Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-03
Sliding Scale of Sugar Duties.

Senator Shoots sliding scale of sugar
duties is new wrinkle In tariff making.
Under the Smoot plan, when the price
of sugar goes up in this country, the
duty will go down, thereby bringing
about a condition aiding importations
which in turn should force the price OF
sugar to a lower level. On the other
threatening the American producers
with possible ruin, the duty on sugar
would, under the Smoot plan, be raised,
thereby limiting importations and rails
Ing the price of sugar in this country.
In effect the Smoot sliding scale OF
sugar duties is a compromise between
the rates IN the Hawley tariff bill,
passed by the House, and the present
tariff duties on that commodity. 1t
gives the sugar producers in this coun-
try more protection than they now have,
but not as much as they demand. At
the same time 1t is so framed as TO make
an appeal to the sugar consumers In
this country. Frankly the aim is to
keep the price of sugar at about cents
a pound. At present, according to Sem
ator Smoot the price averages SIS cents
a pound. He does not believe that the
increase to Scent sugar will be hard
ship on the American consumers-hold-
ing that Scent sugar is entirely reason
able. He does believe that the sugar
producers are entitled to this price
which he says will make it possible for
them to continue in the business and
make a return on their investment and
labor. Furthermore. the veteran chair
man of the Senate finance committee
believes that the sliding scale will tend
% stabilize the price Of sugar-at around
6 cents-in this country, and that such
sterilization will be of assistance in the
end to the sugar business, both produc-
ton and manufacture.
The sliding-scale plan has its appeal
Indeed, under the theory of the protec-
tive tariff, duties are levied or raised on
various commodities produced in this
country so as to give the American pro-
ducer a reasonable profit and to enable
him to compete with foreign producers
who seek the American market fer their
wares. If the sliding scale is adopted in
connection with sugar. a demand may
be made that similar plans for tariff
duties on other commodities be worked
out.
When it became known that the
House committee on ways and means. in
its consideration of the tariff bill, bad
increased the duty on sugar, there was a
howl raised in many quarters. The
housewife and the candy manufacturer.
the producer Of sugar in Cuba and the
sugar refiner were up in arms immedi-
ately. But the sugar duty increase was
retained in the tariff bill when The
measure passed the House and the Sen
ate finance committee has been deluged
with propaganda against the increase.
The sliding scale is compromise plan,
designed if possible to please both the
sugar consumers and the sugar produce
ers-a hard job. Even if the sliding
scale is adopted, there is nothing to
make it irrevocable. 1t could be amend
ed or discarded by new legislation. 1t
may work well. Certainly it is SEEM
ingly based on an element of Justice.
The sugar schedule has always been
one of the most troublesome to deal
with in a tariff bill-troublesomc for
Congress. Sugar is regarded as neces-
sity of life in America today. The Ma
ton pays a huge sugar bill each year.
Changes in the tariff may affect this
sugar bill materially. About one-third
of the sugar consumed in the country
Is produced here. The American pro-
ducers insist that they cannot live with
out the protective duty; that Cuban
sugar would soon run them out of bust
ness if the duty were removed, and that
once the American producers were elm
mated the American sugar consumers
would be at the mercy of the foreign
producers.
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