Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-26
HIGHER SUGAR DUTY
URGED BY ]ARD|NE
Tells Senate Increased Tariff
Will Encourage Bigger
Production Here.
BE- the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A higher tariff on sugar as a means
of encouraging increased production in
this country was advocated today by
William M. Jardine. Secretary of Agri-
culture, under Calvin Coolidge, before
Senate finance subcommittee.
Appearing in the interest Of beet
sugar producers, Mr. Jardine said 1t
was sound public policy to maintain
a reasonable amount of sugar produc-
ton in this country" and that higher
tariff would permit an expansion of a
crop of which there was no surplus and
no prospect of q surplus from domestic
production.
He said he regarded the House duty
of 2.40 cents pound on Cuban raw
sugar as against the present rate OF
1.76 fair tariff.
give us a duty that will bring g.
cent sugar." he said, "and the Western
sugar factories will pay the beet sugar
farmer So or $3.50 ton and we Will
show you how to produce more sugar
in the United States"
100000 Producers.
He said 100000 farmers we're engaged
in sugar beet production in II States,
that the sugar beet was good rota-
ton crop and it was one farm product
on which tariff could be made effec-
tive If you want to raise it."
The Government had encouraged
sugar production on reclamation prof.
ects, he continued, and had appro-
rriated money, although not enough, to
eradicate pests and diseases affecting
sugar cane and beets.
Jardine said he had made personal
tour of beet-growing States and had
found only one company, the Great
Western of Utah, that was making q
reasonable profit.
The cost of production, he continued
had increased while the price of sugar
had remained around the pre-war level
Asked by Senator Connally, Democrat,
Texas, Ii the export debenture plan
would not help the farmer. Jardine re-
piled that 1T was one way of making
the tariff effective IL you can guarantee
the benefits to the farmer, which has
not yet been proved to me"
The recently enacted farm bill, he
said. would do lot Of good.
until Friday, the hides schedule was
taken up Unexpectedly today to hear
two of several dozen witnesses who have
asked to be heard on the subject, and
the first of these, r. e. Mollin of Den
ver, Colo, urged that the rate of 10
per cent ad valorem, proposed In the
House measure. be retained.
Speaks for Porto Rico.
Before another subcommittee Frank
A. Dillingham; of New Jersey, represents
ing the Association of Sugar Producers
Of Porto Rico, headed the long list of
those waiting to discuss sugar duties.
He described as prohibitive. as far as
the island was concerned, the increase
from 81 to SO ton on sugar cane, as
recommended by the House measure.
Senator Smoot, Republican, Utah,
chairman of the subcommittee. said he
had information that one Porto Rican
factory had made $345, 900 in profit in
one year by importing Santo Domingo
cane at 81 ton and shipping its raw
products free to the United States.
American capital in Porto Rico, he
added, should not have such an advar-
tage over domestic producers, and con-
tended the House rates would correct
the situation.
Dillingham; favored the rate of $2.40
on raw sugar from Cuba as against $1.76
now. but said in answer to questions
that If 1t were applied to Porto Rico,
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