The Forrest City times., 1891-04-24
NEW SUGAR INDUSTRIES.

What Free Sugar Will Do-The Jam In-
 dustry and Condensed Milk Business
 Will Grow-The Farmers and Mckin-
 ley's Free Trade.
 When sugar went on the free list, the President of the Sugar Trust said in an interview he thought that ultimately cheap sugar would cause the introduce tion of several new industries in this country, notably the manufacture Of fruit jams and preserves, about 100, 900 tons of which are made in England every year, while the manufacture is almost unknown here He also believed that our brewers would use sugar instead of glucose, following the example of Eng fish brewers. The consumption of sugar would increase among the people, too. In Great Britain, for instance, with free sugar, the consumption is seventy pounds per capita per year, and in this country, where there is more general prosperity, it has only been only about fifty five pounds, while of this over 40 per cent. is brown sugars. The manufacture ol candy, he thought, would probably in crease, and candy be cheaper.
 The manufacture of fruit jams and preserves is even more extensive in England than as stated here. England uses 1S0, 900 tons of sugar in these in dustries and employs thus 75,000 hands. The benefit which free sugar has been to the people of England may be seen from the fact that strawberry jam is sold in London at wholesale at $l.35 per dozen one pound jars, black currant and rasp- berry jam at SIPS, and so on down to plum jam at 94 cents.
 There can be no doubt that free sugar will give an excellent opportunity for the development of a vast jam industry in this country and thus give a large and steady market to the growers of small fruits. At present our small fruit crop is very valuable. Conservative estimates by well-informed dealers place the value of che strawberry crop at S10, 900, GOO; the raspberry, black cap, and blackberry crop at S4, 900, 900; the cranberry crop at S2,00o.0 900; the currant crop at S1, 100000; and the re- maining varieties at S1,o00, 0o0-a total of at least SIS, ,00o, 900. These figures can be enormously increased under free sugar. By reason of the higher tariff cost of sugar and jars, and tumblers with us, we have been making only about one-sixth of our small-fruit crop into jam and preserves. England, on bnc OtLbT udHut Hdo pNCH uSiuS bWO- thirds of her crop in this way. turning out about S12,o0o,oo0 worth of jam a year. Thus the English have been sup plying not merely all the jams used in Great Britain but the greater part of those used in all parts of the world, from which there comes constantly in creasing demand
 Another industry which can be built up to large proportions under free sugar is that of making condensed milk. To make 1000 pounds of condensed milk 475 pounds of sugar are used with l,460 quarts of milk. The saving here of So 50 per thousand pounds by free sugar will glve this industry the promise of large profits and will cause it to develop rapidly. In this the farmer will see a market for an enlarged sale of milk But condensed milk must bo packed Tn tin cans and these arc taxed higher than l ever under the Mckinley law.
 1 Free sugar is the one bright spot in the Mckinley law--the ono placo where | it gives free trade to any important ex' tent. The great effect of free sugar in cheapening the expenses of the house hold and in enlarging our industries will teach the people the nature of the Mckin 1 ley law where 1t does not give free trade. | If the abolition of tho duty on sugal does so much good, would not the same result follow in other cases?