Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-02-03
A Beet Sugar Bounty.

The question Of granting a state
! bounty on beet sugar manufactured IN
Wisconsin is before the legislature in
the form of two bills, one Of which
proposes a bounty of ! cent a pound,
the total amount to be granted any
one factory being limited to $40, 900,
and the other proposing a bounty Of
cent a pound without any limitation
excepting that no more than five fac
tories can be it's benefciaries.
There appears to be a considerable
difference of opinion on the subject OF
bounty among newspapers and agri-
cultural experts as well. Prof. Henry,
Of the state university, is said to ia
vOrit. On the other hand the editor
of German agricultural weekly in
this city is opposed to it. Thelatter
has had large experience in agri-
cultural affairs, having been at the
head of an agricultural school in b.
hemia, where he studied the beet sugar
question in the numerous factories Of
that country. 1t is obviously Of
doubtful wisdom to pass a law pro-
vidinga bounty when there is so much
disagreement which is apparently
based on reasonable grounds. The
only argument for the enactment of
the law is to encourage the establish
ment of beet sugar factories. But it
is by no means certain that sugar
bounty will bring about satisfactory
results. In Minnesota where the legis-
lature is at present beingimportuned
to grant a bounty it appears that
the advocates of it have omitted to
take cOgnizance of a law passed by
the legislature of 1895, which reads
as follows:
That there shall be paid out of the
state treasury, to any corporation,
firm or person engaged in the manu-
facture of sugar in this state, from
beets, sorghum or other yielding canes
or plants, a bounty of one cent per
pound upon each and every pound
OF sugar SO manufactured under the
conditions and restrictions of this act.
TheSt. Paul Globe, which is opposed
to bounty, calls attention to this
law and points out that not one dol
lar has ever been paid under it's pro-
visions. It's influence in promoting
the beet sugar industry of Minnesota
was absolutely nugatory. Not one
sugar factory has been built in Mime
sofa according to The Globe, though
the law was expected to stimulate the
construction ofsuch factories. Ifthis
is true, and The Globe mentions the
chapter of the laws of 1895 relating
to this subject SO specifically, that
| there seems to be no doubt of the &C.
curacy of it's statement, it makes it
rather difficult to prove that sugar
bounty is all that is needed to start
the beet sugar industry.
LII CA1lS OOnOC Vic C6SO Is somewhat
different, as there is onefactory ready
to begin operations. Inasmuch, how
ever, as t wa built without the
stimulus f a b lnty, why can it not
be operat d wit out one? We think
the experiment of producing beet
sugar in Wisconsin is assured by the
erection of the Menominee Falls
factory. A bounty would doubtless
materially increase the profits of it's
stockholders, but would it not be bet
ter policy to have them stimulated
to operate their factory proftabIy
without bounty? They doubtless
meant to do this originally and they
should be given the opportunity to
carry out their original Intention
Milwaukee Sentinel.