Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-11-17

thessdgar trust raised prices higher
than 10 many years. The reason as
signed was shortage in the foreign
crop, but there are those who recall
that earlier In the wear the trust also
lost severa'milliass because of some
trouble over weights down at New
fors. IL Is probably = great source OF
comfort TO the American people To
know that there Is no danger OF a re-
publican administration further erin.
ping the TRUST by any destructive
tanh legislation. The sugar trust il
one OF the most sacred of our institu.
tons. number OF senator's have been
known in years past to go GU, of their
way, to foreswear their party beliefs,
In oruer 10 prevent the daty on sugar
from being lowered. When the last
tariff revision WAS IN progress some
daring souls among the congressman
actually desired to admit sugar free.
A compromise was effected whereby
the tariff was cut down from Sl95 a
hunuteu pouhus 10 Si.W.
Persons over forty years OF age will
remember that there was time when
1t was easy TO purchase sugars OF var
ious colors, ranging from light To very
dark brown. They will also recall that
this sagur HAD flavor that no white
| sugar OF today possesses. They have
also doubtless noticed that they don't
get any great quantity Of this sort OF
sugar any more. Now during the re-
cent siringency in supplies, it would
have been real nice If the people who
couldn't get enough graduated sugar
to supply their needs could have had
access to some of the old brown sugars.
But the sugar trust and the congress
OF the United States have made that
impossible This has not been done in
an open and. aboveboard manner, but
by actual skullduggery. When one
reads the history of sugar tariff legis-
lation in this country, he may be ex-
! clsed frorl having some doubts about
the delegated power system Of repre-
s,ntalion.
Anyone desiring ioimport sugar into
tais country must pay duty unless
1t comes from Porto Rico or Hawaii, or
from the Philippines If 1t comes from
Cuba it gets a reduction of 20 per cent.
On refined sugar This duty is now 30
cents a pound. If II is unreGncd sugar
aud If it Isl above No 16 but ID stand.
ard inscolor,the tax Is the same. The
effect Of this high tariff, applying bot h
to the rifined and the unrefined above
a certain color grade Is to give the
sugar trust control Of the American
market The process Of refining sugar
is very simple one, consisting of re-
moving the dried molasses from the
outside of the sugar crystals. The
morel mo,asses the darker the sugar;
but soifar as purity and taste are con-
cerned the light brown is the equal of
the refined. The purity Of sugar is not
determined by The color test. DIR.
Wiley. years ago, SAID that the color
test was obsolete, unscientitic and
Anticipated. So 1t Is, and the only use
found for IL nowadays IL in construct
ing theIoker that means millions every
year for;the trust.
Consumers have been educated to
believe that a sugar Is not pure unless
below No. rs don't sell. BY making
those above NO. 16 dutiable tbe same
as refined sugar, the imported stuff is
practically forced to come IN III olas-
es stained condition. This must be
whitened for the trade, and the sugar
trust are the folks who the whitening.
AS Senator La Toilette put it in his
speech in the senate: "fhe law which
makes light brown sugars pay the
same duty as II refined, and which
makes the duty on the dark-brown
stuff lower as the degree Of purity falls
off, makes it impossible, as matter VI
business, for any grade Of unrenned
sugar TO come in except that which
must be sold To the trust. And the
Il. 50 per hundred on refined (the old
rate makes it still more impossible TO
import that; and there you are-nicely
lgged and bound, with your pockets
gapiagl No wonder sugar stocks have
been good Investments.
CO. d.