Evening star., 1937-08-22
SUGAR BILL VETO
REPORTED LIKELY
President Opposes Measure
to Limit Imports From
HaWaiiand Puerto Rico.
BY BLAIR ROLES.

President Roosevelt was expected
1Ast night to veto the sugar quota bill,
which Congress refused TO amend to
meet his objections. and incidentally
cause chagrin to Senator O'Mahoney
Democrat, Of Wyoming, who was a
leader In the fight against the court
bill and whose State includes one
OF the country's largest sugar beet
growing areas.
The bill, which the White House op-
poses because it limits the imports
Of refined sugar from Hawaii and
Puerto Rico. American dependencies,
was hurried to the Executive Mansion
after s pm. yesterday. The President
has until August 81 to act on the
measure, and his aides said it prob
ably would be taken up in the rou-
tine way.
Among its last-minute actions Con-
Rress yesterday cut from S50,00O,000
to S250,000 an item in the third de-
fciency bill originally earmarked for
benefit payments to domestic sugar
growers participating in the control
program set by the quota bill.
This action, however, was not con-
sdered congressional resignation to
the prospect of a veto for members
argued that payments would not be
needed until next session and could
be provided then.
Purpose Of Bill.
OMahoney was one Of the co-authors
of the bill, requested in February by
Mr. Roosevelt to stabilize the sugar
market and to eliminate the Hawaii
and Puerto Rico refined limitations.
which have been in effect since the
Jones -Costigan sugar act became law
I'm 1884. The domestic crop-control
features OF the Jones-Costigan act,
which expires in It's entirety Decem-
ber 81. 1887. were wiped out in the
Supreme Courts A. A. A. decision.
OMahoney's beet-growing con-
stituents are hopeful sugar crop con-
troll will be renewed and thus increase
their income from the beet fields The
first plan was to divide the S50.-
100000 benefit fund among beet rails
ers in Wyoming, Colorado Nebraska,
Nevada and Utah and sugar raisers in
louisiana and Florida. setting produc-
ton limits for each growing area.
II President Roosevelt vetoes the
measure, it is thought that he will
tissue statement explaining in de-
tail his position for the benefit of the
next session of Congress, which will
q rr,yti1eyoH fn ,ota h,,
the customary tWo-thirds vote The
House approved the measure yester-
day morning by 1913 to %, much more
than the two-thirds margin
Unless a special session is called,
however, Congress will not meet until
january, after the expiration OF the
Jones -Costigan act.
Hawaiian Governor Visitor.
Gov. Joseph B. Poindexter of Ha-
|wau spent 20 minutes with the Presi-
dent at the White House yesterday,
and afterward told reporters he per-
sonally would like to see a veto, al
Though he declined to predict Mr..
Roosevelt's action.
Poindexter called the bill dis
crlminatory" and said he considered
tts provision ending restrictions on
refined imports from his territory and
Puerto Rico March /, 1910, merely
Rn excuse to make it possible for
Congress in the interim to put on
the statute books a permanent limi-
kation
However, at the Capitol, Senator
Adams. Democrat. of Colorado saw
n a veto and its accompanying fail
ure to extend the quota system be-
Eond December 81 runination for the
beet sugar industry. For Cuba, which
under the Jones-Costigan act has a
1887 quota of 1922, ,423 tons, would be
permitted to send into the United
States as much sugar as it produced
under preferential tariff of rs cents
1la pound, cutting away much of the
.beet market.
Some opponents Of the legislation.
however, argued that control bill
satisfactory to the President could
be enacted at the next session Of Con-
gress before Cuban growers would
have chance to glut the market.
Aside from its controversial and its
domestic production control features,
the bill divides the United States
market among Cuba, the Philippine
Islands, the Virgin Islands and other
foreign countries 1t sets a processing
tax Of so cents hundred pounds to
finance benefit payments.