The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-06-21
CHINESE WARES ARE USED,
But Apt to be Unclean. Public Inter
est Should be Aroused, Therefore
on the Subject Of Beet
Sugar Production.

1t Is the duty of the press SO far as ~
is possible to educate the public in re-
gard to questions Of common interest,
although they may be very common-
place. When 1t comes down to a mat
ter Of household economy, every one is
familiar with the fact that little things
are the occasion Of the greatest losses,
and but few know the proper value Of
the goods they buy, in many cases
reckless through the help at the back
door.
The principal sources Of sugar sup
ply are refineries situated in The differ
ent parts Of the U. S.; but very large
portion Of the stock that is manafac-
turpd by these reiiacries is imported
from Germany, Sandwich islands and
West Indies. Another point Of impor-
taner for refined sugars is China, but
the sugar from that country are only
used in any quantity on the Pacific
coast Not less than $l,500,000 was
sent to China for sugar consumed on
the Pacific coast during the year 1894,
aud the business threatens toincrease.
Now there are two very important
factors to the Development of this
Western country, The first is to pro-
duee those articles that are in demand,
and which can take the place of inn
ported products for which our money
has to be sent away. The second is to
encourage the population In our inn
mediate section to consume those arti-
Giles that are produced as far az possible
On the coast There are two beet sugar
factories III California doing a large
business. The Western Sugar Refin-
ing Company expended in operating
expenses in 1894, Sl,650,0o0, Of which
$500,000 was for labor. While thele is
room for other factories, thereis plenty
of Sugar produced here to supply the
demand; and the importing Of China
sugars has been carried on simply be-
cause there is tendency on the part
Of our own people, consumers and
merchants, TO buy the cheapest article
article that is offered, irrespective of
quality. We do not think the con-
sumer Ia altogether to blame fer this.
The retail grocer takes that sugar
which will afford him the greatest pro-
ht. Uuless the consumers are watch
ful, they cannot be sure that they are
not eating sugars that are nlanufac
tured by the cheap coolie lahorer of
the Orient, where hand laher, though
nasty, is SO cheap that there is no in
ducement to use machinery, Custom
house figures absolutely show that
there were imported into the Portland
and Port Townsend Oregon and Wash
ingtou) districts In 1894, 100000
pounds of refined sugars from Hong
Kong, and all of this sugar was nam
died in surreptltious way by our re-
tail grocers (for our wholesalers will
not buy 1t, the retailer getting his sup.
plies direct from the importers bro.
kers), and sold as American suguars.
Ask any grocer in Oregon If he ham
dies China sugars, and ne will answer
"No.p What has become of the IL
000,000 pounds imported? 1t probably
goes without saying that the Eastern,
or Oriental countries, are hotbeds for
development Of all kinds of horrible,
loathsome human diseases: cholera,
smallpox, leprosy etc. In one instance,
in 1892, the steamer Palmas, which
brought 1000 to 5000 bags of China
sugar to Victoria, had smallpox on
board, aud there were later cases Of the
same disease among the stevedores
who helped to discharge the vessel. In
1894, the great sugar refineries of
Hong Kong were compelled to cease
operations for lack of labor due to the
plague, and now we are told that the
, black plague has broken out this
spring. In view Of the introduction of
quantities of Chinese sugar, it may be
as well that the public be Informed on
the very highest possible authority, Of
the danger that may be attended upon
their Use. Prof. Cameron, public an-
alyst, Dublin, a gentleman who has
made it his special business to examine
all kinds Of foreign sugars, refined and
other, says that certain kinds of them
should never be used. lie states that
they contain great numbers of disgust
Ing insects, which produce disgusting