The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-08-06
THE BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY.

While the new tariff law does not
give bounty as an encouragement to
sugar production as did the Mckinley
law, yet it is thought by those who
are familiar with the subject that the
provisions of the DingleY law will
give ample protection and encourage
ment to the industry, and that the
beet sugar industry will take on new
life, and in few years produce large
portion of the sugar the people of this
country will use. The Duluth Herald
in looking over the growth of beet
sugar production and the capital in
vested in it, says:
''Since 1890 the capital invested in
the beet sugar industry in the western
states has increased from $3.50, 1000 to
S6,5OO,OOO. Much of this capital was
invested when the bounty was pro-
vided for. In the same time the area
of land planted to sugar beets has in
creased from 2100 acres to $4,000 acres.
According to Robert p. Porter, there
are today over 5000 families in the
west that get their living by growing
beetS, by working in sugar factories
and in other employment connected
with the beet sugar industry. Sugar
factories are being projected in num-
Der of states. 1t is said that SO, 900, 900
will be invested in factories IN Cali
fornia within the next year, while
several million more will 60 into beet
sugar plants in Colorado and the ter
ritOries. A French syndicate is re-
ported to have been formed that will
construct factories in California, New
Mexico and Texas. Another syndi-
cate of American capitalists has been
formed to build three of the largest
beet sugar factories in the world in
the Arkansas valley, Col. Utah is to
have another large factory and Ne
braska will have an additional one
constructed in time to handle next
years crop. 1t is also likely that one
or two factories will be built in Min
nesota."
There have been fears expressed on
the part of some that out of the agita-
tion that has been in progress during
the past six or eight months in favor
Of beet sugar production, that farmers
and capital would be induced to go
into the business on such a scale, that
it would be oyerdone. AS to this
feature, a member of one of the large
beet sugar companies located in the
west, and who has given considerable
study to the subject, says that even
should the industry have a particu-
larly rapid growth, that it would be a
good many years before production
would overtake consumption. In
fact he thinks is would be twenty
years before it would equal it, as he
figures that the consumption will
largely increase.
He does not take any stock in the
comparison that has often been re-
sorted to, of the business with that Of
potato starch manufacture, that was
so quickly overdone, as the latter
could be started with comparatively
small amount of capital, while the
starting of a sugar beet factory re-
quires the investment Of large
capital. and that in many of the places
where there is agitation for a factory,
It will fall through on that account.
If the beets that are being Guilt
Tated in this state this year. show up
On analysis, a good percentage OF
sugar, it is not at all unlikely that
aext season will see one or two fac
tories at least erected in Minnesota.