The Donaldsonville chief., 1913-05-10

Set ~ Nbozrp &Hz7ee1J dee page :
NO COMPROMISE SOUGHT.

/ NO COMPROMISE SOUGHT.
Fifty Per Cent Cut in Present Rate,
of Duty on Sugar Not Agreed tt
by Louisianiar Declares sena
/ tor Ransdell.
Tilted States Senator Joseph q
Ransdell issued a state1aent sunda,
denying reports that Louisiana sugal
interests are seeking a eompromise
on the Underwood sugar schedule
and are willing to agree to cut ol
so per cent In the present rates. He
declared his people were not con
stder1ng such a compromise
| From the beginning said Senator
/ Ransdell, the administration forces
have proceeded on the theory that
all duty on sugar must ultimately be
removed and sugar placed on the
free list. The beet and cane sugar
| producers cannot conceives how such
a condition can ever be sought by q
Democratic administration, since De
mocracy has for more than d century
preached and practiced a tariff for
revenue, and sugar is the ideal rev.
enue producer. For the FIRST time my
party has raised the radical flag OF
free trade.
I "The party declared In its last
platform that no tariff changes
should injure legitimate Industry
and President Wilson, speaking at
Pittsburg On Oct. IL, 1912, said:
Fhe Democratic party does not
free trade or anything ap.
pEeachfng free trade. tt proposes
merely a reconsideration of the tar
if schedules such as will adjust
them to the actual conditions and
interests of the country
Senator RansdelI, continuing. said
every great government fosters
the sugar industry Even so-called
free trade England raises over $40.
100000 annually from its duties on
sugar products.
All the testimony adducad in re
cent hearings before congress has
shown that the Underwood schedule
providing for free sugar after three
Years would result Id aasola1te de
/ Isfrucflen ct the I.ouisiasa ne sll
I ar1 Td duszry b
the beet sugar industry, ana Woul6
strike heavy blow al Hawaii anc
Porto Rice.
ia cut of ad per cent in the pres
ent rates, as proposed by the Under
wood bill, making the duty on raw
sugar cent pound, but eliminating
the free sugar clause, would more
than comply with Democratic plat
forms and practices since the party.
birth and be in line with the genera
rates of the pending bill.
This would give our domestic su
gar industry a Democratic sauar
deal, even according to the views D
the most straight-laced Interpreter o
the Baltimore platform. It is al
SssssSssh of reduetien as the industr.
as a Whuie can survive and NOR,
than Louisiana can stand It woult
permit further growth and develop
ment of the beet Industry and b,
the best guarantee Of cheaper suga
to the ultimate consumer, beeaus
1t would mean competition. Destro,
the domestic producing indus
try and the sugar refining trust will
have no competition. In that even
| the trust and not the consume
would reap the benefit of free sugar
! The government would lose the rev
enue of over 50,O00,O00 q year
which would be transferred largel
into the Golfers of the trust, an,
the only benefit to the people woul,
be slightly cheaper sugar for two o
three years, after which I beIiey
the trust would fix exorpitanti price
and fatten off the millions Of Amer
can consumers.
There is much misinformation i
the minds of many Democrats abou
the clamor for free sugar. TIL
American people have npt demand
ed free sugar, save as they wer
melted to it by a cunni1igly devise
publicity campaign, conceived an
paid for by refining intaBests, VII
WISH 10 ueSGE9y LHe lsSAsNa6tftI0n @
their rivals, the da1eGl.A growers
who make refineaand sSIs There
strong eempetitiqspf I'd these de
nestle manufact refiners {
raw cane sugarsS which HAS resuIte
in the lowering of the price of 81
gar. The beet sugar competition
growing stronger every year, and
the fight is allowed to continue 81
gar will become still cheaper. Suga
today is the cheapest article of h,
man fe0d. It has gone down i
price Z per cent during the last te
years. The average costs of thirt!
i shree articles of farm and food pr
ducts has increased during the sam
period 14.4 per cent for potatoes t
| 89.9 per cent for salt pork. The To-
price of sugar is due to competition
We must retain this competition an
continue to give cheap sugar to tn
people; must save our domestic 81
/ gar industry which will be ruined
| all the duty is removed; and mus
retain the large revenue derive
| from sugar-the fairest and best {
all import revenue producers.