The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-16
TRUST WILL TRY ID HAVE
 PRESENT RATES REMAIN
Several Members of Congress Are Alleged to Have Made Fortunes by the Increase in Tariff on Sugar
 Several Years Ago.
By PATTERSON sTEALEY.

Washington. November 15.--espeeial) The sugar schedule, generally regarded as the most iniquitous certainly the most complicated in tariff Legislation. will be taken up by the ways and means committee tomorrow The pres ent schedule was framed in the in terest of the American Sugar Refining company, commonly known as the sugar trust, aided by the beet sugar in- terests and the Louisiana planters.
 Under the Dingley act the tariff on raw sugar is 95 cents per 100 pounds at 70 degrees polariscope, the instru- ment used in sugar tests. That is, 1t contains 75 per cent sugar, the re- mainder being water and other ma terial. Each additional degree calls for an increase of 91s cents per 100 pounds tax. On refined sugar the tariff is $1.95 per 100 pounds. It is the refined sugar with which the trust is princ- pally concerned. As the result of this high rate only 4,S19,00o pounds of re- fined sugar was imported from for eign countries into the United States last year. It's value was about s116,000 and the duty about $s4,OOO, or about 70 per cent tariff ad valorem.
 There was imported into the United States last year about 4,400, 0O0, 900 pounds of sugar, practically all of 1t being raw. A total slightly in ex- cess of 1.60O. 900, 900 pounds of sugar was produced in the United States last year being nearly equally divided be- tween the beet sugar industry and the Louisiana product. In some quarters it is claimed that the trust is now pret- ty well in control of the two outputs.
 By both parties sugar has always been considered the hest revenue raiser The democrats have contended. how ever that the maximum revenue point is considerably below the rate fixed by republican Congresses and that reduc- tioI of the duty on refined sugar would resl in foreign competition with the sugar trust to the advantage of the consumer-and government as well. The customs tax collected on sugar is an- nually in the neighborhood of $60. .O0O,- 900.
 When the Cuban reciprocity measure was before the House in the Fifty-eighth Congress the beet sugar republicans, al- lied with the democrats. overturned the House organization and knocked out the differential on sugar. It was afterward restored by the Senate It was stated at the time that the republican insurgents took this course in the hope of killing the bill.
 Regardless of the huge profits made through the tariff by the American Sugar Refining company 1t is expected that there will be quite a demand for continu- ance of the present duties, though it is reported that several witnesses are on the way to Washington to ask for de- crease
 Twelve years ago, when the Dingley act was being framed. the stock of the Amer fcan Sugar Refining company jumped from 10S 10 1+5 on the strength of the in- crease adopted in conference over the Wilson bill schedule, which was then in operation.
 Several members of Congress were sl- legged to have made fortunes, and Senator Tillman of South Carolina made speech in which he took occasion to quote news paper correspondents who had written of senators who were ahead on sugar.