Evening star., 1923-04-07
PREPARE REPORT
ON SUGAR TARIFF
Harrison AssaiIs Smoot as
Statistics Are Gath
cred for President.

Developments yesterday i'm the con-
froyersy over the recent rapid rise In
the price of sugar were:
The tariff commission began work
on a preliminary report to. the PTes-
ident. in reply 10 his request for IN
formation on prices and the relation
OF the tariff on sugar to those IN
creases. This report Will deal par
ticularly with the request Tor lntor-
nation as to whether the increase or
cents a pound for sugar in the last
two months can be attributed to the
sncrease In the tariff rate. or must be
attributed to other causes.
Senator Pat Harrison OF Mississippi
democrat, gave out statement as
sailing the position taken by Senator
Smoot on sugar duties, and declaring
that the Utah senator was RESPONSE
BILE, above all others for the lmpo-
sition of the present ineXcusaple su-
gar tax"
Week to Get Facts.
II was indicated at the Tariff Com
mission that it would take a week TO
get together certain statistics when
can be obtained from government
said, however. that the statement on
which they are working would cover
in the main. patent facts taken from
market records and other easily ac-
cessible sources. 1t is not intended 10
take the place of the more compre-
hensive report on which investigators
are engaged, and which Will incluoe
statistics of production costs ana
other items entering into the, genera
rl,at VAN
will not be ready for several months.
In his statement Senator Harrison
referred to that given out by Senator
Smoot yesterday on the sugar sltua-
tion. Senator Harrison said Cav
TT is perfectly natural that SEN
ator Smoot should take the position
he does but the public will not for
get that the future chairman OF the
Senate finance committee IS respon-
sihle above all others for the imposi-
ton of the present ineXcuSable sugar
tariff.
Puts Blame on SmOot.
while Gen. Crowder was the au-
thorized representative of the present
administration to Cuba, supposedly
trying TO help Cuba in her economic
travail, it will not be forgotten that
il was Senator Smoot who wrote the
3.
agreement upon the part of the
Cuban government to curtau her
sugar production to TWO and one half
million tons for last year. with the
understanding that the United states
would in that event impose a tarlfi
against Cuban sugars of only l.6
cents per pound.
1t was Senator Smoot in charge
of the sugar schedule Of the Nc
Cumber tariff bill who held 1t UP
while the negotiations were pending
1t was "A deliberate scheme upon the
part Of the authorized agent of this
administration and the men who
controlled the legislation in the
Senate to bring about a shortage OF
sugar SO that the beet sugar inter
ests would be able to gouge the
American people and extrort from
them higher prices for sugar. The
scheme S.iled because the Cuban
government rejected the suggestion
Directed Tariff Fight.
''It was under the leadership Of
Smoot that the highest tariff on
sugar carried in any tariff bill in the
last generation was imposed. Smoots
proposal conceded that 1.6-cent per
pound duty on Cuban sugar was
sufficient as a permanent duty. pro-
vided Cuba for one year would cur
tail her production.
THE proposal sought no restriction
on IHe pTOluSNioH VI NuOdn Sue Oh :
after the first year. 1t conceded fully
that a permanent rate of 1.6 cents per
pound on Cuban sugars was adequate
protection in the years that would
follow. And yet, under the leader
ship of Smoot, without justification
or excuse, the last Congress imposed
Il rate of 1.76 cents per pound on
Cuban sugars.
IF the large rate carried in the
bill was not intended to increase the
protection to the beet and cane sugar
interests by increasing the price to
the consumers, what was it for? The
suggestion is so fallacious that it is
ludicrous. 1t is but a link in the ad-
ministration's chain of false claims
and deCeptions."