The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-02-19
The Sugar Tariff.

VI the 3loo,VUU,OUU worth OF cane
sugar brought into continental Unit
ed States in the fiscal year 1908,
Cuba contributed s5S,0OO,00O worth,
Porto Rico 100000 worth, the
Hawaiian Islands $40,O0O,OOO worth
and the Dutch East Indies $11,00O,-
600.
Twelve years ago this country was
importing $100,000,OOO worth of
sugar annually. The beet sugar in.
dustry had no footing but 1t had
been demonstrated that beet sugar
could be produced. The Nationai
Republican convention held at ST.
Louis in June, 1896, solemnly ar
raigned the Democratic administra-
tion OF Grover Cleveland for faiting
to give encouragement to the domes-
tic industry 1t placed this plank in
its platform:
THE Republican party favors such
protection as will lead to the produc-
ton on American soil of all the sug-
ar which the American people use,
and for which they pay other coun-
tries more than $-00,000,000 annual
ly."
On that platform William McKin-
ley was nominated and elected. The
pledge was given effect in the enact
ment of the Dingley tariff law and
the beet sugar industry at once
sprang into life. Factories were
built and the culture of beets start
ed on large scale. The industry
speedily attained marvellous proper
lions. Then came on the Spanish
American war and the freedom of
Cuba from Spanish domination. 1t
was fine thing for Cuba but it has
been curse to the United
States which has cost hundreds of
millions and has handicapped great
home industry.
The war over, the cry was raised
and given impetus with all the ener-
gy President Roosevelt could muster
that 1--WE owed a duty to Cuba" that
could only be liquidated by giving
her products a market in this coun-
try under terms denied other foreign
countries.
We owed Cuba a greater duty
than the Republican party owed the
people in this country, who under
the pledges solemnly made had en-
gagged in the American sugar indus
try. Eighty-four sugar companies
organized to build factories at once
went to pieces as Cuban reciprocity
became effective. Had the pledges
made at st. Louis been adhered to
the United States with Porto Rico
and the Hawaiian Islands would pro-
duce mis- year all the sugar consum-
ed in this country and more than
half the money paid foreigners for
sugar would be kept at home.
The beet sugar production Of Ger
many last year amounted to 4,129,-
600 tons The consumption of sug-
ar in the United States last year
amounted to 3,1S5,000 tons. In 9th
er words Germany alone produced
two-thirds as much sugar as is con-
sumed in the United States. Michi-
much sugar as is consumed in the
United States and had it been given
the proper protection it would be
producing at this time more than
half million tons while the industry
is only twelve years old. .a.
But the tariff revisionists are not
satisfied. They want to let 100000
tons of sugar from the Philippines
into this country free Of duty every
year. Last year there came from
the islands $4,000 tons which paid
a duty of rs per cent of the Dingley
rates and the duty collected was
turned over to the islands and ex-
pended in improvements for the
people. The Cuban interests also
want a reduction to so per cent, Of
the Dingley rates. That would take
thirty per cent more out of the rev.
enues of the government treasury
and place it in the treasury of the
eastern sugar refining trusts.
And there is grave cause for APP
prehension that congress will once
more forget it's obligations to the
home industry and give the foreign
interests all they ask for.-Bay City
Tribune