The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-06-04
Plea For Sugar Protection

uOmeSuC cane sugar ndnuleu by III
small coterie OF trust and independeI
refineries on the Atlantic seaboard.
represents also their power throug
the control of nearly so per cent. @
the sugar business of he country.
All the Eastern cane refineries IA
vor the abolition of the existing duty
Some have openly labored in seasol
and out of season to obtain II, an
the tempting bait held before Con
gress and the nation is that the cos
Of sugar will automatically drop II:
cents per pound and the oppressed
ultimate consumers will, therefore
save the sum of $l0O,000,000 per year
In their relations toward each othe,
It will make no difference whether
there be a duty or no duty. They
compete with each other in the open
market purchase of raws; they add
their margin" to cover the costs OF
refining and selling and their profit,
and, with this total. they compete
with each other again in selling their
refined product. He gains most who
buys raws to the best advantage ana
refines at the lowest cost.
II thus becomes manifest that, in
so far as profit making is concerned
and in the competitive relations ex
listing between them, their interest
lies in the amount of the margin ami
not In the fact of the existence or
of duty on raw sugar.
Would Give the Trust Advantages.
But there are some advantages
which free sugar would give them in
They conduct their business with
The use of s5O,OOO,OOO less of working
capital, as that represents the total
Of the cash duty payments to the
Government on the arrival and pur.
,hase Of each shipment.
Again, they would have the expe :.
alton OF an increase in consumption.
which experience teaches Is the result,
If a lowering OF the price of any ar.
icle of general use.
But the cloak of the ultimate con.
'umer will not cover the real motives
u these refinery advocates of free
ugar.
With the known plans for the con.
.ruction of new factories, It was seen
hat the menace to the cane refinery
BUSINESS and investment would DC
increased and some kind of action
,ecame a necessity. A study Of the
situation revealed the fact that the
weakness of the beet sugar industry
ay in the Protective Tariff. and to
his point they directed their attack,
bandoning all the contentious OF
revious years in favor of a duty on
avs, protection on refined and the
Use of the Dutch standards. Every.
hing might so to accomplish the des-
ructicn of the rival. All of them in
heir testimony before the Hardwick
committee admitted
hat free raw sugar would destroy
he Louisiana cane industry and the
ess favored beet establishments.
'hile it would seriously cripple the
For 1t follows that the
mount Of the reduction must be
AIKEN from the prices realized on the
resent duty paying basis by the pro.
ucers of domestic cane and beet su.
ars, and unless their present rate of
rofit exceeds the amount of the re-
uction they must cease operations.
oss and Ruin Would Result
Under an abolition Of the sugar au.
y, the less favored domestic cane
lantations and nearly all, If not all.
he beet factories will stop, not I'M
lediately to be sure, but gradually.
rigid economy will be exercised, the
armers will be rendered lower prices
or their beets, but in most instances
hese efforts to survive Will prove IN.
Effective.
The president of the Federal Sugar
refining company, with characteristic
tolerance of restraint, spent nearly
100000 in the name of a non-existent
Growers association, to educate the
public and the Congressional mind IN
avor of absolute Free.Trade, well
Snowing that such a policy, II adopt.
ed, would make the business in do,
nestle beet sugar practically impos
Sible, and thus restore to him and to
The other refiners the 100000 tons of
sugar business now served by the
beet product and with freedom from