Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-02-13
WOULD KNOCK
ONE CENT OFF SUGAR
Proposed Tariff Revision
Would Save on Each Pound
We Buy
By RALPH SMITH,

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 1S-Recog-
nizipg that theerexenue necessities of the
government viii not permit free sugar.
the Democrats of the ways and means
committee OF the house are carefully
considering an internal revenue plan that
has been suggested by Representative
Hardwiclk, of Georgia, chairman Of the
special house committee that has inves-
tigated the so-called sugar trust and
the sugar industry in America and 9TH
er countries of the world.
Mr.. Hardwick is a recognized authori-
ty on sugar among the Democrats, as a
result of his study of the sugar indus
try in connection with the investigation
of the sugar committee Mr.. Hardwick's
plan was evolved by him after a series
of conferences with Wallace P. Willet,
of New York, publisher of ''willet and
Gray's Sugar Journal which is the
recognized authority Of the sugar indus
try. The sugar Journal will, 1t is
stated, editorially indorse the proposed
internal revenue tax
The Hardwick scheme. which is said
to have met with much favor among the
means committee, contemplates saving
to the consumer Of one cent a pound on
sugar. with a minimum loss of revenue
amounting to less than 12,0Oo,O00. The
plan, however, eliminates most OF the
protection enjoyed by the American SUI
gar industry, and in its place resorts to
an internal tax as a means for making
UP the loss in revenue that would be
felt otherwise.
Mr.. Hardwick proposes to impose an
internal tax of 40 cents per 100 pounds
on all sugar consumed In the United
States. The amounts to 100000 long
tons, and the internal tax would raise
a revenue Of about $31, 100000 annually.
Half of the sugar consumed in Ameri-
ca comes from Cuba, and the Hardwick
scheme proposes that the internal tax
Of 40 cents per 100 shall be paid on this
Importation, and, in addition thereto, a
tariff tax of Is cents per 100 pounds shall
be levied This latter would raise an
additional $10,0O0.0O0.
The present tariff on sugar nets the
government $530OO,000, so that the Hard
wick plan will. If adopted, raise $780,
900, and the loss in revenue viii be less
than $12,Oo0.OO0.
1t is further proposed by Mr.. Hard
wick to fix tariff duty on refined sugar
imported at 1 cent a pound. The pres
ent duty on refined sugar is $50 hum
bred This would represent a reduction
to the consumer of $40 Of a cent per
pound, and with the elimination of the
Dutch standard and the differential of
cent per pound or more, this would
mean a saving of about $S0,O00.0o0 per
year to the American consumers.
Representative Hardwick is himself In
favor of free sugar, but he realizes that
revenue necessities make this impossi-
BILE, wherefore he believes that the in
ternal revenue plan win afford the most
relief to the consumer with the least
loss of revenues.
The ways and means committee viii
not finally frame its sugar schedule I'M
til its Iabors on the chemical schedule
have been completed. and the bill passed
by the house.
In the meantime members OF the com
mittee are studying individually the plan
proposed by Representative Hardwick
at their sugg estion.