The Washington times., 1909-04-22
A CHANCE FOR REAL RE
VISION. NO. III.

lection which the Dingley law places
on sugarg Practically the same pro-
lection is retained by the Payne and
Aldrieh bills. Somehow or other it
makes the American consumer pay for
sugar about sll3,OOO,OOO more per an
mum than he would pay if he got the
prices which prevail in England. The
Government gets S52,OOO,0O0 of that
excess in revenue. But whence goes the
rest?
Does it go to the beet sugar pro-
ducer?
The testimony adduced before the
Ways and Means Committee of the
House seems to indicate that most of
the benefits goes to the trust
The trust controls large proportion
of the beet sugar producing capacity
of the country. If the beet sugar
people get the benefits. then the sugar
producer gets much of it. But does the
beet sugar producer need it? Does he
need all he gets under the present law
The answer in part is to be found
facts. Denver is the point of origin of
a great beet sugar traffic. The Color
ado granulated sells in Denver at $5.25
per hundred. The same sugar is ship
ped 1000 miles east to Chicago, pays
the highest freight rates on the con-
tinent, and sells for S4.S5. The Col
orado market is monopolized by tine
Colorado producers, because of the long
distance from the Hawaiian sugar at
the Pacific or the Cuban sugar at the
Atlantic coast; so Colorado, which
ought to have sugar at S4.s5 less the
freight to Chicago, is held up for 40
cents more than it ought to pay.
Now let the Pacific coast situation
be investigated Beet granulated is
produced in California, at large profits.
The Hawaiian sugar, 100000 tons an
nually, is practically dutyfree, and the
San Francisco refneries are the near
est to it. California should have the
cheapest sugar in the United States
yet San Francisco quotes S54O-55
cents more than Chicago, and 10 cents
more than Denver.
Sugar at Chicago ought to cost more
than at either Denver OF San Francisco
In fact, it costs considerably less.
This is possible simply because there
is such an immense margin for manipu-
laticn, within the limits of profitable
prices, that the trust charges just what
it pleases, wherever it pleases. So the
truss has general deal with the Ha-
waiian producers of raw sugar, by
which it takes practically their entire
output, and hauls it to New York By
way of the Pacific, the TehuantepeC
railroad and the Atlantic, for refining
California is left to the tender mercies
of the California beet sugar producers
and pays the highest price on the con
tinent, or nearly that, when it ought
to have the lowest.
Whether the beet sugar industry
could continue in business if the pro
lection were reduced is the subject oi
a difference of opinion. 1t is noted
however, that most of the witnesse,
who were neither Sugar trust agents
nor beet sugar people, believed that &
reduction OF one-half or thereabouti
IN the duty would be perfectly safe
90 far as concerned the beet interests
The substance of all this testimony
The only testimony from people not
concerned in the trust-was well stated
by Clans Spreckels of the Federal Sugar
Refining Company, of New York. This
company is entirely independent; it ha,
long fought the trust. 1t refines about
one-tenth of the sugar refined in tn,
country. Mr.. Spreckels declared that
the tariff as now adjusted gives all tn,
advantage to the trust. He said:
81 would be perfectly satisfied if yor
should agree upon free trade in boil
raw and refined sugars. would pre-
fer absolute free trade to the present
schedule under which the Sugar trust j
the principal beneficiary and enable,
70 exact special privileges and condi
tions on sugars produced in Louisiana
and the Hawaiian Islands.
Il claim that beet sugar factories il
proper localities, such as Colorado. Cali
fornia, Utah, Idaho, and Oregon, shoulC
and, ] am informed, can produce granu
lated sugar at % cents per pound.
As far as Louisiana is concerned,
contend that the Sugar trust is il
position to sieze, in its discretion, {
large share if not all of the benefit o.
the protection granted.
"As far as our colonies are concern
ed, they are today able to produces