Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-04-04
Total,

1nere are beet sugar factories In sue
cessful operation near Sacramento, Cal.
and are producing fine sugar. The COM
pany was incorporated in 1868, with
capital stock OF 100000, increased to
$1,000; they cultivate 500 acres in beets
themselves, still they never have full
supply. The farmers near by agree to
furnish the coming season 5000 tons of
beets. The location is adapted for rails
ing beets. The company work in the fac
tory one hundred white men and sixty
Chinese; on the farm, in the season. fifty
white men and twenty-five Chinese. and
in harvesting, a larger number. They
make American, rice, crushed, fine
crushed, powdered, granulated, A & B
and brown from A to coffee G. The de-
mand is greater than the supply. The
prejudice against these home made sugars
is gone. The people see they get pure
and first-class sugars. They made 400,-
900 pounds last year from One-third of a
crop. The yield there had been four and
half tons of beets to the acre, yielding
II per cent. sugar, or $3.50 per ton of
beets. The superintendent of the factory
at Sacramento gives a detailed statement
Of the operation of the factory for the past
season. They worked up 10000 tons of
beets costing 5000 per ton at total ex-
pense of $l34. .1S5, allowing very literally
tor all expenses, repairs and interest.
The receipts from that Il, 900 tons of beets
was 1920. 800 or a net profit of $50, 156,
or 35 per cent. dividend upon the capital
invested. Now to this there would be at
least 50 900 more saved by careful man.
agement, and in few years we might
expect tie see this sugar selling at six cents
pound and still paying handsome
profit.
The sugar beet is easily raised and
grows to an enormous size with proper
culture. Even in Vermont six tons to the
acre is not an extraordinary yield, and the
cost is not over 81 90 per ton. We already
have at Freeport, Ill, one factory in sue
cessful operation. 1t is owned by Messrs.
C. ii. Rosenstiel & Co., who informs us
that the business is practical. Mr.. Ros-
enstiel says:
81 am pleased to see that you are TAX
ing an interest in the great enterprise of
beet sugar manufacture, This is an in
dustry which every good paper ought to
take up and encourage. There is moth
ing in the whole United States which
would at this time be of more benefit to
the nation than the manufacture of beet
sugar, and it is shame for our people to
look on and see what other nations are
doing in this manufacture, while we are
poor and our people out of employment.
We have better soil, cheaper fuel and
every thing needed for success in this bus
mess. and yet we pay other nations from
ninety to one hundred millions OF dollars
in gold annually for their sugar. 1t is this
oh toc anA it Sc
tureing their own sugar which made the
French nation rich and able to so prompt
ly pay off the Prussian indemnify. If we
could save this amount of money annually
our people would be employed, it would
be but a few years until we could pay our
debt. 1t is to much for one or two indi-
viduals to do, and our government ought
to aid us by light taxation until the indus.
try is established, or else guarantee us
market by taxing foreign productions. 1t
costs from 100000 upwards to establish
complete factory. and requires much ex-
perimenting to perfect machinery, aud
capital hesitates to enter the business un-
less guaranteed that their business shall
not be destroyed. Beets can be raised here
cheaper than abroad, and our beets con-
tain more saccharine matter"
viii not Illinois legislature at once ex-
empt this factory from taxation?
A lady who resided in France during the
Prussian war, and who is now one OF the
first physicians in America, informs us
that the beet sugar is sold in Paris at five
cents. and is as fine and white as any other.
If this is so and the beets are successfully
raised from Vermont toCalifornia, we can
see no reason why the United Ststes can
not make themselves 800. 900 900 richer
each year, very much to their credit and
advantage of her suffering people. The
establishment of a few factories announc-
ed that they would take all the beets fur
nished, would give new impetus 10 bus
tness in this Central West. Can not we
have they Illinois Paper.