Salt Lake Telegram | 1932-04-12 | Page 17 | Sugar Tariff Help or Menace?

I SUGAR TARIFF HELP OR MENACE MENAGE W WASHINGTON AS April Apri 12 Thc W-Thc Te The assertion by Cuban interests that a ahl hl higher her tariff on sugar would levy a tax on American consumers ers was wa countered today before the tariff ariff tari commission with wih the statement that hat American refineries and growers grow ers would be destroyed in nine years year unless given them additional protection were At the outset of the hearing the jurisdiction of the commission was wa challenged by Daniel Daiel C. C Roper representing rep rep- rep resenting the Hershey corporation and other Cuban companies companie who declared de de- de dared cared that the tariff law makes no definition of refined sugar on which a higher duty is sought by approximately 40 American refiners Costs of production were not in eluded in the te testimony the hearing hearin being confined solely to the adequacy of the present differential between raw and processed sugar Wilbur L. L Cummings representing the National Sugar Refining company com corn pany and a lar large e group of other othe Amer American cn concerns testified the Cuban Cuban Cu Cu- ban r refining industry was a growing Frankenstein Frankenstei which soon would become become be be- come big enough to destroy American America refiners and producers unless checked by added tariff duties dutes He pointed out that with Cuba enjoying en en- a 20 per cent preferential discount dis dis count rate in exports export to the United Unite States Cuban refining of sugar ha has increased more snore than per cent ai annually an- an since 1926 and that now th the capacity of the Cuban plants plant is su sufficient suf suf- cent to supply all al of the United States He added that 99 per cen cent of all al American sugar imports come com i from Cuba I Representative Briggs of Texas i in I whose district two sugar refineries are located told the commission th the refiners ask only an opportunity 1 to 10 operate and exist and keep American America labor employed The Te Cuban Cuba siua tion ton Is critical but our chief concern concer concer Is the protection of ot American indus indu industry indus indus- try and labor He added that the flexible proviso provi ion of the tariff law had been cr crated cre by congress for just jut such a an emergency as this this