Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-11
~ snrar prndnoinr IndustrY.

Alter all that has been said and done
about the alleged effect Of proposed
tariff reform legislation on the sugar
producing interests, it is somewhat re-
freshing TO read such well considered
editorial as appeared in the New Orleans
Democrat Of Monday last. The
question whether it costs more IN
Louisiana to produce sugar than
il is worth in the market, is
answered in the affirmative. The causes
that have contributed to the decline
in the price Of sugar are fairly stated.
The decline is not attributed to the reduc-
ton or proposed reduction OF the tariff on
sugar, OF 10 any considerable extent to
the reciprocal treaties with Hawan OF
Mexico. 1t is recognized that the decline
is due to the immense increase in the pro
ductiOn Of beet sugar in Europe, and the
development Of sorghum raising ana It's
conversion into syrup in America, the
latter affecting the cane syrup ana nc
Iasses market very materially.
Looking the situation squarely IN the
face the Times Democrat recognizes the
fact that the survival Of sugar culture In
the CUuAus anu LQuAoAano POI $780, -
nine-tenths Of American sugar being pro
duced in that State, is dependent on two
conditions: 1. An early and maintained
rise in the price Of the product, which
would enable sugar culture TO go on, and
increase even, by the means at present
employed in conducting it. ,. a reVolu-
ton Of the present systems employed IN
cultfvating cane and manufacturing su-
gar, involving such a reduction in the
cost Of working that even with the pre-
vailing prices for sugar the business might
remain profitable.
It's not expected that the first cOndi-
ton will obtain at least not for many
years to come. The TimeS-DeDaOcTat
frankly admits that ''taTif agitation
seems to have little to do with the present
low prices Of the article. This was proven
last spring." it says, ''by the defeat Of the
Morrison tariff bill. Many men interest
ed in the question stated that the threat
Of horizontal reduction Of duties, involved
IN that bill, sent the sugar market down
last winter and spring. They stated if
that bill was once killed the sugar market
would Immediately brace up In due
course Of time the Morrison bill was kill
ed as dead as a last years mackerel. The
sugar market futtered about for few
DAYS, and then kept on declining, though
the threat Of hostile tariff legislation was
removed for a whole year, or until new
| crop could be placed on the market"
The first condition being eliminated
/ from the calculations of the sugar plan
ters, they must face the second. If they
cannot adapt their systems OF culture and
manufacture to its unyielding require
ments, they must abandon the industry
| and give over their fields and the costly ma
chinery of a thousand establishments to
I weeds and rust, or turn them to other
uses which appear to be impracticable.
The statement is made that many plan
I tiers. but hardly One-tenth of the whole
number, have reduced the cost Of produc-
/ ton Of sugar so as to make 1t profitable
| crop even at prevailing prices. They have
| adopted new methods, employing labor
/ ers who take share of the crop in pay
ment for their work, using the latest and
! most approved implements for cultivat-
/ Ing and harvesting, and have gained much
| by thorough tillage and rotation Of crops.
| The example of the cotton planters, who
/ continue to produce enormous crops OF
/ cotton, Notwithstanding the price Is
/ less than One-fOuTth what it was just
after the war, is placed before the
/ sugar planters. but our contemporary
| does not appear to realize the fact that
/ the enforced personal economy Of the cot
/ 81 oh
/ tally at least, Of the credit system, has
had more to do with the survival of cotton
/ planting than any great reduction in the
cost Of raising that staple.
The cotton planters, like the sugar
| planters, used to build stately mansions
and live in princely style. They gave over
I their financial affairs to a great extent
| into the hands of their factors, paying
| liberal, sometimes extOrtiOnate, interest,
/ commissions, ETC., and left the details OF
/ plantation management to Overseers, and
many of them devoted their time to poll
| tics or pleasure, and the spending Of what
should have been their incomes. Their
/ corn cribs and meat houses were in the
| Northwest, a thousand miles from their
plantations, while their mules, imple-
ments, ETC., were all brought from other
sections of the country.
The successful cotton planter now
raises his own corn, meat, syrup, etc.
He keeps a close personal supervision
over his plantation and business affairs.
He avoids all unnecessary extravaganza,
and pays as he goes. He has dug down
to hard pan, and he is building a perma-
neut prosperity.
The sugar planters have been credited
with high order Of intelligence. They
are certainly well educated and polished,
and some of them have been noted in the
fields Of learning and science; but they do
not appear to have been as wise as they
ought to have been. Instead of keeping
well informed as to the progress Of the
sugar interests of the world and drawing
lessons of wisdom from obtainable facts.
they went on with their extravagant
methods of living and conducting
their business and never perceived
the real danger which threatened them
until they were almost overwhelmed. In
stead Of seeing the real enemy, they lev
eled their guns at the tariff retOrmers, and
spent their ammunition in firing into the
ranks Of their natural allies and friends.
The success of those sugar planters who
are prosperous shows that there is
no necessity for the abandonment of
this important industry. The plant
ers must exercise intelligence,
industry and economy. They can hope
for no help from the politicians or the
political economists, for an increase OF
the duty on sugar need not be expected
during this generation.
The future Of the sugar industry in the
United States is in the hands Of the sugar
planters themselves. What are they go
ing to do about it?
Negro Migrants.
There is an impOrtant matter which