The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-02-28
BY BOND r. cEDoEs.


Omitted Press Staff Correspondent }
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. 2S.-Con.
fress today is in the throes of another
tariff fight, Partisan politics is at fe
yer heat Lobbyists are busy. The
American sugar bowl is the cause
Free sugar is the battle cry.
Repeal of the clause in the new VIII.
son-U Underwood tariff act which would
place sugar on the free list, removing
about per cent pound duty, on May
] is the proposal causing the turmoil.
,rhc result has far-reaching effect on
the American and foreign sugar grow
ing and refining Industries, as well as
on the price the people shall pay 10 fill
their sugar bowls.
Initiated in the house by Democratic
Leader Kitchin. the resolution propos-
ing that the present duty of approx
inately cent pound shall be con-
tinued on sugar is an administration
measure, urged by President Wilson in
his opening message TO congress last
December. Because OF declining reye.
nues caused by the war, President
Wilson asked that the free sugar
schedule be rescinded. The Kitchin
resolution pro'ides for its outright re
peal and not lis indefinite suspen-
sion.
The administration leaders in on.
gress today are contending that the
war makes necessary continuance of
sugar duties, probably the biggest sin
gle source of custom duty revenues.
In 1915 the net revenue from sugar
was $4,000. 600 The Democrats con
tend that but for the war with its dis
turbance of commerce and curtailment
OF customs receipts. the treasury would
not have needed the sugar revenue.
On the other hand, the Republicans
are loudly proclaiming that the Dem
ocrats are admitting and reetifying
a serious error in their tariff revision
OF 1918 when they passed the Wilson
Underwood bill. Both political fac
tions are making the utmost capital o.
this situation for this years presiden-
tial campaign purposes.
The present cent pound duty is
about y cent less than that OF the
pavne Aldrich tariff act. The VIII
sonJlnderwood bill proposed to take
off the tariff piece-meal, leaving free
sugar to become effective on May
1st.
Many Democrats are opposing out
right repeal urging instead, indefinite
susnension of the free sugar proviso.
SO that when war conditions become
adjusted sugar can be made duty free
without cumbersome legislation. They
also believe such course would min
imize republican charges that they ad
nit having made basic error
Republicans in both the senate ana
house are for the Democratic resolu-
tiOn to continue the present uues' D"-
they insist first on taunting the Demo
Gratis for the alleged mistake.
Passage of the dgty-continuing reso-
luton, with both parties voting for II.
is expected eventually after a long
wofdy war.
Tariff experts say the repeal OF free
sugar will not affect present retail
prices to the consumer. Effect OF par
tiaI tariff reduction already has been
felt, they declare.
But big revival in the American
sugar industry, both cane and beet, d
expected to result from continuing the
present dnty. With the 1cent-a-pound
protection Louisiana cane growers
who put their canefields in otner
crops when the sugar schedule was re-
yised downward. are reported planting