The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-14
WHY SUGAR IS DEAR
People Robbed by a Gang of
 Commercial Bandits
THROUGH TARIFF PRIVILEGE


 to Enrich the Sugar Trust-Fruit
 Canning and Preserving Industries Hampered by the Tax.
 Every family in the land pays on an average sum of $S year because of the tariff on sugar
 This is the conclusion of Mir Frank Q. Lowry of New York, the author of an interesting leaf1et on the sifgar tar ID. MT. Lowry is secretary to a com m1ttee or wholesale grocers formed to assist tG obtaining cheaper sugar. Sugar is an important item in the cost of living. It's price is controlled by the sugar trust. that notorious gang of commercial bandits which. not content with robbing the people of the above amount through it's tariff privilege, has descended to the meaner robbery of using short weights to cheat the government that gave it the privilege. Some of Mir. Lowry's facts are given below:
 The duty OF raw sugar, although given as a little over l 2-3 cents per pound, is really equal to 7S.S7 per cent of its value. The increase in price to the consumer is nearly ? cents per pound. This means that when a house wife purchases ten pounds of sugar, for which she pays 50 cents, she could, if there were no tariff, buy the same quantity for 30 cents. The average consumption of sugar per head of the population is S1.T pounds. Reckoning five persons to family, this amounts to 4O5 pounds annually. The tariff tax at 2 cents per pound means $S year per family.
 Our manufactures also would benefit considerably if sugar were cheaper Our fruit canning and preserving in dustries would take on vigorous life. At present they are dwarfed and crip- pied because sugar is so dear. In Great Britain. owing to cheap sugar, the jelly, jam and preserve industries are fiourishing and are supplying the whole world, and we cannot compete with them; hence preservers like the H. J. Heinz company of Pitsburg have had to establish factories in England. Think of it," said the late Edward Atkinson, Dundee marmalade, known the world over. made in Scotland from imported oranges and imported sugarw
 The National Gamers association, numbering nearly 5000 firms, passed resolution last year urging congress to abolish the duty on raw and refined sugar. The National Food Manufac- turers passed similar resolution. But none of those, bodies appears to have
  sugar trust.
 The independent sugar refners do not need the tariff. They would be perfectly satisfied if sugar were on the free list. Claus A. Spreckels, pres 1dent of the Federal Sugar Refining company. which refnes about g per cent of the sugar used in this country, pleaded before the ways and means committee at Washington for a re moval of the duty both on raw and refined sugar. All such pleading was intellectual.
 The Louisiana sugar growers do not need the tariff They have been grow ing sugar for eighty-seven years, and yet it is still an infant industry" with them. It has made them lazy and un- enterprising and neglectful of up to date methods. Why should we carry them on our back if they are so incom- petent?
 The Hawaiians do not need the tar if, because they are able to hold their own with all the world. They made profit of $15,OO0,OOO in one year on their crop of only 450.O0O tons. They made it at the expense of the Ameri- can consumer after sharing most of the plunder with the sugar trust. The Porto Ricans are about in the same position as the Hawaiians. They can | take care of themselves without the tariff
 ~ As for the domestic beet sugar in dustry, the people engaged in it have no claim upon the bounty of the con- sumers. Some of the beet sugar grow CTS. such as those in California, Utah and Colorado, can do perfectly we'll without protection. Men who know the trade say that the beet sugar re- fineries located in these states can pro- duce granulated sugar at 211a cents a pound. In other states less favorably located the industry may be less prof. itable, but why not grow something else instead of beets?
 The sugar trust of course controls the beet sugar industry. It has been paying dividend of 20 per cent upon a capitalization of $9O,OO0.OOO. Is it to enable it to pay this dividend that American families are taxing them selves to the tune of $S year, not to speak of the injury inflicted upon those important branches of manufacture into which sugar enters?
 The Temper of the Country.
 Since the Aldrich tariff law was passed elections have been held to fill vacancies caused by the death of these five congressman:
 D'Armond of Missouri.