The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1913-03-12
SPECIAL SESSION
To BE Called April 1 to Revise the
Tariff Downward ON Free
Trade Basis


ward on a free trade basis is to be
called to meet April l next. The
best informed members of congress
who have inside information on
there is no doubt that the ways and
means committee will recommend
the same free sugar bill that pass
ed the house last year. The majCi-
ity of the committee have been won
over to the free sugar bill partly
by reason Of the freet trade prin-
ciples of the party, and partly by
the influence of the handful of
eastern importers and refiners of
foreign raw sugar who have been
working for years to crush the beet
sugar industry their only compel
itor. and control the sugar trade
OF the country. as they are doing in
the item of coffee. which they
have increased in price more than
100 per cent. These importers
have spent thousands of dollars in
this crusade. have kept paid lob
byists in Washington and flooded
the country with false and mislead-
ing literature. To the mass of dem.
ocratic members of the house the
building UP of a big industry at
home Is Of no concern. They op-
pose that as they have every indus
try in the past. They strenuously
opposed the building up of the steel
rail industry. the tin plate industry.
the textile industry and now they
are determined to put the beet sug-
ar Industry out of business. 1t is
said In Washington that President
Wilson has seen the light as regards
free sugar. and Is opposed to
course calculated to cripple the in
dustry. but he will undoubtedly
stand by his party.
The best information obtainable
is that a strong contingent of the
committee. headed by Chairman
Underwood, opposed the removal
Of all duty from sugar. but without
avail.
The next step will be to report
the sugar bill, with other measures
to the democratic caucus. and the
new democratic members of the
ways and means committee. when
selected. Only the committee as
then constituted can act officially
on tariff measures. There is, how
ever. no doubt, that free sugar will
be acceptable to the new organiza-
tion. Indeed. so convinced are all
the advocates Of a duty on sugar
that the house and its committee wilA
be for the total humiliation of
sugar duties, that they are begin
ming even now to turn their atten-
ton to the senate.
In the senate they get more en-
couragement. There, however, has
not been sufficient crystalization
of sentiment in the senate to deter
mine with any degree of certainty
what course may be taken by that
body. The best opinion is that
duty will be imposed, but that 1t
will be much less than the present
rates. The senate would be better
pleased If the house would not go
so far. but If compelled to do SO
will pprobably grant some measure
of protection.
No one can safely predict the out
come. It is believed that the SEN
ate will be so close that it will be
difficult to pass a free sugar bill in
that body. but party pressure will
be broughht to bear heavily in that
direction. Meantime projects in
Solving the erection of twenty new
sugar plants in various localities in
the United States are pending, in
which more than $20.oO0.0OO stands
ready to be invested and which will
be diverted elsewhere If the demo-
cratic crusade to crush the beet sug.
ar industry is made effective. 1t is
a great conflict. On the one side,
the importers and refiners of for
eign raw sugar produced by star
walton FOREIGN labor are arrayed