Show TARIFF WAR IS ON the forecast in the standard of a tariff war between the united states and russia over the dirty on russian sugar sent to this country has been realized last saturday immediately on receipt of information of unfavorable action having been taken by secretary gage in applying a countervailing duty on the russian beet sugar the russian minister of finance imposed a heavy duty on all american iron goods the duty being so heavy that the trade will be destroyed but the american beet industry will be protected in accordance with the spirit arid letteron lette the law millions of dollars have been invested in beet sugar factories in different parts of the united states the iron men make a vigorous effort to overcome the decision of secretary gage which is to the effect that the russian government encourages exports of beet sugar by granting a bounty the dingley bill providing against such paternalism on the part of foreign governments by a tariff penalty equal to the bounty in addition to the regular customs dues the case Is to be argued in the united states supreme court if the judges oppose gages view then russia will withdraw its retaliatory measure otherwise the tariff war must be fought out the iron men claim that the opposition of the sugar men to the importation of the russian product free of countervailing duty ia not worth the effort and alto ithe exports of beet sugar daring a long period of years to show that russia is sot a dangerous rival the exports of sugar in aggregating tons and in 1899 only tons but they overlook the fact chait if a precedent Is formed in favor of Ru sisla germany the greatest deot sugar producer austria hungary and prance will demand equal liberal interpretations of their bounty laws or frame otheir bounty laws to accord with those of russia thus opening wide our ports to a flood of sugar to be followed iby a demoralization of the beet sugar industry of the nation the iron and steel producers of the united states will butter undoubtedly severe losses but that la a misfortune which must be endured last year over in iron and steel products went to russia of which waa in agricultural our total exports were over A big part of this trade will bo ruined it the present tariff war continues and that Is why the iron men are vigorously denouncing secretary gagos ruling |