The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1897-08-14
SUGAR PRODUCTION.
The Business Is Helped by the
New Tariff.
Representative Meyer. of Louisiana
Talks About Sugnr-An Indus
try That Ii BEN
Gifted.

People interested in the production
II sugar in this country are much
pleased with the protective rates on
sugar fixed by the Dingley law.
These interests of the United States
are likely to be greatly stimulated by
the new tariff. Information which
reaches here already from various
parts of the country shows that the
new rate of protection given by this
law is likely to lead to large increase
in the production of sugar, both from
cane and beets. The encouragement
given to the production of sugar in the
United States is, the experts say, great
er under the present law than that ever
given by any other measure. While the
actual amount of protection per pound
is not perhaps as high as in some other
cases, the fact that sugar the world
over is low makes the ad valorem pro-
lection given by this act probably
greater than any law ever put upon
the statute books in this country.
1T seems to me-" said Congressman
Never, of Louisiana, talking upon this
subject, "that the sugar production Of
the United States is likely to Zoe greatly
stimulated by this law"
"By that statement do you refer to
the beet sugar alone, Mr.. Meyer?
"No. While / have no doubt that the
production of beet sugar will be greatly
stimulated / think that cane sugar Will
also profit to as great an extent.
"You expect to see an increase in the
sugar production in your state and in
the south then, do you, as the result
of the new law?"
Undoubtedly. / think that the re-
suit will be seen with us very prompt
| ly. OF course we have already large
sugar making plants and with very
large investments, but the increased
protection will undoubtedly increase
very materially not only the amount
that our principal establishments will
turn out, but also result in the opening
OF new ones"
1.-THE general impression has been
that the object of the advance in the
duty on sugar was to especially benefit
and stimulate the production of beet
sugar. Will it have as great an effect
en- the cane sugar interests which are
already in operation and developed?
mot as great proportionately There
are two reasons for this. First, that the
cane sugar industry is developed to a
considerable extent, and second, that
the methods of handling beets and pro-
ducing beet sugar are different from
those which relate to cane. Beet sugar
must be manufactured in large fac
tories, but the beets may be grown BY
any number of farmers and can readily
be shipped to the manufactures. With
us it is more difficult to ship the cane
from farmer to factory, and it is not so
practicable for one man to raise the
cane and ship it any considerable dis
tance to factory. 1t is very heavy and
the cost of transporting it even from
the spot where it is grown OIL the plan
tation to the factory on that same plan
taton is one of the largest elements in
the profits of raising sugar cane. This
would not be so great with beets, for it
has been found practicable where they
are grown to ship them considerable
distance to the factory and yet turn out
sugar i'm competition with cane sugar
produced by the extremely cheap labor
which the great sugar countries have
had in the past"
''Then you look for greater stimula-
ton of beet sugar production in the
United States than in cane sugar?'
probably. believe that the bill will
result in the development of "a large beet
sugar production all along that great
strip of country stretching from the
Atlantic to the Pacific which has been
sufficiently tested now to warrant the
belief that it can produce sugar beets
successfully"
"But you expect the cane sugar in
terests to be also developed and the
sugar production of the south increased
materially"
"Yes. There is no good reason why
our sugar production should not in
crease very greatly now. In fact, the
south has the facilities for producing
the sugar of the country. We have in
Louisiana alone very large implanted
area capable of producing just as good
cane as any we now produce, and there
are parts of Texas and Florida which
can also produce the cane in very large
quantities and of good quality"
"Then you look fora very consider
able and prompt increase in sugar pro-
duction in the United States as the re-
suit of this law?"
"Yes. think there is every reason to
expect it, both in cane and beet sugar.
Of course sugar is now being produced
everywhere at very low cost and peo-
pie who undertake to produce it in this
country will be compelled to adopt
methods as to improved machinery and
matters of that kind which will enable
them to turn out sugar at compare
lively small cost, but there is every req
son to believe that this is practicable
and that the rate of protection which
this bill gives will result in such
stimulus to the production of both
sugars as to supply very soon large
proportion of our own market with our
own production in this line.-C. ID. King.
CURRENT COMMENT.