The San Francisco call., 1897-10-01

sugAr TO supply the United States market.
sir idea OF what the com mlttee DIS
cover ID and of the manner OF their lnves-
ligetitn may be obtained by somewhat
literal report of their questions as they
sat IN he office.
Berry to Spreckels-Row much sugar
do the 5eope of the United States eat
yearP
About 1000 600 tons. or nearly sixty
fOGr pounS, 10 each person..
Cannon And how much sugar do you
make herei
Answer by Waters-We made about
10000 tons orl per cent of the American
consumption last year.
Mr.. spreckels added that when the Sa-
hnas factory begins operations California
viii produce all The sugar consumed IN
the coast States.
Loudenslager-What hes been the high
est yield OF beets per acre aud what do
you pay the farmer for beets?
Waters-Forty-seYen tons have been
grown on one acre. We pay $4 ton for
peets, and the percentage of sugar in them
Is 10 10 10 The raising OF b cts, including
freight TO the mill, costs about So ton,
so the farmer cl ars about 50 per cent on
the investment. The average yield en-
aDles the farmer 10 clear about $24 per
acre.
berry-Tells US how many persons are
j. d. Spreckels-There are nearly 500
farmers engaged IN the work this year,
ZoO men In the factory and about 40 in
the yards and outs dc. One farmer. with
little extra help during part OF the sea-
son, can care for fifty acres. Raising
beets Is popu.ar industry. Mr.. Waters
had applications for 22,000 acres this year.
but could accept but 200. When the
new factory is COMPLETED at Salinas. its
capacity being three times greater than
that OF the W Watsonville plant, there will
De Tar greater opportunities for he people.
Cannon-fow many beets can you han
die day?
Waters-We are now crushing about
1000 tons every "A hours, prod ucing about
100 IONS OF sugar day. Ii costs us about
S4OO an hour 10 run the business.
The Congressman were greatly inter-
ested IN the seed question and were sur
prised to learn that the seed comes from
Germany
lit requires about eight pounds OF seed
TO the acre, said Superintendent Waters,
and we used seventy.tive tons of seeu
this year."
Congressman Berry asked how many
tons OF beets were produced in be valley
last year. a reference TO the books showed
that the factory handled 155, 600 tons.
u shall so home with definite and salts
factory IDEAS about this great industry"
said Mr.. Cannon, 'and when the sugar
problem comes before us / shall be able to
tell my fellow-Congressmen how L have
seen this simple industry grow TO e. ggantic
PROPORTIONS, furnish sustenance to an
army of industrious farmers and factory
hands and give promise OF great possiD!l
ties IN the near future" >--.-
Il had read in some Eastern paper
added Congressman Berry, "that japanese
labor infested the business, but / have not
seen or heard OF jap any where. l never
saw or talked with a finer-looking or III re
intelligent crew of American citizens ana
white labOrerS than those L have seen
here in Watsonville at the factory"
Apropos OF sugar, The discussion drlited
to the Hawaiian canetieids. then to Ii "a
wall and annexation. The Congressmen
oil spoke cautiously on that subject, and
all desire to be quoted as non-committal
or ION the fence
Mr.. Cannon said: II saw intelligent ma.
tives, men who read and write well; but
saw no capacity for self-government
among them. In our country We have
men who spell God with a little 'g' and
two as but they have the capacity for
self government. Politically we do not
want the islands or Cuba. Strategically
we may have to take EN- both. With
reference to Hawaii We must & We it up
wholly, annex il or maintain virtual con-
troll bv strengthening Pearl Harbor. do
not know which is the wlsest course, as
new problems may arise. 1t is neither
modest nor wise to cross the bridge until
we are there"
These views were coincided in by
Loudenslager.
Congressman Berry said: II prefer 20
leave things as they are, as it Is not the
American policy to acquire outside terri
tory But if there are any strong posi-
biiities that an outside power will gain a
foothold in the islands, am decidedly for
annexation as a military necessity. The
group cons;itu; es a strategic point that we
cannot afford to lose, but there is time
vet before committing oneself irrevocably
TO any parlicu ar view.