Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-08-10
Fight ON SUGAR
IN CONGRESS IS
Long And HARD
BY C.. S. ALBERT
'peeial Star Bulletin Correspondencel

cy Ne u HS06HI
/ Especial Star-Bulletin Correspondence
J WASHINGTON. ID. c., August a
Within three hours of the opening of
debate on the sugar bill in the Senate
i, the deal was arranged between the
regular and progressive Republicans
to Increase the amount of reduction
from 71k cents a hundred pounds to
80 cents per hundred and pass 1t un-
animously. This compact was cars
ried out to the letter "@@
The Lodge bill provided for moth
/. ing more than the abolition of the
Dutch standard of color and the
elimination of the differentia1 in
favor of refined sugars, which equals
liz cents per hundred pounds. Sen.
atOr Bristow offered an amendment
!. changing from thirty-five one-thou-.
sandths of cent to twenty-six one
thousandths of cent per pound the
in crease of protective duty on each
degree OF purity beyond Is as shown
/ ty the .polariscopic test. This means
that the protection on 100 pounds of
pure sugar hereafter would be $40
cents per hundred pounds instead OF
3A cents per hundred under exist
ing law.
Net Duty Lowered. ] - !
The elimination of the differential|
/ lowers the net duty on pure sugar
from $40 per hundred pounds to-
.s1.s21s. The, change in the allow.
ance on each degree of purity from
IS to 100 equals a further. reduction
OF 22h cents per hundred, making
the total reduction so cents hun
bred. The Bristow amendment twas
accepted by Mr.. Lodge, who said the
amount was too great. Mr.. Bristow
said the change made it satisfactory
to the Progressive Republicans.
Although the Democrats stood
firmly by their proposition to repudi
| date the House free sugar bill and
accept the Williams substitute, pro
yiding a reduction of SO 1-3 per 3cent
III addition to removing the Dutch
standard and the differential,f the
amendment was adopted by a vote of
81 to Is. N-A.@ r.
Amendments Killed. ~, .>.zs
The usual efforts were then made to
kill the bill by adding amendments re-
pealing the Canadian reciprocity
agreement and others of obnoxious
character, but all were firmly voted
down by the aggregation Of Regulars
and Progressives. Pin
After 1t had been found impossible
to change the measure it was passed
l by a vote of 81 to 3. All the Demo
Gratis except Senator'S Foster and
Thornton, of Louisiana, voted for 1t
and all the Republicans except Mr.
Hepburn. of Idaho.
During the debate semi-oficial as
surances were given that President
Taft would approve the bill If sent to
him. These contradict every utter
ance made by the President during
the past year. He has repeatedly de-
clared on the stump and in private
that he will not approve any tariff re-
vision bill that Is not based on infor-
nation furnished by the Tariff Board.
If he has changed his mind it is due
entirely to the stern necessities of
1t is expected the Democrats of the
House will follow the example set in
the Senate and accept the Lodge-Bris-
tow bill on the theory that it is in the
direction of free sugar. This will not
be done until after protraeted con-
ference and determined efforts are
made to secure still further reduc-
tion in duties. -
The lowest figure proposed by Mr..
Bristow. and the Progressive Repub-
licans was an aggregate reduction
from $40 to 1852 IL per hundred
pounds. The pending measure comes
within IL cents of meeting their
fullest demands
The total loss of revenue to the
Government occasioned by the Lodge
Bristow bill is estimated at $500, 900.
The figures compueted for loss by the
Williams substitute were 81, 100000.
The debate on the sugar bill was
comparatively. brief and not interest
ing The leading speeches were made
by Mr.. Lodge for the Republicans and
Mr.. Williams for the Democrats. A
major portion of the time was devoted
to discussing Canadian reciprocity.
Judge s. M. Ballou and L. Tenney
Peck of Honolulu, were spectators in
the reserved gallery during the con-
sideration of the sugar bill. Henry
T. Oxnards head of the beet sugar in
dustry in this country, was with them
part of the time.