Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-15
Sliding Scale Defeat Awakes
No Audible LamentatiOn

. Failure Of the sliding scale tariff on
sugar, which had. been presented in the
interest of the beet growers, apparently
causes no widespread popular regret
The variable nature of the rate. de-
pendent on market conditions. and the
fact that 1t was declared to be of the
same nature as other agricultural legis-
lation intended to fix prices, combined
to make the plan offered with the In
dorsement Of Senator Smoot storm
center in the tariff discussions Of the
Nation.
THE Senate finance committee will
now fix fiat rate" believes the Wheel
ing Intelligencer. as 1t concludes that
st Is more than likely that there will be
not only much talk, but action. in fixing
lower rate on sugar than the House
suggested" That paper continues
THE House rate is absurdly excessive.
1t would serve no worthy purpose and
do q great deal Of harm. 1t would be an
additional cost of more than STAG, 000,-
600 annually upon American consumers,
which includes everybody and espe-
cially housewives. It would wreck the
only large industry Of Cuba, our friend
and virtual ward, and Cuba is a good
market for our manufactured goods. It
would not help the small. and econom-
ically unsound, American beet sugar in
dlstry, the accredited representatives of
which have publicly testified that, I'M
der the present tariff duties. they are
amply protected for the limited produc-
ton they can have"
The abandoned project is described by
the Chattanooga Times as the tariff
scheme which was to result in that re-
narkable thing-benef1t to both the
sugar producer and the sugar consumer
Since 1t has been dropped because of
opposition on the part of the sugar In
dustry," continues the Times, ut may
be presumed that the industry did not
see very much benefit in it--certainly
not so much as 1t wanted. AS for the
consumer, he never was able to under
stand how the plan could in any way
benefit him"
ut should be realized" says the New
York Herald Tribune, that sugar tariffs
have two purposes-first, to protect the
domestic beet industry, and second. to
afford customs revenue. Undoubtedly,
the protectionist element Is the strong
er in this case, and as a general prin-
ciple it can certainly be said that IL is
good policy for the United States to
assist by all reasonable means the de-
velopment of those industries which
world for our foodstuffs. But with this
principle accepted, beet sugar remains
4 border line case. It has yet to prove
itself economically an important factor
in agricultural prosperity"
1.-THE fact u.s." declares the Atlanta
Journal, while small group Of beet
sugar growers have been earning in
ordinate profits under the tariffs SUBJ
sidy, the rank and file Of American
farmers have paid, as consumers Of
sugar. hundreds of millions of dollars
toward the maintenance Of that So
called protection of agriculture The
Manchester Union argues: ''It goes
without saying that any change In the
sugar rates can be fteighted with po-
litical dynamite. That Is testified to
by the Democratic alertness, by reports
that Senator Borah may offer an
amendment providing for revenue
duty on sugar and payment Of bounties
to American cane and beet producers,
by the close watch the administration
10 keeping on developments In the situ-
alton. There Ia plenty Of interest In
the tariff In general, but sugar offers
the issue that looms biggest Of present"
The thApry Of the sliding scale may