Evening star., 1934-02-20

President Roosevelt's proposal that
the sugar industry be adjusted to
present conditions is cordially received
by the public. 1t is felt that this
country can afford to assist Cuba
without injuring its own producers
and that the interests of consumers
can be served by the new plan
THE President strives for six Oh
jectives," says the Salt Lake Deseret
News, cheap price for the consumer,
reasonable prices for domestic grow
ers, maintenance of the domestic in
dustry, reasonable allotments for
Cuba, favorable treatment Of our in
sular possessions, and control Of this
commodity, which has had troubled.
sometimes chaotic, history. When 1t
is realized that the beet and cane
sugar produced on continental United
States is little more only than
fourth of our consumption. the rights
of the consumer are mantfestly OF
large importance"
Giving attention to the probable
results, the Deseret News adds: The
domestic industry Is not promised any
expansion, but, by giving it an allot-
ment and allowing it to work out
basis with farmers, the new plan will
probably stabilize the industry and
allow it to make, presumably, rea-
sonable profits for the future. The
Cuban tariff differential will doubtless
be reduced by an amount equal to the
excise tax, so that the Cuban growers
are not penalized. This means that
Cuba will enjoy q market for
l.944,000 short tons in the United
States, perhaps permanently"
1.-THE American breakfast table, ="
thinks the New York Sun, "is not
likely to be seriously affected by the
Roosevelt plan to control the sugar
business. It u possible that the price
Of sugar at the grocery store may
rise slightly and temporarily, but the
scheme outlined in the Presidents
message to Congress Is expected to
help public consumption in the long
run by giving to the housewife some
share Of any saving achieved in the
sugar industry through marketing
agreements. The most important in
fluence of the Roosevelt plan, there
fore, is to be found in what 1t may
do to help Cuba toward prosperity.
In short, 1t aims to cut down the
output of raw sugar in continental
United States and in the Philippines,
Hawaii and Puerto Rico. and to ad-
NIT more Cuban sugar to the United
States. The proposed control scheme
does not go far enough In behalf OF
Cuban sugar. It puts the domestic
sugar business under regulation by
the Department Of Agriculture; 1t
does give Cuba q larger share Of the
sugar market here. But the scheme
as drafted is not likely to let Cuba
grow and sell enough raw sugar here
to restore the island to q higher
standard Of living than now prevails.
"As q matter Of fact" suggests the
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, "the
cost of sugar is not q burdensome item
in the family or individual budget
Probably, In the final analysis ano
complete weighting. the maintenance
Of the sugar industry, including grow
ing Of cane and beet and the refining
Of the raw product, with q fair re-
turn on invested capital, suf1cient tc
stimulate enterprise and provide en-
ployment, Is actually Of more conse-
quence In the economic problem than
is the determination Of the price tc
the consumer. Philadelphia Is one o1
the large centers Of the sugar in
dustry and is concerned In the new
program on that score"
II Is explained by the Denver Rocky
Mountain News that President Roose-
welt would rehabilitate the industry
first by declaring sugar q basic COM
modify, second by establishing quotas
and third by q processing tax to COM
psnPsSs growers for limiting produc'