The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1916-02-22
The Attempt to
Destroy an
American Industry

The adoption of the free sugar
clause of the Underwood tariff law
marked the elimination of long
campaign for the free importation
of foreign grown sugar. This cam
paign was instigated, organized, con
Quoted and paid for by certain re-
fners of sugar located in and about
New York. Their interest in the mat.
ter was twofold. Practically all OF
the sugar they handled was grown
in foreign countries and they natur-
ally wished to get their raw materi-
al as cheaply as possible. Moreover,
they faced a steadily increasing com
petition from sugar grown and made
in the United States and turned out
as a finished product ready for the
table by the beet sugar factories OF
the country. Every pound of sugar
one pound less from which the sea-
board refneis could collect toll, and
in the desire to crush this competi.
ton is found the real handspring OF
the refiners' efforts to bring about
the removal of the tariff on import
ed sugar.
Since the present administration
advised the repeal of the free sugar
clause of the Underwood law and
the continuation of the duty on su'
gar, these same refiners alarmed at
the prospect that their domestic com.
petitors may be allowed to continue
in business, have adopted d new plan
OF campaign. BY this ingenious PRO-
ject they hope to encompass the de-
strnction of American sugar produc-
ton and to realize the extra profits
that they would have received under
regime of free sugar. During
their earlier campaign the taxation
of sugar in any form was ~ abom.
nation in their eyes-a crime
against the consumer. Now they
boldly advocate the taxation Of sug'
ar and the imposition Of the tax in
such form that its full incidence will
descend with undated force upon
the consumer. They urge upon
Congress the adoption OF a form of
taxation such as never has been ap.
piled in this country to an essential
food product, except under the Sc
verest financial stress of war. They
propose this in the form OF con-
sumption tax, an excise tax, a PRO-
ducers' tax, as it is variously called
at any rate, q tax to be levied on
every purchaser OF a pound Of sug
ar and to be paid by him and hin,
alone.
There are taxes comparable to this
at the present time. They are levied
upon whiskey, beer, tobacco, and all
similar articles. In all these cases
the purpose behind the taxation is
not only to raise revenue but also
to discourage or limit the consump-
ton OF commodities that are regard
ed as Injuries Or worse. Is there any
! reason for doing this in the Ease OF
sugar, for stigmatizing it as the 9th.
CT products named are stigmatized?
To adopt the proposal advanced
by the refiners who are advocating
this plan for their own selfish ends
would be to enter new field Of tax,
alton In direct opposition to the his
toric policy of the United States. II
sugar is to be made the subject OF
an excise tax the next step logically
would be to place similar taxes on
-four, meat. shoes, clothing and ulti
mately upon the whole line of neces-
sary articles of daily use. Such tax.
alton would grow to an intolerable
burden and would possess no com
pensating benefits of encouragement
TO American industry. II Is not to
be expected that Congress will give
serious attention to such unAmerican
devices of taxation, but the clamor
with which the project is being urg.
ed by the representatives OF the re-
flners testifes eloquently to their
luminosity toward the home sugar
industry and to the greed which IN
spires their hope OF destroying that
industry for sake OF the extra prof.
it's such a calamity would bring TO
their own pockets.