The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-10-06

UNUEk kEFUDLI
CONTINUED fr
showing the development OF the in
dustry under the protective tariff fol
low:
The fact that about $1O0,000,000
worth OF sugar is brought from foreign
countries each year to meet the de-
mands Of the people OF the United
States, coupled with the belief that
the production of this great sugar sup
ply by farmers is possible, renders
proper a careful consideration Of the
effect Of the recent legislation by
which sugar from Porto Rico and the
Hawaiian islands is admitted free Of
duty, that from the Philippines at 25
per cent below, and that from Cuba
at 20 per cent below tho regular tariff
rates. { Will the absolute removal Of
all duty on sugar from Porto Rico and
the Hawaiian islands and the reduc-
ton Of Is per cent on sugar from the
Philippines and 20 per cent on that
from Cuba destroy the b%eet-sugar In
dustry OF the United States or work
to it's disadvantage? While It Is q
fact that the annexation Of Hawaii and
it's organization as q territory and Gus
toms district Of the United States re-
moved permanently all tarif o mer-
chandise from those islands or passing
into them from the United States, that
fact made no change in the rates Of
duty 0 n sugar from the islands, its
only effect being to render absolutely
permanent the conditions which had
existed ever since the treaty of 1876,
by which sugar from the Hawaiian
islands was admitted free on agree
ments that products of the United
States should be admitted into the
Hawaiian islands free OF duty, and
that condition continued down to the
annexation Of Hawaii, when it was
made permanent, as above indicated.
In the case Of Porto Rico all Of the
duty except Is per cent was removed
by the act establishing the government
sof Porto Rico, and the remainder Of
that duty disappeared as soon as the
Porto Rican government announced
its ability to provide It's own revenues.
The reduction Of Is per cent In the
rates OF duty On merchandise from the
Philippine islands occurred on March
g, 1902.
Effect on the Home Producer.
All of these removals of duty on.
sugar from our own possessions have
been in force a %sufacient length Of
time to give opportunity to test their
effect upon domestic sugar production.
The quantity Of sugar imported from
Porto Rico Increased from 86,607,317
pounds in the fiscal year 1897 to 408,-
1879 9 pounds in the fiscal year 1907.
The sugar imports from the Hawaiian
islands have increased from 431,196,-
$50 pounds in 1897 to 822,O14, 81
pounds in the fiscal year 1907; and
those from the Philippine stands de-
creased from 72,463,577 pounds in the
fiscal year 1897 to 25,164,756 pounds
in the fiscal year 1907-the reduction
in imports of sugar being, of course,
due to the destruction Of plantations
and machinery during the q Thus
the quantity Of sugar imported from
Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippine
islands In 1907 was practically double
that of 1897. The entire quantity Of
sugar brought into the United States
in the fiscal year 1907 amounted to 81
2~24,259,732 pounds. OF this total Inn
portation, 1,230,164.S03 pounds came
from Porto Rico and the Hawaiian Is.
lands, and was absolutely free Of duty.
and this formed 23.5 per cent, Or
practically one-fourth Of the total;
while that from the Philippine Islands,
which amounted to 25,164,756 pounds,
came in with . reduction Of IS per
cent. Of the regular duty and formed
about X Of / per cent Of the total.
Thus practically one-fourth Of the U
gar coming into the United States In
1907 was admitted absolutely free Of.
duty from the Hawaiian Islands and
Porto Rico. In 1897 the amount
which came in free Of duty from the
Hawaiian 1sands was 431,196.980
pounds. and this formed SO per cent.
Of the total sugar importation OF that
year.
Increase Of Beet Sugar Production.
Here, then, is a fair basis upon
which to determine the effect Of the
Importation of sugar from our own
possessions free of duty. In 1897 prac-
tically 3 per cent Of the sugar import
ed came in free Of duty. In 1907 prac-
tically IS per cent came in free Of
duty. II such free importation were
likely to affect disadvantageously beet
sugar production at home, an increase
from 9 per cent to Is per cent in the
imnnrfatiOna If Free sugar wnu1d