The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-02-29
SUGAR IN HE STATES.


has favored this journal with advance
sheets of the March number of that |
periodical, containing an article by |
himself on "The Possibilities of Our
! TU. $. Sugar Industry" There are
some interesting points in the article.
"It was not until April |, 1891, that
we had free sugar" Mr.. Buckland
says, ''yet the consumption during
1891 was by far the largest in our
history The consumption in tons
of 2240 lbs, in 1891, was ,SS5, 1874,
as compared with l,522, ISL in 1890.
Per capita the consumption in 1880
was 54, Sc pounds, while in 1891 it
was GAG pounds. OF the sugar
consumed in 1891. only 266, ,290 tons,
or about Ia percent of the whole, was
grown in the United States. The
writer of the article points out what
a magnificent opportunity is here
afforded to the agriculturists of the
United States. If they raised all the
sugar consumed at home, with the
bounty of S44. so on the long ton, it
would bring the American farmers
about $S0,000,000 annually. Thus
far, however, the home production
had increased but slightly, that of
1890 being 265, ,439 tons, against the
266,290 tons of 1891.
Mr. Buckland says material in
crease is expected under the slim
ulus of the bounty. "There is yet
an extensive area in the Southern
States that is adapted to the cultiva-
ton of cane sugar. Especially is
this true of Florida, where there is a
large breadth of land that is believed
to be as well adapted to the sugar
cane as the famous Hawaiian planta-
tions, and it is even said to be more
fertile than the Sandwich island sugar
soils. There are millions of acres
suitable for the growth of the sugar
beet, and now that government aid
has been directly guaranteed there
should be no lack of capital to pro-
mote and foster the increase of both
cane and beet sugar at home
The Agriculturist writer cites the
$4,000 earned in bounties by the
three California beet sugar factories
in 1891 on 1000 tons of sugar, say
ing the figures should bring the mat
+ ter right home to the farmers and
capitalists of the rest of the cOun-
try. The success of these three
| sugar factories was stimulating
others in the west, and the writer
: hopes to see the day when the figures
of the home and foreign product will
he reversed in the sugar consump-
ton of the nation. 1.-The actual
> cash paid out of the country, last
year, for foreign sugar exceeded
500, 1000, 900. Add to this bounty of
two cents per pound on the 4,224,-
, 100000 pounds of sugar that we
consumed last year, and which we
might produce ourselves, and we
have further sum of $50, 200, 900,
the whole of which $3.50, 900, 900
might be circulated and distributed
throughout the length and breadth of
the land"
What glorious picture of pros
perity within their easy grasp does
Mr.. Buckland present to American
= farmers! One hundred and eighty
million dollars to be distributed
among them if they raise their own
sugar That does look alluring.
Yet there is nothing in the whole
argument to make anybody of sense
believe that the United States will
ever approach the production at
home of the sugar she consumes.
The 800, ,000,O 900 paid for foreign
sugar which the American farmers
are told they can save can only be
saved in whole by giving up to a
corresponding extent the raising OF
other products which, other things
being equal, might yield them fully
- as much as sugar. Then the $780,
900, 900 to be got from the bounty
2 is simply eighty millions taken di-
t rectIy out of the taxes on the people,
d and the larger proportion of 1t will
= necessarily come out of the pockets
y of the farmers themselves. There
d is further the big "if'' in the ques-
n tion-''if" the bounty system be
f continued, which is not likely to be
e the case for any considerable period.
Il The Suuar men of IOulSiana-as the