed by the
refiners or manufacturers. This was
due to circumstance
Cane sugar, beet sugar and Cuban
sugar crops reaching the markets
about the same time of the year low
cred the price, and the popularity Of
the sugar crop was that it could not
be withheld. 1t had to be marketed
Immediately.
In a prepared statement Mr..
Spreckels made this declarations:
Beet sugar factories, in proper
localities, such as Colorado. Utah,
Idaho and Oergon. should, and | am
informed, can produce granulated
sugar at two and one-half cents al