Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-01-15
FAVORS REDUCTION
OF SUGAR TARIFF
American Refining Company
Magnate So Tells House
Committee.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.--The free
sugar plan of the House Democrats,
regarded by leaders as one of the
virtually assured features Of the
tariff revision program OF the COM
ing extra session of Congress, SO. far
as the House is concerned, was the
subject of today's hearing before the
House ways and means committee.
The House Democrats claim that
placing sugar on the free list may
save American consumers s115,0O0,0uO
annually, while the Republicans. be-
lieving that free sugar would sur
render an important industry to for
eign importers, assert that it would
deprive the government of more than
s52 600. 900 revenue. The free sugar
proposition is coupled with the excise
tax bill as an offset to loss in reve-
nue..
Would Tax Confectionery.
The tentative basis of revision is
the free sugar schedule Of the last
session that failed of agreement be-
tween the two houses and would adj
nit free OF duty sugars, tank bot
tom syrups of cane juice, melada,
concentrated melada, concrete and
concentrated molasses, molasses gem
orally, maple sugar. maple syrup, re-
fined syrup, glucose or grape sugar
and sugar cane. 1t would tax sac
cl.arine 655cents a pound, sugar candy
and other confectionery, valued at Is
cents a pound or less, and sugar after
being refined, when tinctured, colored
or in any way adulterated, cents
pound, or if valued at more than is
cents pound Is per cent ad valorem.
The tariff on sugar now amounts
to about one and one-half cents q
pound, say the Democrats in nasing
their estimate of the effect of the
free sugar proposition. The House
leaders are not sure of free sugar in
the Senate.
The American Sugar Refining Com
pany went on record at the outset of
today's hearing of reduced tariff
upon sugar, retention of small differ
entail duty upon refined sugar, IF
protection is to be accorded to any
industry and the continuance of the
present color standard as the most
practicable distinction between raw
and refined sugars for customs house
classifications. 1t opposed the aboli-
ton Of all duty upon sugar on the
ground that it would destroy at once
one of the largest sources of revenue
Opposes Abolition of Duty.
The American Company's position
was presented by Edwin F. Atkins,
vice-president and acting head of the
company, who was accompanied by
several other officials. Mr.. Atkins
commended that abolition of all duty
on all sugar would cause the termina-
ton of the Cuban reciprocity treaty
under Which Cuban sugars get
preferential rate of 20 per cent, and
Cuba gives preferential rates of 20
to 40 per cent. upon goods coming
from the United States He also
declared that free sugar would open
the United States markets to the i'm
portation of refined beet sugars from
Europe upon the same terms as raw
sugars in competition with domestic
refined.
Free sugars, while present pro-
duction is maintained" he said,
would drop prices here SO low as to
destroy the Louisiana industry, the
beet sugar industry, particularly east
of the Mississippi river; would de-
press Porto Rican and Philippine
sugars far below their production
cost and make Hawaiian production
thus largely curtailing
our present sources of supply.
Once this production is so re-
duced," declared Mr.. Atkins. foreign
prices would advance until domestic
producers could again enter the field,
and meanwhile disaster would be
widespread and consumers would get
but a temporary benefit"