The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-09
COOLIDGE HEsITATEs ON SUGAR

COOLIDGE HESITATES ON SUGAR
 By the provisions of the federal tariff act the president is empowered to alter the schedules in conformity with chang ing conditions or to meet any demands of any newly discovered facts. Formally such alteration is preceded by careful inquiry and recommendation on the part of the tariff commission. After the lapse of two years since the beginning of its desultory inquiry the commission has recommended a reduction in the tariff on sugar of one-half cent pound. AL though some weeks have elapsed since the president has had this report in hand, he has not acted.
 Meanwhile, according to MT. Glenn Shaver, sugar is costing the people a daily excess of $145,0O0 represented in this one-half cent. In other words, the presidents delay is laying a tax upon the people of the United States amounting to fifty-three million dollars a year. Since the tariff was enacted the people of; this country have paid more than one hundred million dollars tribute to the sugar barons.
 To be sure, the sugar growers of Louisiana have demanded a tariff in the belief that it would benefit them. But it might be pertinent to ask whether the sugar growers of Louisiana are profiting fifty million dollars a year by the tariff or even half that, or quarter. The people of this country want the sugar growers of Louisiana to prosper. If there is any way in which that may be done so as to give the sugar growers of Louisiana ithe full benefit of whatever measures are taken, the people of the United States want it done. But it is quite evident that somebody else is skill fully working through the sugar grow ers' status to win large profit for themselves, flinging the crumbs to the sugar growers.
 It is also quite evident that members of congress, who are also personally in. terested in the production of beet sugar or who represent clients who are in vested in beet-sugar production, were in. fluential in having this sugar tax placed upon the people of the United States In closer analysis it is believed that the estimate of $145,000 a day arrived at by MT. Shaver is altogether too small That estimate merely accounts for the one-half cent a pound duty on sugar It does not take into account the far greater tax due to the manipulation of the price of sugar which goes on behind the protection of the tariff wall
 It must not be forgotten also that the American people, when they buy sugar over the counter, pay this duty not only on the sugar imported from Cuba, but also on the sugar that is grown in this country, for there is no reduction in the price of domestic sugar so as to give the American people any benefit. Nor does the major part of this price increase on domestic sugar go to the grower of cane or beets. On the contrary, all but very small part of it goes to the manipulator of sugar prices and sugar stores. Fl
 In 1921, under the Republican admin istration and before the enactment of the sugar tariff, the recipients of Repub- lican special privilege resorted to a sub stitute device which was novel in the extreme, but which enabled the sugar barons to mulct the people of millions under cover of the Republican mantle This device was the creation of fake sugar shortage. Although there were thousands of tons of surplus sugar in American warehouses, surplus greater even than usual, the people were prac- tically rationed and compelled to sub init to extortionate prices for sugar, while the Republican administration, with full knowledge of the situation, looked com. placently on and lifted not even finger to protect the people from this gigantic fraud. As soon as ever it could get about it, the Republican administration enacted the sugar tariff so that the policy of the extortioners would be safer and in conformity with the law The Republican administration went partners with the sugar manipulators ir this assault upon the American pocket. book.
 And has that situation changed? Il has not. The tariff commission recom mends reduction of one-half cent That is compromise in itself; for il still in effect says to the sugar barons that they may take the rest of this ex orbitant duty and put it into their owr pockets Indeed, there is reason to be- lieve that the proposed reduction merely means less excess profits for the sugar barons to pay into the federal treasury doubtless it means very small subtrac tion from their net revenue.
 Meanwhile, MT. Coolidge delays. Is il | l. I.s