Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-01-11
ABOUT KANSAS SUGAR,
Judge Refers, Of Kansas, Before tho Ways
and Means Committee In the Interest OF
tho sugar Industry Of His DIstrIct.

Il Mo0ooUp
aud Means Committee In the Interest OF
tho Sugar Industry of His District.
WASHINGTON, Jan. I'm the hear
ing of the sugar interests by the Ways
and Means Committee yesterday Prof.
Wiley, of the Agricultural Depart
ment, said he did not anticipate very
/ high results from these sorghum ex-
periments in Kansas, as a 10 per cent.
article like sorghum could not compete
with IA per cent. article like beet.
Sorghum, however, made al excellent
alcohol, and he thought that Kansas
stood in its own light in preventing its
people from making alcohol.
Mr.. Walker, in charge Of the silk ex-
periments at the Agricultural Depart
ment, stated that cocoons produced
in the United States were mostly in
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and
Kansas, the latter State furnishing
more than one-fourth Of all the cocoons
produced in this country.
Prof. Stubs, Of Louisiana, a scientific
expert, told of his visit last summer to
Kansas and of what he learned regard
ing the outlook for sorghum production
in the State. He confidently expected
the plant in Kansas to stand on par
with the cane plant Of the South.
In behalf of the silk and sorghum
sugar interests of Kansas, and partic-
ular'y of his district, which produced
the bulk of the Kansas sugar crop last
year, Judge Peters addressed the COM
mittee for nearly three-quarters OF an
hour. He first told of the successful
silk station at Peabody, and insisted
that this stimulus had helped the in
dustry so that in his district over 5000
pounds of cocoons were produced last
year. People engaged in raising CO.
coons simply without investment OF
capital added from $50 to $l25 to their
annual incomes. There was ready
sale for the cocoons. He closed his
argument on the silk question by ask
ing for protection on raw silk and said
that the manufacturers OF silk could
take care of themselves.
Judge p Is then went into the sor-
ghum sugar question and stated that.
including firsts and seconds, about
l,500,00 pounds of sugar had been
raised last year in Kansas as against
only 300, 900 pounds in 1887 and little
over 100000 pounds in 1885; under the
diffusion process and wit2 modern ma
chinery the produ"t had been more
than doubled in one year. lie told OF
the seven big plants for sugar manu-
facture in Kansas and the arrange
ments for the erection of others, and
then, as he grew m re and more en-
phatic, he charged that the majority OF
the Ways and Means Committee were
thought to be about to recommend
legislation which would stransle this
healthy infant.
1.-THE industry is in its infancy yet, !"
said Mr.. Peters. "It is healthy in
FAINT, however, and if youdon't strangle
it or deprive it of the support it has
heretofore drawn from the tariff sooth-
ing strip it will grow into the proper
lions of a healthy full-grOwn man, If
you don't put a bounty on it"
Mr.. Mckinley asked: what do you
think of hounty?"
Mr.. Peters answered.: II think it is
q contemplate thing"
In explanation. Mr.. Peters said that
bounty was departure from the long
settled policy of tariff, with which the
people were familiar; it was untried
and unknown. The imposition of a
bounty would invite constant agita-
ton of the question, to the detriment
of the industry. Kansas needed ad-
ditional capital to put up sorghum
sugar mills, but that capital could not
be obtained under a bounty. He
spoke from personal experience in that
matter and knew what the feeling of
capitalists was.
Messrs. Gear and Bayne piled the
witness with series of questions with
view to inducing the admission that
bounty would be better thing to
the country than to maintain the pres
ent rate of sugar duty. The witness,
however, argued strongly in favor OF
the retention of the duty. He said that
there was a feeling of unrest among
the farmers of his State which, if not
allayed; might result in making Kan
sas with its $1,000 Republican ma
jority Democratic State. And
this was not one-sided; the feeling
permeated Missouri and Texas-and
was bringing about political
revolution in those States. As far as
the Kansas farmer was concerned, he
believed that if he was assured of a
satisfactory market for his sugar cane
he would be satisfied. The duty on
sugar would secure this. There was a
terrible feeling of unrest in Kansas,
and with corn selling at 10, II and Is
cents q hnshal the neonle were mad