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Show FREE SUGAR IS ASSURED American Consumers May Save 8115,000,-000 8115,000,-000 Annually Washington. Jan. 15. Hie free sugar su-gar plan ol the house Democrats, regarded re-garded by leaders a one or the virtually vir-tually assured features of the tariff revision program of the coming extra session of congress, so tar as the bpuse Is concerned, fncased attention on today s hearing before th" house ways and menus lommittee. Witnesses Witness-es were ready to represent the American. Amer-ican. Sugar Keflnin company with Acting President Edwin F. Atkins as Its spokesman, the beet sugar and other Interests." The house Democrats claim that placing sugar cm the free I i 1 ma", save American consumers 1115,000,000 annually, while the Republicans, charging char-ging thai free sugar would surrender surren-der nn Important industry to foreign Importers, assert that it would deprive de-prive the government o: more than .;,2 non.itOu revenue The free sugai proposition Is coupled with the excise tax bill as an offset to loss in revenue. rev-enue. Mennwhile. if I wo more states ratify rati-fy tbe income tax amendment to the constitution, the excise tax bill will not be pressed. American Co. Favors Reduction The American Sugar Refining company com-pany went on record at the outset of today's hearing In favor of a reduced re-duced tariff upon sugar, retention of the small differential duty upon re I fined sugar. ' If protection Is to be accorded ac-corded to any Induslrv," and the continuance con-tinuance of the present color standard stand-ard as tbe most practicable dlstlnc- j Hon between raw ;inci refined pagan lor customs house clashliications. It ( opposed the abolition of all dutj upon , sugar on tbe ground that it would ' destroy at once one of the largest j sources of revenue. Europe Would Compete. The American company's position was presented ly Edwin F Atkin-vlce Atkin-vlce president and acting bead of the j rompanv. who was accompanied by Beveral other officials. Mr. Atkins coutended that ubolition of all dut on sugar would cause the termination of the Cuban icclproclty treaty under which Cuban sugars get a preferential inte of SO per cent and Cuba gives preferential rules oi 20 to 10 per cent i pon goods coming from the 1'ulted Slates. He ulso declared lhat fine sugar would open the United States markets to the importation of refined beet sugars from Europe upon the same term rs raw sugars in competition compe-tition with domestic refined. Beet Sugrx- Would Suiter. Free s'igais. while present production produc-tion is mainiulned." he said, "would drop prices here so low as to destroy de-stroy the Louisiana industry, ibr beet sugar industry, particularly east of the Mississippi river: would depress Porto Rico and Philippine sugars far ! below th.-ii production com and make Hawaiian production unprofitable,! thus largely curtailing our present! sources or suppb s "Once this production is so reduc- L ed." declared Mr Atkins, "foreicn prices would advance until domestic producers could again entei the field and meanwhile disaster w ould be i idespread and consumers would get I but a temporary benefit |