The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-18
BEET SUGAR.
1t May Be Leading Industry IN ms
state-Chfne~e Our Competitors.


State-Chfne-a our Competitors.
Cheap wheat has made our farmers
think There is room for more thinking
Two yeas ago Washington sent thousands
or dollars monthly TO Nebraska LOT hos
products. Today our farmers are rafs-
ing hogs, and the money stays mere. II
hogs, why not raise sugar oeetSE las
state has every advantage or soh ana
climate 70 produce as fne sugar oeets as
are raised in the world. and Keep sl'"'''"
az nome.
The consumption of sugar in the United
States in 1854 was more taaa -9"."o
tons. sixty-four pounds for every man.
woman and child. OF this amount 1.'o"'-
90 tons was foreign sugar. Cf me sugar
produced in the United States -oo.u" tons
was cane and e0oo tons beet sugar. Inc
amount OF beet sugar looks small. Out
it is gain % go per cent. over lsSc-
With y, SAT acres under cultivation III
the United States, there were prouuced
195. SO tons OF beets and S,0H.oW POUNDS
OF sugar. At Chico. Cal, the average
yield per acre was lis tons. yielding SOL
pounds of sugar. On this oasis 800 acres
would be required TO produce the sugar
consumed in this state. The experiments
now being made in the Eastern part OF
the state Will be watched with Keen IN
terest, and If successful will mean mucn
TO the future of this state.
The industry will have TO fight It's way
and be carefully worked out not as an
III Dorado, bur as a part OF diverslhed
industry afforang profitable employment
for our land
American labor is high and tariff laws
are uncertain. but economically and In
telligenlly developed the industy Will win.
The most serious competition in the
Northwest lies in the importation OF
Chinese sugar. which has assumed large
proportions, being surrepuuously sold by
grocers because IL is cheap and anords
them a better profit Seven million pounds
of Chinese sugar went into consumption
in Western Washington in 1884. II is sold
on the sly and the oonfiding public don
know the difference. If grocer ham
dies China sugar at all the chances are
that all of his customers get II.
That the public may be left IN ignor-
ance. imports into Puget sound are en-
tered in reports OF steamers cargoes as
merchandise" Why not read sugar
from China as we'll as rice and tea from
Japan? The American public would not
knowingly consume such a large amount
OF Chinese sugar.
If Chinese labor is dirty and loathsome
here. it is much more so in China, and
nothing could be more suited TO transmit
the diseases peculiar 10 China-cholera,
smallpox and leprOsy-than sugar.
Prof. Cameron, OF Dublin, scientist
who has made sugar a subject OF special
study, says that certain kinds of sugar
should never be used. that disgusting in
sects (the Acarus saccharD are present
in great numbers and produce the most
repulsive diseases. Last year the REIN
cries at Hongkong were seriously Grip
pied by the ravages of the plague among
the laborers.
Outside of the danger in the use of
Chinese sugar the American people do
not care to buy the products of cheap
coolie labor. and if they tell their grocer
that they wish American sugar they will
get It, as the grocer would not care TO
handle the Chinese article except for the
extra profit, and would not like a reputa-
ton of handling 1t.
None of the large Wholesale houses, be
IL said to their credit, touch II at all. and
its use is confined TO the smaller dealers.
who overstep heir best Judgment in look
ing for something cheap.
The Pacific coast sent 81. 500. 900 to China
in 1894 for sugar. Why not keep this
money at home? The Western Sugar Re
fining Company. of San Francisco, paid
out over $4,000 in 1894 for labor.
The societies organizing throughout
the state to promote consumption of
home goods would do well to give sugar
their attention and encourage at the start
the development of an important indus
try. &. ii. Z.