Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-12
BEET SUGAR.
Mr.. 0xnard Furnishes Full
Information.
Facts and Figures from His
Point of View.
Mr.. Richard Gird Tells How He Sc
cured the Factory.
Mr.. Oxnard Pictures the Advantages
Which viii Result from Sugar
Beet Cuiture-InteIe
ing Letters.

At the meeting of the chamber OF COM
merce last evening the following COM
munications from Hon. Richard Gird
and Mr.. Henry T. Oxnard were read.
The letters give excellent information
upon the beet sugar question and are full
of interest,"
MR.. oXNARD's LETTER.
c. NJ. Wells, ESQ, Chamber of Commerce, Los
Angeles, Cal
MY DEAR SIR: I esteem it pleasure
and an honor to be able to write few
words briefly regarding the development
of the beet sugar industry and the con-
dition in which it exists in the United
| States today. The beet sugar industry
has become well established in Europe
only within the last half century and
has become great factor in the worlds
sugar supply within the past fifteen
years, so that today more sugar is pro-
! duced from beets than from all the other
sugar producing plants of the world COM
bined. This result has been brought
about within the last fifty years by the
governments of Europe, chiefly Ger
many and France subsldizing and en-
! couraging the production of sugar to
such an extent as to diminish the price
of that article at least one-half what it
was ten years ago. The United States, as
you all know, have, within the past year,
| by wise provision in the Mckinley
bill, offered bounty OF two cents
per pound for a limited period,
for all sugar produced in the
United States and by follow
ing the example of Germany and France,
can soon hope to become independent of
the rest of the world for the supply OF
its sugar, thereby keeping at home some
hundreds of millions of dollars sent
abroad annually to enrich the farmers
and manufacturers of foreign countries.
The two cents given in the shape of
bounty by the United States govern
ment, takes the place of the two cents
which formerly existed as tariff on
the importation of sugar. The re-
suit of this legislation is that
the price of sugar since the law
went into effect, has fallen two cents per
pound, the consumer paying just two
cents less than year ago, and at the
same time the development of the home
sugar industry has not been sacrificed,
but encouraged, and that is not the only
advantage we shall derive, as each fac
| tory, similar to the one we have built
here, means an outlay of about halt
million dollars, and the United States
will require thousand of such factories
to supply it with sugar in 1900 The
building of these factories will start up
the coal and iron mines, as we'll as the,
machine shops all over the United
States, giving employment directly to
thousands, and give far greater impe-
tus to our national prosperity than
could be obtained in any other chan
,1a1 ~
will also give our farmers an opportunity
to diversity their crops, and we all know
the great advantages to be derived from
that source. Under the old tariff the
industry never thrived, but with the
stimulus of the bounty, within the past
eight months beet sugar factories have
started or are about to be started all
over the United States. At least twenty
states are, in my opinion, well adapted
to the sugar beet. We have the soil,
climate and capital necessary to become
the greatest sugar producing country in
the world, and as soon as we
have acquired the knowledge of
the industry which will en-
able us to compete successfully with
those countries of Europe, with the aid
of the stimulus given by our last con-
gress we can hope to lead the world in
the production of sugar in the next fif-
teen or twenty years.
You will excuse me for the length of
this communication, but before closing
wish to say few words regarding the
advantages of Southern California, and
the reasons which induced us to build
here.
In the first place, the climatic condi-
tions are such that beet sugar factory
by selecting its soils, can extend it's
planting and manufacturing season much
longer than in any other part of the
world. Ii such is the case, as believe
it will be proved by us next year, you
will have in Southern California great
natural advantage. l say if, because it
has not as yet been proved, although
both Mr.. Gird and myself believe it can
be done, and we intend solving that
problem the coming year. A great ad-
vantage is the fact that, having no rains
after certain season, the crop can be
cultivated and harvested at very much
less expense than anywhere l know
of. This years experience has
terbalance these advantages, fuel
is very dear, and transportation is not
cheap, although l must in justice say
that looking at it from their standpoint,
the Southern Pacific has tried to be
liberal, and wants to encourage the de-
velopment of such manufacturing in
dustries as these. In conclusion, |
want to say that too much credit can
not be given to Mr.. Gird, for he has
had courage and faith from the begin
ming, and had l not known him to be a
man who carries out his contracts to
the letter, and one in whom would
implicitly rely, the advantages possessed
by Southern California for beet sugar
would yet have to be proved. The
agricultural problem offers the greatest
difficulty, and Mr.. Gird is solving it in
very satisfactory way, and certainly
deserves the thanks of all in so doing,
for can assure you that the establish
ment of such factories in new coun-
try totally unaccustomed to the require
ments of the industry is no light task,
and had we been obliged to solve the
agricultural question as we'll as that of
manufacturing, the progress of the in
dustry would have been very much re-
tarded and the result doubtful.
wish to take this occasion to thank
the citizens of Southern California one
and all for the hearty support you are CIV
ing us, by your interest in the industry,
L. ~