The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-01-08
TO SUGAR BETS
California Farmers will Turn For
Money Crop.
FEELING AGAINST CANE SUGAR
w. N. Armstrong Gives
Another Review.
Hawaii Ought to Get Into the
Fold-Reciprocity Not
Certainty.

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, Dec. 2S.-
One of the leading bankers of this
State was asked recently: What will
be the next speculative movement in
this part of the country" He replied:
THE sugar beet business Outside of
the extensive preparations made by
Colonel Spreckels, many investments
are now contemplated. Real estate
men are looking up large tracts of
land. The great estate in Chino has
passed into new hands, who have
large capital. New York capitalists
and Western men of large means are
carefully studying the profits of the
business. If the matter takes a spec
ulative turn, it will result in many
reckless investments. The fact that
there are over 600 beet sugar factories
in Germany and that they pay divid-
ends from 6 to 80 per cent has much
force. This profit is made in spite of
the internal tax on the product, which
is $3.50 per ton, or over 2 IL cents
per pound. (The internal tax il
propose to invest in the business here,
feel assured that the Government of
this country will in one way or an
other protect the interest here against
foreign competition.
Although the industry has been es-
tablished in this State for some years,
it has not, in the opinion of the peo-
pie, passed the experimental stage I'M
til recently. Even Colonel Spreckels'
faith in it did not command conf
dence. But number of the farmers
who have selected the right soil, have
intelligently cultivated it, done their
own work and raised their home sup
plies, have made unusual profits.
Some of them, starting without CAPT.
tai, have paid for their land in three
years, and laid up a little money. A
few years ago, the farmers were ig-
nOrant of the best method of cultivat-
ing the beet. Now, they have gathered
large and most valuable experience,
tation, and, compelled by necessity,
are reducing the cost every year. 1t
is the Yankee getting down to his
best work, and doing it himself. He
is inventing economical ways. He is
showing that skilled labor is better
than ignorant labor. One of these
men told me that he could compete
with Germany, duty or no duty on
sugar. These men are realizing the
earnest hope of the agricultural phil
osopher, small tracts and high Gull
ture
The citrus and fruit culture craze is
now over. 1t brought a bitter expert
ence. After the toll and suffering of
years, the long waiting for growth of
trees, the accumulation of interest on
mortgages it remains that the trop-
zeal countries fix the price of fruit,
of the soil. Men from the Middle
States come here and find their friends
stranded, and see better results from
old-fashioned farming in Iowa, than in
the citrus groves, attractive as they
are. The disappointed people are now
ready to become contented with
farming which brings a living. This
may be had out of the beet which is
planted and harvested in five months
And the market is at their doors, not
5000 miles away. Moreover, the beet
defies the frost king, who is cruel TO
the orange and lemon, and carries mis-
cry TO many a home. He is doing
much to drive the poor farmer to the
beet.
AS this new industry looms up, it