The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-01
LEVEES AND SUGAR.

The rebuilding Of the Mississippi Ieyees
for the two-fold purpose ofimproving naviga
ton and protecting the valuable agricultural
interests along the banks Of the great river, is
the most important Of the three subjects that
the commercial convention, which meets In
this city on Tuesday next, will have to CON
slider. Without reference to the Improvement
OF navigation, the sole consideration, as is
generally supposed. that interests the North
and West In the Inauguration Of this vast
system of Internal Improvement, we
propose TO show that the protection
and development OF our sugar lands
| which can alone be assured by thorough
levee system. is a national interest OF the
greatest Importance, instead of the mere
! local affair 1t Is supposed to be. The recent
exposures OF the frauds ana atrocities OF the
New York sugar refineries, both against the
revenue and the public, has aroused the in
dignation of the country and prepared the
public mind for the favorable consideration of
any project that may tend to til o development
OF car own peculiar industry. more OBJ
perfume time for striking an effective blow in
favor OF our levees has never occurred. and
we trust that the convention will not fail to
avail itself of the occasion
At the present time tho United States paws
not less than 100000, 900 to foreign countries
for sugar During the past year the con-
sumption OF sugar In this country has aggre-
gated IA, $50 tons, Of which as much as ST. 1874
tons were imported nearly five-sevenths of
the whole amount consumed The gigantic
frauds upon the revenue and the wholesale |
adulteration and poisoning which have re- |
Gently been disclosed In connection with the |
importation and distribution of this article |
is at once conclusive demonstration OF the
OF the standards OF valuation
established by our tariff, and q most elo-
quent exposure OF the weakness and folly OF
our Internal policy. Possessing. as we do.
a soil equal to that Of any country
on the globe for the production
Of sugar, and with an acreage that will easily
supply all our needs and furnish n large sur
plus for export, we yet find ourselves import
ing all but fraction Of what we consume.
How we are to utilize our productive capacity
and save the immense amount OF money
spent elsewhere, Is question OF pressing
Importance ....=.-
AS long ago as 1923 our sugar crop WAS
about 10000 bogsheads. In 1861 it had in
creased to 459,410 hogsheads. Owing TO the |
war, and the consequent dlapidation OF our
valuable estates, the destruction OF our labor
system and the difficulty OF procuring seed
,ane, the production declined to about 10000
logsheads In 1865. Since then the yield has
gradually increased from year to year How
ire we to revive this lost industry and re- I
establish 1t upon the scale 1t had reached In i.
SCI, is o question in which the whole country
9 as vitality interested as Louisiana.
The late Louis Bouchereau gave IL as bis
pinion that with moderate announcement !,
rom the Federal government the production !
I sugar would Increase fourfold, and within 8
en- years, at the farthest, Louisiana alone .
With her million acres OF sugar lands would a
OF only supply all our needs, but be able to y
xport in large quantities. 8
There are number of things to be done 3
efore this desirable condition OF affairs can c
Q realized. and of these the very first Is the =
OF our levees. |,
So long as the present Insecurity attending u
pom the yearly high water continues, capital il
I'll not seek Investment In this industry.
he places now in cultivation will gradually I
ear out and there will be no clearing Of new Il
nds TO supply their place. For the same 2
'asons. sugar-houses will become dlapi- h
ated the plantations will be planted in rice, D
) has been done already In number of in &
ances. while others will be wholly aban- t
,ned because Of overows and crevasses. :
With reliable system OF levaes all of this a
ould be changed. and new impulse given +
the production OF sugar which would. in
e course OF very few years. enable us to =,
'pply the whole country with all the sugar i
can possibly consume. Nothing can be done r
lthout levees, and no better opportunity for ia
pressing this fact has ever occurred than IL
70 commercial convention will have on F"
uesday next. B