Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-01-03

318
THE ALAMO LUMBER COMPANY
to the business.

-
To illustrate, allow us to compare the
retail prices of granulated sugar in the
United States and Great Britain, and
also the tariffs or excise duties paid by
the two countries under existing laws.
We have selected Great Britain for
comparison as she buys her sugars in the
open markets of the world, and both her
sugar tax and the retail price of her
sugar is lower than elsewhere in the
world.
Great Britain manufactures no sugar.
Buys in the open market.
Sugar taxation is but 40 cents per 100
pounds.
Her merchants retail granulated at
he lowest worlds price.
Said price of graduated sugar in the
United States for same period was $50
ents per pound.
The consumption of sugar in the
United States is 3,406,205 metric tons, of
yhich 1,772,05S metric tons, or 80 per
ent, were free Of duty, and 1,634,147
Metric tons paid a tariff.
OF the duty free sugar, S24.S44 tons, or
,vcr 1912 per cent, was a domestic prod
ict, and 9I7,214 tons, or a little Over %
Der cent, came from our island posses
sions. nm
If the revenue from sugar is divided by
he consumption, the United States sugar
AK is but ,6G6 of a cen per pound of
consumption, a tax of only .266 of a cent
'er pound in excess of the British excise
ak.
The retail price of granulated sugar i'll
he United States was only go of a cent
yer pound higher than the English retail
rice for the anne period.
To equalize to British conditions, de-
luct .266 1.-THE excess Of our average tax
,er pound of consumptiOn) from 900
the difference in retail prices), and we
md that the retail price to the
Il the United States is but .424 of a cent
,er pound more than the English con
umer pays for the same article.
When the difference in cost of wages.
naterial. distance Of internal tranSpOr-
alton and merchandising profits of the
w0 countries are taken into account. the
'nited States today is getting cheaper
rgar than any other country i'll the
yOrld.
II" result Of free sugar or a reduced
ariif in the United States could increase
ather than lessen the burden of taxation
0 the mass of the people.
First-The fifty odd millions of reve
lue would have to be replaced by some
Their form of taxation.
SccOnd-The price of sugar to the 0 II
inner would not be reduced correspond
MY with the reduction of tariff.
Eliminate its tax and England would,
n the basis shown above, retail granu
ated sugar 400 cents per pound.
Eliminate our present tariff and we
;hOuld theoretically retail graduated
ugar under like condition at 1912 cents
,er pound. or .25S Of a cent per pound
ess than England.
With our acknowledged higher CONNER
ial costs, our business acumen, and the
,hilanthrOphical methods of the ~refiners
s shown by the congressional %investiga-
ion. it would be unreasonable to expect
ny such extensive reduction, even were
t not impossible.
Third-Even assuming for the sake Of
,rgument that such reduction actually
Ook place the taxpayers would still have
0 make up the revenue deficiency III
Their ways, and would be unidentified by
he transaction.
On the other hand, consider the peo-
)le's losses that would follow.
Twenty states are more or less inter
sted in the sugar industry. There are
low IS beet sugar factories in eighteen
,tates, exclusive of a large number OF