Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-08-02
THE EFFECT OF THE WILSON
RUJ

1t was expected when the Wilson
bill became law that foreign sugar
would find market in this country.
This expectation has, in a certain
measure, been realized. In order to
lay before the readers of the Sun the
present status of this very important
article of consumption and its
standing under the rulings of the
Wilson bill, a reporter interviewed one
of the important members OF the whole
sale grocers, of this city, with the fol-
lowing result:
'Please give in as concise language
as possible what has been your expert
ence with foreign or German granu-
lated sugar?"
eve have not as yet made any i'm
portations of German granulated su-
gar, but have confined our operations
strictly to the domestic article. We
must confess, however, that at various
periods during the past six months we
have been many times tempted to
handle German sugars, not of our own
volition, but from the sharp competi-
ton of one or two of our competitors,
who have handled it freely, and who
have sold it for less money than the
ruling price of the domestic article !;
they were able to do this, for the very
simple fact that German granulated
costs less than dome site sugars, and it
costs less, because it is not what the
trade and consumers in this country
understand as being refined sugar. in
tact, am informed that the English
consumers do not purchase it for table
use, as it is made direct from the beet
juice, but they supply themselves from
English refners, experience having
proved to them that the German, or as
they call it, continental gran, is un-
suitable for this purpose. l have been
informed by those who ought to know
that this sugar does not go through the
refining process, being made directly
from beet juice.
"It is not made first into centrifugal
sugars and then, made by the usual re-
fning process, as is done with refined
sugars in this country and England,
into granulated sugar: therefore, meas
ured by ours and the English standard
of the purity of refined sugars, German
or continental granulated, it is not re
fined sugar. I do not believe that It
is passed through that agent SO .neces-
sary to relieve it of its impurities, that
is, 'boneblack;;' the use of this article
makes refining q very costly process.
If all the impurities of sugar are not
taken out of it by refining process it
must necessarily be injurious to health,
and in the second place it is unfit for
canning purposes, candy making,
and for preserving fruits. 1t is
not very difficult thing to detect
German granulated sugar; it speaks
for itself, it is only necessary to put a
teaspoonful in cup of hot tea, and an
odor will be thrown out, which will be
very far from being pleasant in its
character, and this odor could not ex-
ist, unless there were impurities in the
sugar to cause it.
SIN regard to its usefulness in can
ming fruits, can speak with great
deal more surety. I have been impor-
tuned almost daily by my salesmen to
purchase German granulated sugars,
as they were being very much harassed
by its cheap offerings by the salesmen
of our competitors in business. Sud-
denly, however, their opportunities
ceased, and when we asked them for
an explanation, they replied that Ger
man granulated was dead letter in
the section of the country being can
vassed by them; that German granu-
lated had been tried by all classes of
uses, both the table and especially for
preserving fruits; it had caused the
preserved fruit to ferment Now, any
housewife or Gamer will tell you what
that means. 1t is total loss of the
fruits you are canning or preserving.
am not now SO much concerned by
the competition of German granulated
sugar. 1t is but necessary for the con-
sumers to use it in the manner I have
described and they will not use it
sgain.
Now, if German grauulatea sugar
was refined sugar, such as we under
stand refined sugar in this country
that is treated by the 'boneblacl' pro-
cess-there would be no objection
whatever to recommending it to con-
sumers. and we will handle it, provid-
ed it could be handled on the same
terms as the the domestic sugars.
Why, however, should we order it, and
then wait a month, and often six
weeks, for its delivery, when we can
buy from our American refneries to-
day and receive the delivery to-mor-
row?
81 have been informed by my sales
men that orders that were taken from
the country buyer for German granu-
lated sugar by some of the grocers for
this months delivery are being freely
cancelled. This shows that the con-
sumer has or is beginning to discover
the actual quality of this make OF gran.
ulated sugar. I have heard that it is
being called The poor mans sugar.
I think this is misnomer, as it has
been my experience that the poor man
will buy and wants the best and purest
sugar that is made. .n-.Baltimor Sun.