Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-16
Official of American Con-
cern Predicts Destruc-
ton of Domestic Produc-
tion if it Goes Through.
WOULD TERMINATE
CUBAN RECIPROCITY
Vice President Atkins Op-
poses Abolition of All
Duty, But Favors a Re-
duction. -

Washington, D. c., Jan. 15.-The
free sugar plan of the house demo.
ciats. regarded by leaders as one OF
the virtually assured features OF the
tariff revision program of the coming
extra session of congress so far as the
house is concerned focused attention
on today's hearing before the house
ways and means committee. Wit
nesses were ready to represent the
American Sugar Refining Co.. with
Acting President Edwin F. Atkins as
It's spokesman, the beet sugar and
other interests.
The house democrats claim ! tnat
placing sugar on the free list may save
American consumers $115,000,00O an
nially, while the republicans. charging
that free sugar would surrender an
important industry to foreign import
ers and assert that it would deprive
the government of more than $4,000.
900 revenue. The free sugar PROPOSE
ton is coupled with the excise tax bill
y, an offset to loss In revenue. -.f.
Free Sugar the Basis. \
Meanwhile if two more states ratify
the income tax amendment to the con.
stitution the excise tax bill will not be
pressed. The tentative basis of revi-
sion It's the free sugar schedule OF the
.iast session that failed OF agreement
stetween Il ti1s- lsutSses-. and would admit
free OF duty sugars, tank bottoms
syrups OF cane juice melada. concen.
trated nelada, concrete and concen-
trated molasses, molasses generally
maple sugar, maple syrup, refined
syrup, glucose, grape sugar and sugar
cane It would tax saccharine 66 cents
4 pound, sugar candy and other con-
fectionery valued at Is cents pound
or less. and sugars after being refined
when tincture colored or in any way
adulterated, 2 cents pound or IT
valued at more than Is cents a pound
rs per cent ad valorem.
The tariff on sugar now amounts to
about 11GsN cents pound. say the
democrats in basing their estimate OF
the effect Of the free sugar proposition
The house leaders are not sure of free
sugar n the senate.
Interests Favor Reduction.
The American Sugar Refining Co.
we14. o1 record at the outset of todays
hearing in favor of reduced tar1h
upon sugar, retention of small diff
ferential 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-
tion of all duty upon sugar on the
ground that it would destroy ct once
one Of the largest sources Of revenue.
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 con-
tended that abolition of all duty on all
sugar would cause the termination Of
the Cuban reciprocity treaty under
which Cuban sugars get a 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 Importation of refined
beet sugars from Europe upon the
same terms as raw sugars in competi-
tion with domestic refined.
Predicts Production Loss.
Y Free sugars, while present produc-
I tion is maintained" he said, would
drop prices so low as to destroy the
Louisiana industry. The beet sugar in
dustry, particularly east of the Missis-
Assppi river would depress Porto Rico
hsd Philippine sugar far below their
sraa;;duction cost and make Hawaiian
/. rrIiuction improbable. thus largely
Y pNailing our present sources Of sup
,Cly cvse this production is so reduced" ;"
ncenses a,Mr. Atkins, foreign prices
vance until domestic pro-
y csn onIsll slld again enter the field and
~ itles pein disaster would be wide
nas tns I'd consumers would get but a
complianc --n---- -.
ID TATT WIFI