The morning call., 1890-11-12
THE TARIFF.
Wrong Impressions Sent East by
One in Favor of Free Trade.

crat of some little prominence, is now So
journing in California and passing away
some portion of his time writing about the
tariff for Eastern journals of his political
faith.
That he but imperfectly comprehends his
subject in no way initiates against his read
mess to discuss it, and the fact that he mas
no property interests in this State presume
bly, enables him to regard the question in lis
bearings on this section with an impartial
eye.
Mr.. Philpotts candid opinion OF the Call
fornian farmer, as expressed by him III
recent communication to the Chicago Herald,
is that he is being "pampered and petted
18th the money wrung out of the tolllns
farmers of Illinois and neighboring States.
The prune-grower of California, who this
year for the first time has realized living
price for the product of his orchard, is held
up to Eastern residents asa bloated bond
holder. living in opulence upon the eXorDl-
tant price the Eastern consumer IS required
to pay for his protected prunes. He pictures
in pitiful tints the "h0ny- handed farmer,
the laborer in the city, the poor washer
woman who wants dish of prllneS for
change" as reduced to extreme and prune,
less poverty by the half a cent increased
tariff upon this fruit. (Mr. Phllpott says tne
Mckinley bill doubled the tariff, but that Is
one Of his little mistakeS.)
THE SWEET WINE CLAUSE
OF the same bill is also discussed by him
and its full Nervousness revealed 10 tne
Eastern voters who nave been so blind to
their own interests as by their ballots to up
hold such a measure and upon this question
Mr. Philpott grows eloquent and oratorlcal
as he eXpatiates upon the wrongs the intel
lectual East IS suffering at the hands Oh
pampered and betted California
The cream of his communication, how
ever, Is his discussion OF the sugar bounty.
There happens to be a beet-sugar factory in
the section where he is stopping, and having
| visited it lie proceeds to blast, in sentences
OF portentous fullness, the niQnitouS scheme
| by which it is sought to foster this infant IN
| dustry lie saws: 1.-The estimated product
| (of the factory this year is 5000 tons. The
| bounty is cents pound on the only g!ale
of sugar manufactured there, or $40 Il ton.
| The farmers get 81 90 ton for beets at the
factory. Eight tons of beets make ton OF
sugar. Every time the factory
makes ton of sugar, which Is twenty-five
times n day, ii will pay out $50 for beets ana
public pays for its beetS and gives 1t, be-
sides. "a per ton for its sugar, 500 per day
to apply on the pay-rolls OF its mlll-hands.
Continuing his case against the factory
Mr.. Philpott says:
sit allows only such farmers as it pleaSes
to grow beetS. 1t estimates twenty tons OF
beets, two and a half tons of sugar to the
acre, and its own capacity at so many tons a
day for so many days." and rs q result OF
| this condition he finds that no farmers Ill
the United States are So completely under
| the thumb OF their fellow-citZens as these
beet farmers"
THE BEET-sUGAR FACTORY
In question has a capital invested of about
| $500, 900. 1t employs between Seventy-hve
and eighty white laborers during the season,
| which IS limited owing 10 the fact that sugar
| cannot be made after the beets begin to ger
inmate. One hundred dollars per day would
| go but little way toward settling the daily
| payroll. Sugar can only be made success
| fully from beets containing certain per
| cent of saccharIne matter; not all sol! Will
| grow such beets. The land of the w0ald be
| beet farmer is, therefore, analysed IN the
factory laboratory and if it fails to slow the
necessary qualities the management refuses
| to allow" that is, it declines TO accept the
beets grown in it. The farmer who after
| this would go on TO plant beets would be
fool, but the factory would permit him 10
grow them did he desire to do so. 1t only
cannot use the beetS. This factory VIII
next year enlarge its capacity, and, with
the erecting of others now in contemplation,
| it is anticipated that the price OF sugar VIII
| be materially reduced. MIR. Phllpott pre-
diets that when this is done matters will be
no better, particularly " If the factories
| choose to exercise their absoluts power 10
scale down the price of beets." Mr.. Phil
pOtt seems TO forget, il he ever knew, that
| this last clause touches matter that lies
absolutely within the control of the grower.
| The California farmer is not made OF the
| stuff that submits readily to the scaling
down process in prices. When the price of
| wheat went below living rates the California
| farmer did not cease to live, he merely
ceased to grow grain. and set out orchards
| Instead. When dealers cut the price they
were willing to pay for California pork
DOWN TO POINT
| At which the farmer could see no profit in
| pork raising, he stopped raising pork and the
| dealers were obliged to go elsewhere and
which is highly probable, the sugar factories
| of the future attempt to scale down the price
| of beetS
The facts are simple enough. There is a
future before the sugar industry in the
| United States. In It's present stage of de-
| velOpment, however, our factories cannot
compete with those Of the old country. The
| German factories can turn out sugar at near
| ly cents a pound cheaper than it can be
| made in this country. Last year the United
States sent $50, 100000 out of the country in
| p. yment for imported sugar. The tariff was
taken off this commodity to give the people
| cheap sugar, but the removal of that tariff
meant death to the industry in this country.
| The very factory which Mr.. Philp0tt pictures
as rolling in opulence has, in the past few
| yCdio, DGci bpAirCu " ohub uoNh ana tbiOW
its large staff of employees out of work. be-
cause Of inability to compete with the cheap
| labor OF Germany anu France.
| Under the new provision some, eventually
the greater part, of the money now paid to
f0reign sugar-makers Will be kept in our
own country. 1t is estimated that sugar will
| be from 2 to 2k cents cheaper when the
| industry becomes firmly established, and
the bounty now paid from the Treasury will
in this way find its way back to the pockets
Of the people.