Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-15
HOUSE DEMOCRATS PLACE saw.
ING TO CONSUMERS ~ $780,
100000 ANNUALLY.
REPUBLICANS POINT
TO LOSS OF REVENUE
Officials Of American Sugar Refining
Company Present Case to Committee
Claim Free Sugar Would Mean
Dsath Of Industry in Amsriea-Asres
to Reduced Tariff.


plan Of the house democrats, regarded
oS leaders as one Of the virtually as
sured feats of the tarifr program at the
coming extra session Of congress. SO
far as the house is concerned. focused
attention on today's hearing before the
mousse ways and means committee
witnesses were ready to represent the
American Sugar Refining Company
with acting President Fred Atkins as
Its, spokesman.
me house democrats claim that
placing sugar on the free list may save
American consumers $4,000, 900 an
nually. while the republicans charging
that free sugar would surrender an i'm
portant Industry to foreign .,importers
assert that 1t would deprive the gov
ernment Of more than $52.0o0,0oo rev.
enue.
The free sugar proposition is coupled
with the excise tax bill as an Offset to
loss in revenue
Last Sessions Bill as Basis.
Meanwhile If two more states ratify
the income tax amendment to the con-
stitutton the excise tax bill will not
be pressed. The tentative basis of re-
vision is the free sugar schedule Of the
last session that failed Of agreement
between the two houses and would ad-
NIT free Of duty sugars. tank bottoms.
syrups Of cane juice. melada, concen-
trated emlada. concrete and concen-
trated molasses, molasses generally,
maple sugar. maple syrup, refined
syrup. glucose, grape sugar and sugar
cane. 1t would tax saccharine 65 cents
q pound. sugar candy and other confec-
tionary valued at Is cents Al pound ol
less and sugars after being Il refined
when atincture, colored OF ii any: way
adulterate, cents pound. II valued al
more than 1S cents atpound, 25 per cent
ad valorem. ~ \
The tariff on sugar now amounts tc
about 11i cents q pound; say the demo-
Gratis. In basing their estimates Of the
effect OF the free sugar prep position.
The house leaders are not sure Of free
sugar in the senate. 4 - E
Favor Reduced. TarlQt 4
The American Sugar Refining Com
pany went on record az the outset Of
the hearing in favor Of asreduced tariff
on sugar, retention Of the smaller Diff
ferential duty on refined sugar, IL "por-
lection is to be accorded Ito any In
dustry," and the continuance. Of the
present color standards. the most prac-
ticable distinction between raw and re-
fined sugar for customs houseTclassi-
fication. It opposed the abolition Of all
duty upon sugar upon the ground that
it would destroy at once one OF the
largest sources of revenue. The Amer
lean company's position as presented
by Edwin F.. Atkins, vice president and
acting head of the company, who was
accompanied by several other o.SNials.
Mr.. Atkins contended that abolition Of
all duty on all sugar would cause the
termination Of the Cuban reciprocity
treaty under which Cuban sugar gets
a preferential rate of 90 per cent and
Cuba gives preferential rates. Of 20 to
40 per cent on sugar coming from
America H&
Free Sugar Death Of Industry.
'Free sugars, while present produce
ton is maintained" he said, would
drop prices here so low as to destroy
the Louisiana industry, the beet sugar
industry, particularly east of the Mis-
stssippi river. would depress Porto
Rico and Philippine sugars far below
production cost, and make Hawaii pro-
duction Improbable. @ ~ r.
"Once this production Is SO reduced
foreign prices would advance until do
mestic producers could again enter the
field and meanwhile disaster would be
widespread and consumers would get
t.,x - %ovx,pororv henefit0 fF7lt.s ,s7 -