The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-05-28
Senator BriStOw Advocates
Reduction of Duty.
SAYS GERMANY CAN'T COMPETE
Burrows of Michigan Also Con.
demns the Trusts Fraudulent
Practices In the Evasion of
Duty on Its Product.

washington, May 2I-Ilc senate
continued the discussion of the sugar
duty in the pending tariff bill, and
Senators Burrows of Michigan and
SmoOt of Utah. both of them men-
bers of the finance committee, spoke
in support Of the duty fixed by the
committee.
Mr.. Bristow, the new senator from
Kansas, was the only advocate of
reduced rate. He presented an amend
ment eliminating all reference to the
Dutch standard in determining the
grade of sugar Referring to the at
titude of the so called progressive"
senators, Mr.. Bristow declared that, in
stead of wanting to destroy the sugar
industry, they were the best friends of
that interest as they were of the pro-
tective policy. Their desire, he said
was to prevent graft and greed on the
part of the trusts.
Mr. Bristow urged that German re-
fined sugar cannot compete with Amer
lean sugar even with an advantage of
81 cents per hundred pounds over the
American price after the duty has been
paid. The claim made was that the
difference in the price at Hamburg and
New York was not sufficient to make
it possible for the German sugar to
compete, considering the higher quail
ity of the American sugar.
Mr.. Bristow said he could not I'M
derstand why the representatives of
the beet sugar and cane sugar pro-
ducers opposed his proposition. 81
can see only one answer" he said.
land that is that they are weak and
are afraid to antagonize this great
commercial power"
Condemning I'm vigorous language
the fraudulent practices of the sugar
trust in the evasion of duty, Senator
Burrows defended the sugar schedule
Of the tariff bill in the interest of the
beet sugar interests of Michigan. He
maintained that within the United
States alone more sugar could be pro-
duced from beets than is now needed
by the entire world.
The sugar trust i'm order to injure the
beet sugar industry had spread the
report among senators. he said. that is
Burrows presented communications
from all the beet sugar factories of
Michigan denying that the sugar trust
had any interest in any of them
"And I hope" he added, "that these
atlidnvits will be sufficient to warn
senators against these reports"
Mr.. Smoot asserted that the proper
nf n n
the beet sugar industry was less than
80 per cent. He proposed. he said. to
show that neither the dictatorship nor
the profits of the trust were as enor-
nous as had been claimed. From 1900
to 1904, he said. beet sugar factories
had increased IN numbers. but the un-
certainty of legislation had in recent
Years prevented Il further increase.
Concerning the profits of the sugar
trust in refining. Mr.. Smoot calculated
that, instead Of being $S,749. 300 year,
rs reported by trade journals. they
were S1.951 ,54S less than that amount.
the portion Of the trusts income repre-
resented by the latter figures coming
from an invested surplus. He also had
made careful calculations. which con-
vinced him that the price received by
the trust on refined sugar above the
price paid for its raw material was
4G.3 cents per hundred pounds with
which to pay for refining, etc. and
out of which its profits must come.
lie quoted the prices of sugar for the
last nine years to show that under the
Dingley law they had been reduced.
The best way, he said to further re-
duce the price was to encourage the
building of beet sugar factories and
the production of sugar in this coun-
try.