The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1911-10-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.

nate, issued st .tement strongly attack
ing the tariff on raw sugar, declaring it
to be wicked tax" for the benefit Of
the beet sugar interests In his state
ment Arbnckle said:
II propose to devote all my time. all
my ability aud all my strength to the alb
clifton of all import duties on raw sugar,
most wicked tax on food necessity of
all our people. 1t taxes the man who
works for wage of dollar day as
much as it taxes an Astor or Morgan or
Rockefeller. Each eats, or at least needs
the same amount of sugar, and they pay,
not according to their ability, but accord
ing to their needs, reversing an elemen-
tai rule of taxation.
lust look at these figures showing
how the prices of refined sugar to the
consumer are made up. disregard the
abnormal price lately prevailing for the
raw product and take a normal price:
Price paid by New York refiners for raw
sugar cents. Duty per pound, 685
cents.
with the raw sugar costing the re-
finer 4.oS5 cents per pound, his price to
wholesale grocers for graduated sugar is
about 40 cents per pound and the
wholesale grocers' net price'to the New
York retail grocers per pound is about
4o5 cents, and the retail grocers' prices
to consumers was between SIS and s rs
cents per pound. So that for every
pound of sugar going into household in
New York City at 5.25 cents per pound
the Government of the United States has
exacted 1855 cents, or almost one.third
of the total price. 1t means that every
household that now buys three and a
half pounds of sugar could for the same
money buy FIVE and one. quarter pounds
if this tax were removed"
~
The steamship people are taking a
great deal of interest in the opening of
the Canal, and in the holding of the Ex-
positions to celebrate that event.
The great North German Lloyd, oper-
ating monster ships and threa ling the
paths of commerce in every city, will run
line direct from Europe to San Diego,
and thence to San Francisco, during the
progress of the Panama California Inter
ternational Exposition. The plans for
this new line are not yet fully worked
out. but in short time the company will
be able TO make public announcement of
its intentions. This means, of course, a
great impetus in the travel to the Pacific
coast for much of the tourist traffic now
going to New York will be diverted to the
western coast direct, while tourists will
find the direct voyage an inducement to
see the wonders of the great West first,
instead of coming to the Atlantic coast
and possibly getting no further west than
Hoboken.
~.
Repu blican politicians of the regular
persuasion who were figuring the renomi-
nation of President Taft to be practical
certainty. are somewhat stunned by the
vote in California. The State recorded
bigger majority for recall of the in.
dietary than for any of the other pro
gressive amendments which were added
to the Constitution, and recall of Judges
is, perhaps, at the top of the list of Mr..
Taft's aversions
California has been for years a Re-
publican State, always 10 be relied upon
IN the electoral college. Yet by its vot.
1t mas apparently placed emphasis on the
one political doctrine which the President
regards with something akin to horror.
Politicians here thing the California vote
m9st significant. and say it has more real
meaning and weight than all the reports
of good, bad or Indifferent receptions
accorded Mr.. Taft in insurgent strong.
holds. Among progressive Republicans
the California verdict has caused great
joy. They regard lie recall vote as in
the na,ure of direct rebuke to the
President.
#*x
Post Master General Hitchcock and
Postmaster Edward NJ Morgan, of
New York, are defendants in an action
in equity brought in the United States
Circuit Court in New York, by the
Review of Reviews Company. charging
that the enforcement OF the recent
regulation relating to the carriage of
periodical publications by fast freight
constitutes an unlawful discrimination in
favor of certain magazines aud against
others
The order in question applies only 10
periodicals in the second-class mail issued
biweekly Or at longer intervals.