The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-05-19
SENATOR CLAY
ARRA|GNS THE
SUGAR TRUST
Says It Is Without Competi-
tion and Fixes Its Own
Prices
BEET SUGAR GROWERS GET
NO ADVANTAGE IN PRICES

Both They and the Sugar Cane Grow.
ers Are Forced to Sell to the Trust
While the Consumer Pays the Dif.
ference.
Washington. May 19.-Severely ar
rafgning the so-called sugar trust and
urging material reduction in the
duty on refined sugar. Mr.. Clay of
Georgia today discussed at great
length the various phases of the beet
and cane sugar industries. He argued
that the consumer is discriminated
against In fA5or of the American
Sugar Refining company and that the
sugar grower gets no benefit of the
differential between the duties on raw
and refined sugar. He criticised most
severely the manner in which the
sugar schedule of the Payne bill was
framed.
Contendfng that the American Sugar
Refining company owns the principal
refineries in the United States. and
is almost without competition in re-
fining sugar. MIR. Clay declared that
the duty on refined sugar almost pro-
hibits the importation of foreign
sugar into this country. He said that
the beet grower and the cane grower
of sugar both are compelled to sell
to the sugar trust at the price which
1t fixes. Comparing the wholesale
price of granulated sugar in Hamburg
and in New York, which he said was
2.31 cents per pound cheaper in Ham
burg. Mr.. Clay figured that the Ameri-
can consumer pays a difference of
$136, 100000 for its refined sugar. Of
this. he said, the government gets
100000 in customs duties. while,
he said. the sugar trust gets the other
$83.OOO,O0O
THE American consumers of sugar
have paid to the American Sugar Re-
inning company, commonly called the
sugar trust at least f1fty-five mil
lions per year in profit" said MIR. Clay,
amounting in twelve years to $780,
100000. The American people are not
aware Of the fact that if the sugar
we import came into this country free
of any duty. both raw and refined. the
cost to the American consumer would
be reduced nearly one-half. am not
insisting that both refined and raw,
or either, should come to this country
free of duty, but there ought to be a
substantial reduction over the rates
fixed in the Dingley law"
Replying to the argument that sugar
is great revenue producer. Mr.. Clay
desired to know why one of the neces-
sites of life. used by the entire Ameri-
can people should be taken and it's
cost increased to the consumer one
half when, he cOntended. the amount
of the revenue now produced by sugar
could easily be supplied by an income
tax.
LET us give to the American peo-
pie cheap sugar." continued Mr.. Clay.
Let us grasp the sugar trust by the
throat and strangle it to death, and
keep in view the interest. the happi-
ness and welfare of the plain people
of America. We must remember that
sugar is an important article of food
daily consumed by every man, woman
and child in the country"
Saying that the American working
man. during the last few years, has
had hard time to earn living, Mr..
Clay deprecated the fact that the duty
on refined sugar remains in the Payne
bill substantially the same as it is in
the Dingley law. He said that the
sugar trust had no representative be-
fore the tariff framing committees of
either the house or the senate and
added, Judging from the treatment
which the sugar trust has received,
this corporation needed no represen-
tative before either committee"
Sugar Reciprocity.
Taking into account the reciprocity
duty on raw sugar from Cuba, the re.
duced duty on Philippine sugar. and
the free sugar from the Hawaiian
islands and Porto Rico under the
Dingley law. Mr.. Clay declared that
the average tariff duty paid on sugar
by the sugar trust amounts to 1.O4
cents per pound instead of being
LES 1-2 cents per hundred. He said
that the differential of .215 per hum
dred pounds on refined sugar should
be added to the average duty of 1O4
cents per hundred and instead of to
G35 cents as is done in the Payne
bill.
He said the sugar growers of Cuba.
Porto Rico. the Philippines. or the
Hawaiian islands or the consumers in
tIlC AulNCN NSoJCS ICNClSCu UGHeIl
from the concessions made in the duty
on raw sugar from those islands. Mr..
Clay declared that the price of refined
sugar was not reduced because of the
reductions in the rates on raw sugar.
Reiterating that the American Sugar
Refining company is commonly called
the sugar trust, Mr.. Clay declared
this trust has constantly violated
both the criminal and civil laws of our
country. 1t is unconscionable and
has continually robbed the American
people since its organization. Instead
of knocking at the door of congress
seeking to increase it's fortunes at
the expense of the masses of the peo-
pie by reason of favorable legislation
its officers and those directing and
controlling it's formation and opera
tion ought to be at the bar of the
] criminal courts on trial for most seri-