Evening star., 1924-10-05
REPORT ON SUGAR
TO SETTLE TARIFF
Agriculture Department Soon
to Furnish President With
Complete Data.
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

Whether there shall be reduction III
the tariff on sugar probably will be de-
cided upon the basis of report which
specialists of the Department of Asr-
culture are preparing to place on the
Presidents desk within "A week.
The much-dscuSsed problem is, shall
the tariff of 1.76 a pound sugar be
reduced? The Tariff Commission, hope
leSs!y divided, doesn't know. Three
members say yes. Two say no. one is
disqualified from voting.
SO the Department of Agriculture has
been called on to give the facts with re-
spect to the beet sugar industry of the
United States. The department Is TO
advise whether it is true, as claimed,
that tariff reduction would deal body
blow to this newest of agricultural en-
terprise. and to tell something about
the magnitude of the industry, it's COM
petitive status with foreign grown sugar,
it's profits to the thousands of farmers
engaged in raising beetS, and its value
as a safeguard against domination OF
American markets by foreign sugar pro-
ducers. The report will contain. in ali
likelihood, much that the Tariff Com
mission, after months of disagreement,
failed to include in its two reports. And
upon its report President Coolidge is
expected to fashion his course
Industry to Be Protected.
II so. there will be no reduction in
the sugar tariff. The Department of
Agriculture has been engaged for years
in building up the beet sugar indus
try. 1t has seen the beet acreage
rise from 175. 900 in 1901 to more than
100000 in 1924. 1t has advocated
protective tariff OF ample proportions
on sugar day in and day out, year
after year. ever since the industry
q. i h nj tod
States.
1t would require political supple
ness of acrobatic proportions to rem
der now a report upon which re-
duction in the sugar tariff could be
justified. The Department of Agri-
culture is stepped in the doctrine that
the tariff is the mainstaY of the
domestic sugar industry. 1t has aided
and foStered the growth of the in
with the beet farmers when the tariff
was increased. II is reasonable to
assume now that il would deplore,
with them, any reduction.
Prices Will he Reviewed.
Secretary Wallace's data viii be
submitted without recommendations
But what probably is more effective
than a recommendation. it will re-
cite the history of the domestic beet
sugar industry. pointing out its
growth under what the department
considers affair tariff schedule. and
its failure to expand under a low
tariff. II will tell the story of Amer
lean sugar during the past - years.
parallelnS the tale with the story Of
the cote emporaneous tariff schedule.
The report also will deal with prices.
These Will be OF two classes, the price
OF sugar to the consumer an1 the
price received by the farmer. There
is no doubt that the report will make
clear the fact that the beet sugar
farmer alone made money during the
past few years. while virtually all
other farmers, cotton raisers alone eX
cepted. We're experiencing an era Of
unprecedented adversely.
Secretary WaIIace's Hobby.
Extension of the sugar beet fields
of the country long has been some
Secretary Wallace, time and again.
has pointed out that the area planted
in bectS is profitable to the farmer
and that this area can be enlarged
only. in his Judgment. under a pro-
tective tariff. 1t appears on the sur
face that the latest turn in the veXed
sugar tariff situation points almost
coEclusiVeiy to the retention OF the
present schedule and that the recon-
mendations of the majority report of
the tariff cornmiSSiOn will he liSau-