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Show I Expect Plea Scon for Cut in Susrar Duty THREE of the six members of the tariff commission are expected ex-pected shortly to recommend to President Coolidge a reduction In the duty on sugar by about one-fourth, one-fourth, lc is understod in Washington. A duty of about 1.35 cents per- pound will he recommended by these three members, it is believed. The present rate on Cuban sugar, after allowing for the 20 per cent preferential rate applying on all imports from Cuba, is 1.76 cents per pound. The emergency tariff rate was 1.6 cents and the former for-mer Underwood rate was 1 cent. The three commissioners who are expected to recommend that President Coolidge reduce the rate to about 1.35 cents under the authority of the flexible flex-ible tariff are W. S. Culbertson. vice chairman. Republican; David J. Lewis, Democrat, and E. P. Costigan, Independent. Inde-pendent. Reti-ntion of the present duty will be urged, it Is thought, by Thomas O. Marvin, chairman, and William Burgess, Bur-gess, the two protectionist Republican members of the commission. The sixth member, II. H. Glassie, Democrat, withdrew from participation in the sugar Investigation because of the financial Interest of a member of his family In a Louisiana sugar company. his withdrawal following action by congress prohibiting the payment of salaries to members of the tariff commission com-mission who might take part in cases affecting industries In which they were in any way interested. The sugar investigation has been the most important before the tariff commission com-mission since enactment of the flexible tariff law in September, 1922. The investigation in-vestigation of sugar duties has been in progress for about a year and a half. It was ordered on the basis of an application ap-plication for a decrease in duty filed by Americans with sugar interests In Cuba. The proposed decrease In duty has been opposed by western beet sugar interests and Louisiana cane sugar growers, both of whom have insisted in-sisted that the Fordney-McCumber rate is not high enough. President Coolidge's action In this case will be of far reaching Importance Impor-tance not only because of Its effect upon the sugar industry, hut also because be-cause precedent will be established in constructing the flexible tariff law. One of the most important questions upon which the President must pass is whether average costs of production should be figured over s period of a number of years or whether present conditions should be taken as a basis. |