Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-30
The ssDaily Heraldo
FRIDAY, MAY 80, 1890.
FREE SUGAR AND CALIFORNIA FRUIT.


the Mckinley bill is in some respects
severe blow to California. Beet sugar
making promised to be one of the
greatest industries of this state, whose
development will be retarded in some
degree by the removal of the duty. 1t
is thought by the high protectionists of
the republican party that bounty OF 2
cents pound will more than compen-
safe growers of sugar for the loss of the
duty. This is true, if the bounty were
an assured thing; but there is no telling
what the next congress will do in these
premises. There is no doubt that the
bounty system is a logical outcome Of
the policy of the republican party, but
theories are often wrecked by carrying
them out to perfectly logical results. If
the principle of tariff for the sake of
protection alone, is just one, if one in
dustry may be taxed solely for the pur-
pose of supporting another, and that is
the case of the republican policy, then
bounty is as just and right as duty.
But the carrying of the policy out to
this legitimate end, opens the eyes of
many admirers of the protection system
to the falseness of the premises on which
it rests, and causes them to retreat
from their position. The bounty does
by direction only what the tariff does by
indirection-that is the tariff levied
primarily forprotective purposes. Hence
there is fear that another congress,
even should it be republican, may, and
probably will rescind the bounty clause
in the bill under discussion. The iron
barons of Pennsylvania, who have for
years reaped so large benefits from the
protective tariff that has taxed other in
dustres for the good of iron, may
kick vigorously against paying bounty
on Louisiana and California sugar.
Hence this bounty, although more of a
benefit then the duty removed, will fail
to stimulate the growth of the beet sugar
industry.
But taking another view of the matter
and it will appear that the cheap sugar
to be obtainable under the removal OF
the tariff on that commodity will be of
great benefit to others of our industries.
1t will be OF great help in the develop
ing of factories for the curing of all sorts
of fruits. 1t is the cheapness of sugar
in England that enables London to
make most of the fine conserves, jams
and jellies used in all parts of the
world. England is not particularly
suitable to the production OF fruits, but
in spite OF her disadvantages in this re-
spect, free sugar enables her to compete
successfully with all rivals in the manu-
facture of conserves of fruits of all
sorts. Free sugar will be California's
opportunity to enter the markets OF the
world and take this business out of the
hands of England. There is no variety
of fruit that does not do so exceedingly
well here that in this respect we have
the advantage of the world. With cheap
sugar the state will be able to offer
jams, jellies, conserves, and the whole
line of sweet-meats, as cheap and as
good as Cross & Blackwells best brands.
We shall compete with Smyrna in figs
and with Glasgow in marmalades.
Vast areas are being planted in
various kinds OF fruits in
this section. In very few
years the production will be enor-
NOUS. 1t behooves all who have the
welfare of the section at heart to move
at once in the direction of securing
facilities for taking care of these crops
when the orchards come into complete
bearing.