Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-27

Il
&: refined and the present color :,
|: standard, is the news contained :,
= in detailed reports of the Wash 2
20 ington hearings. At the hearing 2
y before the House ways and 2
:: means committee on January Is, z
q Edward F. Atkins, vice-president, :;
i = presented the views of the sugar q
- trust. z
): = = :: ;: {. :. :. :: :: = ;: :. = = :: :;
| (By Associated Press).
| WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.-Sugar re-
finers, beet sugar men, California wine
producers, mineral water importers
lend others descended in force today
upon the house committee on ways and
means to fight out the tariff issue.
/ The net result of the hearing was
1.-THE acquisition of a little new infor
nation and the repetition of much
(which led up to previous tariff bills.
Nothing in the committees examin.
fation Of the varying shades Of sugar
rate views indicated any weakening of
1.-THE tentative Democratic plan for pre-
senting another free sugar bill for &C.
tion of the house at the coming extra
| session Of congress.
i The house Democrats claim that
tpiacing sugar on the free list may
save American consumers S115, 000, 900
annually, while the Republicans, charg-
ling that free sugar would. surrender
IAN important industry TO foreign i'm
iportefs, assert that it would deprive
the government Of more than $50,
900 revenue. The free sugar PROPOSE
i ton is coupled with the excise tax bill
as an offset to loss In revenue. Mean
while, il two more states ratify the
jnsome tax amendment, TO the 'consti-
tutien, the excise tax will not be press
ed. r..- ~ .@--.. =
j Sugar Men State Case.
Some of the leading men in the
sugar Industry were present. Edwin
{ III. Atkins, the vice-p president and act
ing head Of the American Sugar Rein
/ ing Company, proposed a moderate re-
tuetion In the sugar tariff. Henry T.
/ Gxnard of California, and dozen wit.
] nesses from California, Colorado, Mon
tana, Wisconsin, Michigan and other
states were present to fight for tariff
! protection for American beet sugar in
terests.
R. E. Milling of Franklin, La, plead
ed for tariff bars to avert the death
knell Of the sugar industry Of that
state. Former Governor B. NJ. Fernald
of Maine, speaking for 70 per cent Of
the fruit canning industry of the coun-
| try, advocated, either free sugar or a
reduced rate, while the Arbuekle
Brothers of Brooklyn, through William
A. Jamison, and the Federal Sugar Re
filming Company, through Frank c.
Lowrey, pleaded the free sugar cause,
The California wine trade was pic.
tured as in deplorabie condition when
the committee took up schedule H,
wines, spirits and other beverages,
Former Commissioner of Internal Rev
enues John w. .Yerkes eontended that
| whisky was a necessity, but that i'm!
ported wines we're a luxury and there's
| fore should bear the burden of tariff
taxation.
Plea of the Winemen.
William 'Culman, representing the
| California Wine Association, supported
Yerkes contention vigorously. He de-
clared that the lowest wages paid in
California were double those paid
abroad. He said that the California
wines produced today were infinitely
superior to those of twenty years ago,
but that the industry should be sup
ported by taxing imported wines as
Injuries.
! Victor E. Whitlock, New York i'm
| porter, wotfld not agree that beer was
entirely luxury He suggested that
the tariff on some of the well-known
brews be cut from % cents a gallon to
| Is cents a gallon.
Protect the bottles and mineral
| waters, too," chimed In Henry Mel:
vile, another importer, who urged a
duty of 80 per cent as ample for BOTH
I The committee has no working basis
FLOR schedule H except the Payne-Ald-
rich law, and the Democratic plan to
reduce rates on articles of necessity
land impose a greater burden on lux
uries.
Plea of Sugar Combine.
The American Sugar Refining Com.
pany went on record at the outset of
today's hearing in favor of reduced
tariff upon sugar, retention of the
ismall differential duty upon refined
sugar, IF protection is to be accorded
Ito any industry" and the continuance
of the present color standard as the
|most practicable distinction between
raw and refined sugars for custom
house classifications. 1t opposed the
abolition of all duty upon sugar on the
ground that it would destroy at once
one of the largest sources Of revenue.
The American Company's position
1 was presented by Edwin F. Atkins,
/ vice-president and acting head of the
company, who was accompanied by
several other officials. He contended
that abolition of all duty on all sugar
would cause the termination of the
iCuban reciprocity treaty, under which
ICuban sugars get preferential rate
OF 90 per cent, and Cuba gives prefer.
t'ential rates Of 90 to 40 per cent upon
lgoods coming from the United States