The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1908-11-18
PROFIT ONBEET SUGAR
Too Small to Permit Foreign
Competition, Say Producers.

Chairman Payne Indicated Possible
Action of the Committee With Re.
gard to the Sugar Schedule - Told
Secretary Wright the Menace, II
Any, Was From Cuban Sugar,
Which Enjoys a 20 Per Cent Re.
duction-Mr. Wright Favors Limited
Free Entry From Islands.
Washington, Nov. 1.-THE allega
tion that the so-called sugar trust"
controls the price paid the grower and
the price charged the consumer of
sugar, the secretary of war putting
himself on record as a champion of
free entry for Philippine sugar, and
the general stand pat" attitude of the
beet sugar growers who appeared be-
fore the ways and means committee
of the house, were the features of the
hearing on the revision of the tariff as
it would affect sugar
81 just heard that the committee
was hearing arguments on the tariff
on sugar and tobacco, which affects
the Philippine islands," said the form
er governor Of the islands. 1--WE are
now having an investigation made in
the Philippines regarding the cost of
production in the islands and other
matteSs relating to the question.
From what | have just heard, the prin-
cipal objection by the beet sugar grow
er to the admission free of duty of
Philippine sugar lies in the danger
that their markets will be inundated
by the Philippine article.
Islands Could Not Affect Market.
at is NOT possible the Philippine is
lands could supply the actual increase
in demand for sugar, year by year, in
the United States. In that case there
Is no reason why the Philippine is
lands should affect the market until
the beet and cane sugar produced
within the tariff wall increased 1,S00,-
600 tons. Before the beet sugar in
dustry is in the slightest danger It
must increase from 100000 tons an
nually to 100000 tons, and from an
nual reports it would take fifty years
to do this. cannot see how it would
affect the domestic product if Philip
pine sugar were placed for a time on
the free list"
Chairman Payne indicated that the
possible action of the committee with
regard to the sugar schedule would be
to recommend that certain amount
OF Philippine sugar be admitted free
OF duty each year and that the present
tariff be imposed on any above that
amount. He told Secretary Wright
that the menace If any, was from the
Cuban sugar, which enjoys reduc-
tion in the tariff of 20 per cent.
He also intimated that the question
OF Philippine tariff was so important
a question that it might not be con-
sidered as being 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 he
could gather more information. He
said he favored limited free entry on
sugar and tobacco from the Philip
pines. Secretary Wright said that the
production of sugar In the Philippines
would not increase to any extent.
What Beet Sugar Men Say.
Representative Fordney of Michi-
gan, who has large number of sugar
beet farmers among his constituents,
told the secretary that the same argu-
ment was put forth with regard to the
Cuban sugar several years ago and yet
the production in Cuba had increased
very largely, and the American beet
sugar industry had not increased very
much.
"The beet sugar people say that
the American Sugar Refining compa.
ny has no interest in their factories"
said the secretary, referring to the
so-called trust" yet three years ago
they said trustee, understood to rep
resent the American Sugar Refining
company, owned 81 per cent of the
stock Of all the beet sugar factories.
That may be the reason why the beet
sugar industry in this country has not
grown rather than the importation Of
Cuban sugar. There has been no re-
duction in the prices of sugar in
number Of years"
Col. D. D. Colcock, on behalf Of the
Louisiana Cane Sugar Growers, said
that the methods by which the trust"
names the price which It would pay
the grower are unfair and "damnable."
Henry T. Oxnard, F. r. Hathaway,
c. II Smith, F. T. Scholes, G. w. Nc
Cormick and w. II. Baird, represent
ing the Beet Sugar Manufacturers of
the West. asked that the present tariff
be maintained or If changed that it
be Increased, claiming that the margin
Of profit on beet sugar was too small
to permit of any competition with the
foreign refiners.
Eoonarorie Maeeana ~ Iananaea EIaat