The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1915-04-07
CURRENT COMMENT ON SUGAR
Democratic Press FavOrs Retention of
Duty in View of Failing Revenues
and Need Disclosed by War

The probability Of a shortage in the
revenues of the federal treasury for
the current fiscal year and the GER
tainty that the withdrawal Of the Gus
toms duty on sugar May l, 1915, will
make it necessary to find some means
of providing the S50,0O0,O00 annual
revenue yielded by this duty has been
a leading topic of discussion in the
editorial columns Of the press during
the past few weeks. A steadily in
creasing number of democratic news
papers, many of them supporters Of
the free sugar propaganda in 1912,
are advocating the retention Of the
present rate Of duty on imported sug-
ar Many Of them urge this course
because of the demonstrated need of
the revenues which this duty will
yield, while others take the position
that the developments Of the past
few months have shown the necessity
of retaining the tariff on sugar in
order to maintain the domestic sugar
industry and to assure to consumers
a continuance Of the competition be-
tween the domestic product and the
imported sugar handled by the big
.seaboard refiners. The Buffalo Times
edited by Norman Mack, former dem
ocratic chairman Of the democ ratio
national committee, reasoning from
the condition Of a local chemical fac
tory-a case exactly analogous to that
Of the domestic sugar industry-lays
down the following principle:
When a legitimate American enter
prise needs, and can prove that 1t
needs, a moderate degree Of protec-
ton to safeguard it against being
driven out of the market by foreign
competition, it should have what en-
couragement is necessary to justify
it, from a sound business standpoint.
in entering the field at all.
''The democratic theory is a tariff
for revenue; the best revenue tariff is
one which prescribes duties on as few
articles as possible" says the influen-
tial Baltimore Sun. "As a revenue
producer in this country, few COM
modities can equal sugar. II ad-
ditional revenue is needed it would be
not only consistent but natural for a
revenue tariff party to get this reye-
nue. through the imposition Of sugar
duties"
Removing the duty on sugar means
the annual loss Of several millions in
revenue, and at this time the govern
ment is in no position to sustain loss
in its receipts" declares the Pueblo
(Col.) Star-Journal. Restoration Of
the sugar duty would be beneficial to
the republics treasury" is the opinion
of the Cincinnati Enquirer. BLOOD is
thicker than theory" says the New
port News (Va.) Herald, in an edi-
torial urging the retention of the sug-
ar duty to prevent the destruction OF
sugar production in the United States.
:" Sugar is a legitimate source Of rev.
enue from a democratic standpoint,
and the government is going to need
revenue during the next two or three
years." suggests the Louisville (Ky)
Post.
The Jacksonville (Fla.) Times-Un-
ion sums up the subject as follows:
Sugar is one of the best subjects
for a democratic duty. In proportion
to what its duty cost the American
people, sugar was one of the largest
revenue producers and one Of the
smallest producers Of protection.
The easiest and quickest way to
get more revenue, with the least bur
den upon the people, and that most
equitably distributed, is through the
tariff on sugar." says the American
Agriculturist, which speaks for a big
constituency Of farmers. During the
past ten years the revenue from this
source has averaged over S5O,0OO,O0O
annually"