The Washington times., 1909-05-19
SUGAR TRUST RODS
PEOPLE, SAYS CLAY
Georgian Presents Startling
Figures in Arrangement
of Vast Combine.
Continued from First Page.)

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| strange it to death and keep in view
the interest, the happiness, and the wel-
/ fare 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. This being true, the people
| had a right to expect that the Finance
| Committee of the Stnate would treat 1t
| nut on the contrary, it has been singled
cut as = subject of attack equal to 7S
FER cent Of its value"
Proceeding-to emphasize the fact that
| rehned sugar IS paying a tax of nearly
/ 80 per cent, Senator Clay said:
! have been confronted with facts
! ard figures which show that this food
| product pays a tax OF nearly so per
| cent, while many articles of luxury in
| rates.
Why should we place a TAX on sugar
| az nearly 50 per cent and only % per
/ cent on automobiles? Why should we
place tax Gu sugar Of nearly 80 per
cent ana 10 per cent on diamonds? Why
should we place a tax of nearly so per
cent on sugar and So per cent on costly
| turS! Why should We place a tax of
] 80 per cent on sugar and only 80 per
cent on expensive feathers and trimmed
hats?"
| Sales Abroad.
| Alleging that the Sugar trust sells
abroad more cheaply than in this coun-
try. Senator Clay declared:
! Il have figures and facts before me
which clearly show that the American
ISugar F.efining Company, commonly
called the Sugar trust, has repeatedly
| solo considerable quantities Of sugar for
| export at nearly cents per pound less
/ thar the price quoted in the domestic
Iaa a-ket, Why should the American
4
| condition by law which enables the COM
| pany TO sell to the American people at
| nearly cents per pound and to, export
and sell in other countries at cents a
III the American Sugar Refining Com
1 pany, commonly called the trust. can
export and sell sugar at ; cents per
| pound abroad and this trust sells the
same sugar in America at nearly 5 cents
/ per pound, who can wonder that the
Sugar trust has doubled and even quad
| rupled It's investments yearly2'
Senator Clay asserted that the tariff
on refined sugar was so high as to be
/ practically prohibitory.
The tariff is so high on refined sugar
/ ln2I the foreign ref1ner of sugar cannot
/ send mis- sugar into Aemrica," said SEN
| ator Gay. Last year only 2f9 tons Of
Eefned sugar came into the United
/ States from foreign countries. By rea-
| son OF this legislation the American
people are helpless. They must neces-
/ sanrily purchase their sugar from the
sugar trust and pay the price fixed by
/ the trust, for the trust is without com
! petition"
Needed No Representative.
'It is inconceivable to me- added
! Senator Clay. how the Finance Com
mittee of the. Senate and the Ways and
Means Committee of the House in re-
vising the tariff has neglected so vital
| an interest affecting the entire American
! people The Sugar trust so far as I
| know, has had no representative here
either before the Ways and Means Com
/ Senate
Judging from the treatment which
! the Sugar trust has received. this cor
| poration needed no representative before
ether committee The Finance Com
mittee has granted the trust all the
fayors desired without a hearing. and SO
mas the ways and Means COMMITTEES Of
the House Under the bill reported the
consumer Of sugar in the United States
! must continue 20 pay cents per pound
fct the sugar consumed.
Nearly SzO5,OO,OOO per year is expended
/ Dy the American people for sugar. said
Senator Clay. and the cost Of this sugar r
| could be reduced at least one-fb;rS -,
/ a proper revision of the tariff
senator Clay tnen took 1p the dg@fe--
! ehtlsl between raw sugar and refined
sugar. He declared this differential had
| oeeh erroneously calculated, and that
/ ~ A-AAAAEItlitG OF the WaWS
and Means Committee and the Finance
committee a subject OF vital junport-
| ance 10 the American people had been
treated IN an amazing fashion.
Miscalculation.
! The calculation has been made bere+o-
fore. he said, on the theory that the
American Sugar Refining Company paws
a tariff OF l,6S1z cents on all raw sugar
coming into this country, when, as a mat
| ter Of fact, that is not true.
| II you VIII take the sugar immersed
into this country paying fun duty. the
sugar coming from the Philippines with
! a reduced duty, the sugar coming from
Cuba with tariff reduced % rer cont
under the Dingley bill, and the free
sugar coming from the Bauaiian
Islands and Porto Rico, YOU viii find
that the average tariff duty maid on
sugar by the Sugar trust. instead of be-
ing l6o75 cents per pound, amounts 10
1.o4 cents per pound
/ Assuming that .0U21ts cent he the
| proper differer }ial as the PAYNE hin
does, then Senator Clay said ii sboulj
| be added to what the imported raw
sugar as whole costs the refners- that
/ is, to LO4 cents, and not TO what a par
! tfcular item costs. or l. SIS cents.
| In other words, Senator CLAY pointed
out the duty on refined sugar even from
| a Republican standpoint ought not be
more than 1255 cents per pound. instead
of Isl, as the pending bill PROPOSES.