OCR Text |
Show CUBAN SUGAR Several weeks ago the president of Cuba signed the decree which puts into effect the proposed Cuban sugar crop restriction. The decree allocates to various Cuban sugar mills the maximum amount of sugar each may produce, and under the estimate places the probable output of sugar in the ensuing year at 5,000,000 long tons. But the Cuban congress last May passed a decree limiting the output at 4,500,030 tons and the decree recently signed provides for putting this restriction into effect. The purpose of this reduction of the output is of course to increase in-crease the price of sugar and the profits of the sugar planters. The plan follows that of the rubber trust of the Orient and the coffee monopoly in Brazil. Uncle Sam, as the biggest user of Cuban sugar, is expected to foot the bill. The Cuban restriction plan will result in an increase in the price of sugar unless steps are taken in the United States to check' mate it. And the plan shows how out-of-date is the old free trade-argument trade-argument that the tariff controls the price of sugar in America. Thanks to our protective tariff we are now raising a considerable consider-able part of the sugar we use, and it may be that the restriction of the Cuban' crop will stimulate the production at home. This will be one way of fighting the Cuban sugar trust. The way not to fight it is to remove the sugar tariff. This would only put the local producers out of business and place the country entirely at the mercy of the Cuban planters. But no doubt when the price of sugar goes up the free traders will dust off the old argument and bring it out for public inspection again. |