The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-01
SUGAR FORCES ARE BEHIND FIGHT ON NEW REVENUE BILL Want to Retain Tariff and Thus Make Up Deficit
 In Revenues FIGHT MAY LAST
 WEEKS IN SENATE Wilson Expected to Win As He Will Not Change Attitude On Cutting
 Down the Tariff On
 Sugar

Washington, September o-(Speeial )--It is quite apparent that the war revenue bill passed by the House of Represents lives is to receive vigorous opposition in the Senate. While the opposition there on various and sundry reasons there can be little doubt according to the best in formed here that it will be inspired by those who favor a continued tariff duty on sugar. The sugar people are prepared to wage a strong fight on this bill with the hope that if 1t is defeated Congress will in the end abandon that provision in the tariff bill which provides that sugar will go on the free list in 1916,
 So far under the Underwood bill the tariff on sugar has been reduced only 25 per cent. Sugar under the law now in operation. therefore. produces about 100000 in revenue. It is with the hope that the present status of sugar as to duty may be retained that the revenue bill will be fought in the Senate by q tariff on sugar advocates.
 For the time that the Underwood bill was in operation it was clearly shown that that measure would produce the revenue it's author prophecied it would. In point of fact the figures prove that the Underwood bill and the income tax were capable of producing appropriately Sl0,000,000 more per annum than the Payne law under normal conditions. Friends of the Underwod law point out that the country would have been worse off under the Payne law because practically all of the l1n1ar that 1arive1 from duties on imports which source has been so seriously affected by the war.
 Sugar Men Marshal Forces
 So the sugar forces are marshaing in Washington. Everything within their power will be done to defeat the revenue bill their argument will be that no tax should be placed upon the people at this time because the burdens of business. ag- ricutural and commercial, are heavy enough because of the natural depression and losses occasioned by the war. The scheme of the sugar advocates is for the government to issue bonds to take care of the present pressing needs of the treasury, and then let the present tariff on sugar stand and create a revenue to retire the bonds.
 To this end it is expected that Wash ington will be clogged with sugar people and their representatives. No intima- ton is made of lobby, for even those opposed to the scheme concede that the sugar interests have this right to fight for what they believe is the protection of the industry in the United States It simply will resolve itself into another tariff fight in the Senate for the protec- tion of sugar. The revenue bill is to be made the excuse for revival of the bitter fight over that schedule in the tariff bill which was, it will be remembered, bitterly opposed by several democratic senators.
 Of course, there may be, and doubtless will be- republican opposition to the reve- nue bill for political reasons. This kind of opposition will serve the sugar people quite as well as any other. But essen- tially it will be a tariff fight
 May Continue for Weeks
 Necessarily a fight of thls character in the senate with its small democratic ma jority and the power of unlimited debate is going to be long drawn out Anx- iety for early adjournment will have lit- tie weight in bringing the measure to an early vote. The revenue bill is likely to be debated in the Senate for weeks to come.
 Those best posted on the situation however, believe that the President will win as he won in the tariff fight. That he will oppose any programme carrying with 1t any violation of his promise in the Underwood bill for free sugar in 1916 goes without saying. It is not yet known whether or not the advocates of the plan proposed will openly advocate the defeat Of the revenue bill and suggest as a sub stitute their plan for retention of the present tariff on sugar. It may be that they will carefully keep in the background the real reasons for their opposition, and simply advocate for the present a bond issue, and spring the sugar matter later as solution of the bond question. Be this as 1t may, the foundation for the real and vigorous opposition to the bill is sugar. Those on the inside have known this for weeks.