Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-02-24

requirements OF the GoVerli-
ment due to the European War.
While we are advocates of the
principle CT free raw materials,
we recognize the need OF an III
creased Government income, not
only for current purposes, but
for the contemplated expendi-
lures in the Army and Navy De-
partments. We also recognize
that tax on sugar is an easy
and convenient method of rails
ing revenue by reason Of sits
large consumption and wide dis
tribution. But we think the
Secretary of the Treasury is in
error when he says,sif he is cor
rectly reported, that the import
duty on sugar is distinctly rev.
clue measure"
Under the preferential treaty,
Cuban sugar testing ninety-slx
degrees now pays an import du-
ty of 1.0048c. per pound. When
refners buy Cuban sugar the en-
tire tax goes to the Government,
but when they pay substantially
the same price for sugars from
Porto Rico, Hawaii and the Phil
ipine Islands the Government
gets nothing and the entire bene-
fit goes to the raw sugar produ-
Ger. T0 this extent then the
sugar tax is protective And it
is no less protection when it ena-
bles the Louisian sugar interests
and the beet sugar interests to
add the full amount Of the inn
port duty to their selling price
which the consumers pay and
out of which the Government
gets not a cent.
When the Tariff Law Of 1918
was enacted it was the purpose
Of Congress to protect these
sugar interests to the extent of
the import duty now paid, up to
May /, 1916, and no longer. IN
der normal conditions sugar
would go on the free list at that
time. The deplorable European
War has not given the protected
sugar interests any better stand
ing with the American people,
but the war has cut off revenues
necessary for the proper sup
port of the Government.
1t therefore appearing that
revenue and not protection is the
subject holding the largest in
terest for the Congress soon to
convene, we beg to suggest a
sugar tax that will yield annual
~ more than $40,000,000 of rev.
enue in excess Of the amount
which might be obtained by pose
poning the effective date Of the
present Sugar Schedule, and
without any increse in cost to the
consumer over present cost. This
tax contemplates no change in
the present Act, but the enact
ment of new law to become
effective May /, 1916, placing a
producers tax on all sugars
sold for consumption in this
country equal to the present i'm
port duty which goes out on that
date.
The statistical reports for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1915,
show collection of S49,24z,-
1884 on account of sugar i'm
port duties. Out of snis sum
there was refunded to exporters
under the SO per cent. draw
back provision of the Tariff
Law, S5,397, 373. 20, leaving
net amount of $43, 846,755.05 ac-
tually received into the Urea
sury from this source.
The home consumption of re-
fined sugar for the year 1914
was 3,76O,827 long tons. AS
Stunning that the demand will be
no greater hereafter than here
tofore, a producers tax equal to
the present import dnty on Gu
ban sugars would yield to the
Treasury more than $84,000,000
annually, without, as we have
said, any additional cost to tie
consumer, for the obvious rea-
son that all sugar producers Of
this country and our insular pos
..-.... -. . j 4 IL s-..-.L 49, u