The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1915-08-07
A sELF-EvIDENT PROPOSITION.
National Treasury Conditions Demand
Retention of Sugar Tariff.

!
National Treasury Conditions Demand
Retention of Sugar Tariff.
Under the caption, Government
Finances Fin ne and suf =" Modern Fam
With the close of the second bus
mess year of the present administra-
ton, June 80, 1915, it was officially
announced that there is government
deficit of nearly thirty-six millions,
which is indeed a sorry showing, es-
pecially compared with the approx
innate thirty-fve millions surplus of
the previous year.
We're it not for the special war
taxes levied to cover the deficit that
became apparent as soon as the war
broke out, our national finances would
be in a far worse way. When these
taxes We're levied it was thought the
war nssght be of short duration and
That the hardship of war taxation
Mould soon he removed. However,
with it becoming more manifest as
time passes that the European conflict
is most probably to last several more
years, it is clear that instead of an
early removal of the war taxes now
in force, steps will have to be taken
to increase taxation.
Zone Of the most important sources
Of federal income, now being enjoyed,
but which by tariff legislation stands
to be done away with next spring, is
the some fifty millions annually Oh
tanned in the form of sugar duties.
The president, having taken the at
titude that the sugar tariff was an un-
fair form of taxation in that it pro-
vides income through imposts levied
against foodstuff, forced an unwill-
ing congress to his free trade ideas on
this staple, and as a result of his dis
elimination against sugar it was free
listed, to become effective May /,
1916.
Due to the war upsetting all estl-
mates as to revenue receipts and cal
culations anent cheap sugar attend
ing the removal of the tariff, the adj
ministration is up against difficult
proposition. Democratic house lead
ers are, according to what seems re-
liable advice, now figuring on the
abrogation of the free sugar clause in
the tariff at the opening of congress,
III taiG lIkeJU1iGf #G1AC NOilNI1iSGA 3AldI
the present finances of the nation
are such as will not permit of any
available funds being disregarded.
IF this is done, it will be a wise
move, for with the conflict in Europe
greatly curtailing the output of beet
sugars, every source Of domestic sup
ply will be needed for years to come
if sugar prices are to be held down
to reasonable levels. The restora-
tion Of the duty will give courage to
the producers of cane and beet sugars
in the United States and to the cane
producers Of the Philippines and of
Porto Rico; it will result IN an early
expansion Of sugar areas, which were
very appreciably diminished the past
year on account of the prospective
tariff removal.
In this part of the south, we all
know how terribly the sugar indus
try suffered in the withdrawal Of cred
its and destruction of factory and
land values as result of the free
trade action. Fortunately, though,
with better prices last fall and prom
Use for good prices this fall, cane
planting is coming back in the south,
and it needs but a restoration of cosl-
fdence in the future, such as will
come with the tariff put on again, or
rather with a definite understanding
that it will not be taken off, for every
thing to be smooth sailing once more
in the cane sugar world.
In the meanwhile, the beet sugar
folk Of the west, whose different
methods Of planting with seed make
it easier to resume full paintings, are
growing a record crop this year. The
area planted in the northern and
western states to sugar beets is 659,-
800 acres, (Louisiana's normal crop
in cane being about $4,000 acresl,
which is 144,700 acres more of beets
than grown last year. The estimated
1915 production Of beet sugar is
therefore about $4,000 tons, and will
probably sell for between sixty and
seventy millions Of dollars; and, with
the Louisiana crop, make up approx
ifnately hundred millions. In addi-
ton the Porto Rico and Philippines
crops amount to about half that
again.
From these figures an idea is
gained of the tremendous planting
and manufacturing import the sugar
business is to this country. 1t is poor
economics to figure on sending such
vast sums abroad for sugar supplies
when by simply retaining the tariff ON
sugar these monies will be kept at
home and paid to American farmers,
workmen and mechanics. Further
more, as time goes on, if fostered by
tariff, the American sugar production
would continually increase and there
would be a constantly smaller per-
lcentage of our sugar consumption
raised each succeeding year in for
eign countries.
".I e chance will present itself at
the next session of congress for the
administration to show, by reversion
of sugar tariff procedure, that it is
equal to the situation. We shall hope
for the best"
i
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