, 1891-02-21

molasses.
1t must not, however, be supposed, that
. free admission to American ports will enable
the Barbados planter to sell his produce in
the United States subject only to competi-
ton from other exporting countries
America is not only a great sugar importing
country it is likewise a great sngar-growinR
and s~ugar-manuft cturing country, and there
are the interests Of the domestic producer to
be reckoned with.
We find there extensive and powerful
refining industries, for which the sugar
imported from Barbados assists in furnishing
the raw material and there ia also a large
and increasing amount Of capital employed
in the production of home grown sugar, from
cane, from beet, from maple, and from
sorghum.
All the sugar so grown and produced in
the United States, will, under the Mckinley
Tariff Act, receive from the Public Treasury,
q bounty, varying from one and three fourths
to two cents per pound. AS against sugar
imported frsm abroad, therefore the
American producer is protected, by the
equivalent of a Customs tariff, similar In
amount to that which existed before the
passing of the Act.
Whatever may be thought of the wisdom
and soundness, even for its own purposes, of
this Legislation, its object is perfectly evident;
namely, that, so long as the sugar rehEer
is dependant, in whole or in part, upon
foreign countries for his supply Of raw.
material, he shall be enabled to procure it
as oheaply as possible from abroat but at
the same time the cultivation of home grown
sugar 10 to be stimulated and encouraged,
in order that the time may come when the
whole or the greater part of the raw sugar
produced within the boundaries Of the
United States.
This is in harmony with the entire course
of the policy pursued by America in foster
ing her manufacturing industries, without
much regard to the interests Of the con-
sumer and hitherto also without much regard
to the interests of the farming class.
Bat there seems to be a change impend-
ing in thisr respect. The creation Of the new
Department of Agriculture, with it's able and
energetic Secretary, Mr.. Rusk, the powerful
organization known as the Farmers Alliance,
are signs that the American cultivator is
coming rapidly to the front, and intends to
make his voice heard, equally with the
M auufacturers, in debating the commercial
policy of the nation.
The following sketch of that policy is
taken from a recent official source-"A
tariff which shall be absolutely protective,
that is to say prohibitive, against all
commodities which are, or which can be,
produced III Tue cCdC0S AIoe duLAtS5Loh ~
'all those in which we are either tempo
'trsrily or permanently deficient"
1t is easy therefore to foretell what will be
the tate of foreign raw sugars, if ever the
American grower shall be in a position to
supply the wants of the American refner.
Whether or not this time is likely to arrive
aeon, Of to arrive at all, is a question upon
which it would be rash to express a confident
opinion. After the war Of secession, and
following upon negro emancipation, the Gull
~tivation of the sugar cane in the United States
bordering upon the Mexican Gulf had declined
to such an extent, that the Louisiana crop,
which in 1861'62 stood at 528, 321 .5O0lbs,
Of sugar, and 81, 2l6, 900 gallons of molasses,
had in 1866, fallsn to 19, 900, 00Olbs. of
sugar, and 1,l28,0 0 gallons Of molasses.
Nevertheless in 1887'98, Louisiana produced
353, 55,877 pounds of cane sugar, or about
two-thirds of the quantity produced imme-
&iately before the war.
The cultivation of the beet root is making
great strides in Lower California, and that of
sorghum in Arkansas and the Indian Terri.
tory and there are not wanting public writer's
who predict that the soil of the United States
will at no distant date supply all the wants
of the nation in this great necessary of life,
the consumption of which is stated to have
now reached SO pounds per head in a popuD
lat Oh of sixty millions.
The Ministry of Agriculture does not cease