The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-03-17
SUGAR FIGHT TAKEN
! INTO SUPREME COURT
STATE OF LOUISIANA PRAys FOR INJUNCTION TO PROHIBIT
TREASURY OFFICIALS FROM ALLOWING CUBAN t
PRODUCT TO ENTER AT PREFERENTIAL DUTY

lxA A petition has been entered in the
Sdpfcmc Court Of the United States on
behalf Of the State Of Lonisiara, pray.
ing Cor permanent ininneti6r agafrFt
the secfrtafy of the treasury TO pro
hibit the admission of Cuban sugars
into the United states at p-eferenti1l
duty Of eighty per cent of the duties
collected on sugars from other foreign
countries. d, . .s"nls
The petition, signed by Ruffin O..
Pleasant, attorney generaK OF the State
of Louisiana, was entered March 3 bY
J. w. Bailey and Paul j. Christian, Of
counsel, on behalf Of Governor Lrtser
n Hall and the attorney general of the
State. t ~
The printed lrief, copy Of which
was received by yesterdays mail. re-
cites that the petitioner is u SOVEREIGN
State Of the American Union; that the
State operates as part Of her convict
system three sugar plantat'ops and
three sugar mills, employing convict
labor; that the use of convict labor
relieves the people, Of the State Of the
payment Of taxes that otherwise woul
have to be levied and paid by the peo.
pie for the maintenance OF the con.
victs; that these plantations yield six
million bounds of sugar Ter anum, and
that the State has l,5O0,00G pounds still
on hand unsold, worth 1880. .., .
What Brief Recites.
After the recognition of the official
position of the secretary and assistant
secretary Ct the treasury and of Their
right to act in the collection Of duties
under the law, the brief reeites that:
lover the protest and to the great
injury OF vour petitioner the said treas.
ury officials are permitting, without ali-
thority of law, sugar. testing by the
polariscope ninety-six degrees, and pro
dueed in the Republic of Cuba. to be
imported into the United States of
America upon the payment of one aud
one-hundredth cents duty per pound. or
eighty per eeptum of seventy.five Der
eentum Of the rate Of duty imposed5E 5Ey
the act of congress entitled I" An Act
TO provide revenue for the government
and 10 encourage the industries of the
United states, approved July the
twentyfonrth, 1897. commonly known
as the Dingley Bill, and hereinafter
referred to as such; and that, by snch
Illegal, unauthorized and arbitrary acts
on the part of said treasury officials
they have caused, and will continue 70
cause, the reduction of the price of the
said sugar, still held by your petitioner,
to the extent of at least cne-duarter
Of one cent per pound, or $3750, and
will cause your petitioner TO lose said
amount by reason of said reduction,
unless they are enioined and restrained
as herein prayed for ".
Rates as Regulated Outlined.
''Your petitioner AYERS that the rate
of dntv which should be charged aud
collected by said treasury officials on
all such sugar imported into this eoun.
try from foreign nations, except the
Republic of Cuba, should Re the rate
imnosed by the said Dingley Bill, or
! ,8s5 cents per pound and that said
Cuba of December II, 1902, and by the
entihl Of twenty per centum reduction
on said RITE, or shCUld be charged / 34S
cents duty per pound, as provided in
the commercial convent on between thp
United States and said Republic of
Cuba of December -, 1902, and by the
act of congress of December II, 1909,
carrying into effect said convention;
or, in the alternative, that the duty
on all such sugar imported into the
United States should be seyenty-five per