The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-03-15
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THE SUGAR QUESTION.

| 1t appears that cthe chief representa-
tive of the Sugar Trust in this country
has been working in Washington for a
retention of the duty on refined sugar
| OF course That is the way with all
the trusts and monopolies and pro-
tected corporations in the land. Some
very interesting particulars as to the
sugar interests have been published in
several eastern papers, and we copy a
number of them here for the informa-
ton of the people of Utah.
The total annual supply of sugar in
the United States is approximately l.
900 tons, of which the southern cane
crop is 100000 tons, the beet sugar crop
about 10000 tons and the Hawaiian
crop 10000 tons. This leaves 1,S50,000
tons imported at Boston, New York
and Philadelphia, but the entire guam
tity of l, 100000 tons is manipulated and
sold by the sugar trust in New York.
A comparison of the prices for raw
and refined sugar as ruling from Janu-
airy to September, 1898, showed that
there was an average difference during
the nine months of AIS cents per
pound between the value Of the raw
product as imported and of the refined
Iarticle as sold by the trust
The cost of refining does not exceed
half a cent per pound, though the
trust always has claimed it to be five
eighths of a cent The various dis
which have to be paid by the consumer,
reduce the difference in price between
raw and refined sugar down to Las
cents per pound, and deducting half q
cent for refining there was net profit
of .64S of a cent on every pound of
sugar sold between January and Sep
TENDER, 1893.
AS has been stated, the total guam
tity of sugar handled by the trust is
100000 tons annually, and a profit of
648 Of a cent upon each and every one
of these 3,400, 100000 pounds gives a
total gross profit to the trust of $22,-
l0S2. 600 annually This would seem to
be enough for a concern with property
Of an actual cash value of but S20.000,-
000 profit of 100 per cent. annually.
But the watered capitalization is $685.
000 900. which makes the trusts profit
over % per cent. upon the actual pro-
perty and its very liberal dilution of
water. But even this is not all. The
price of sugar in San Francisco is not
regulated by the eastern price. The
raw sugar is there bought from the
Hawaiian planters below the market
price in New York by d quarter of a
cent and is sold to the consumers at a
cent pound higher than the New York
|price on an average. This makes a
little matter of Sc. 800. 600 extra profit on
the western trade, bringing the gross
profits of the concern up to 1913, 600
or a total of 80 per cent. per annum on
the capital stock. water thrown in.
SO much for the buying and selling of
sugar by the trust, which is not even
|content to stop at this. 1t NEEDLES,
interferes with and checks the sugar
producing industry of the United States
growth of our own sugar supply, but
the trust prevents it. Congress saw
the Importance of our being independ-
lent of the rest of the world for this
necessary staple article of food, for
which the American people pay out
more money annually than they do for
wheat, and Congress gave a bounty of
2 cents per pound upon all raw sugar
made in this country.
The building of beet sugar factories,
lit was thought, would enhance the value
Of farm lands, provide a good paying
crop for the farmers and promote new
and large manufacturing industry. 1t
was thought that beet sugar factories
studded throughout the country in diff
lGlc Kill OldlCo WOulQ supply ilIclI lOCdl
markets with sugar, and that the peo-
pie could see the sugar made at their
doors, SO to speak, and buy it there.
The sugar trust thought this too. The
trust did more thinking. Local beet
sugar factories, supplying towns and
cities In different states would Interfere
with the business of the trust; there
fore they must be cheeked-unless I'M
der the control of the trust. In these
days of improved methods the beet
sugar factories are able to make a
sugar very closely resembling granu-
lated, and which sells as granulated in
the ordinary market. This is what the
trust objects to. The factories in Utah
and Nebraska are able to do this and
are permitted to do it. but when the
large factory was built at Chino, in
California, the trust stepped in and
said: We will buy yaur raw sugar"
1t was no use protesting. The trust