The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-08
oAxB sUeAn AND Brrr sUaAA
Tss Abfity 81 rats Country to Freaucs Al the
Heet Sugar nc Reau,reaL

Beet Sugar nt Requires.
To THE EDITOR or THE SuN-Sir: One OF the
most important industrial topics of the day. In
volving also the questions Of tariff. revenue,
consumption, and home production. il that OF
sugar, and its relation to these questions is
complicated by the discussion as TO the COM
parative merits OF beet and cane sugars. Each
has its advocates, and unfortunately there 10
something Of . conflict between the advocates
of beet sugar and cane sugar. without entering
into the question of statistics, a few remarks
upon the subject seem pertinent,
Those writer's who are taking the ground that
the production OF cane sugar is in it's decadence
because beet sugar Is now produced in much
greater quantity than cane sugar. cannot have
gone very deeply into the question of the nor
NAL capacity Of tropical countries to produce
cane sugar or sugar cane. The enormous prog
ress in the production OF beet sugar In Europe
and the present satisfactory progress in this
country in tho Same direction are too we'll
known to require rehearsal here; but the reason
Of the great success attained Is to be found In
the practically prohibitive tarin protection and
system OF export bounties that obtain in Europe.
as also tho tariff protection and bounty accorded
to the beet sugar industry in this country. Take
away these holsters and the beet sugar indus.
tries Of Europe would soon DO wiped out, and
without ample protection In this country the beet
sugar industry cannot presently exist; neither
can tho production Of cane sugar In this country
progress without protection.
Prof. Wiley Of the United States Agricultural
Department has several times put the actual
average cost Of producing sugar In this country
at about four cents per pound; under continued
improvements in machinery and methods the
cost has been reduced within tho past two or
three years. and may now be fairly set down a.
not far from three cents per pound for raw and
three and a half cents for refined beet sugar, to
which must always be added the cost of market
Ing and shrinkage. Home-produced sugar must
DO sold In competition with imported sugars,
the price Of which to consumers 10 maintained
at tho lowest point consistent with the foreign
cost. with duty, freight. refining, and handling
added. Hence German granulated sugars have
been sold in this market as low as the actual
cost of producing beet sugars In this country,
and are constantly imported at rates pro rata to
the actual cost of production in Europe or even
less, which can DO done under the export bounty
system Of Europe. 1t will be seen that the pro.
duction Of beet sugar in the United States is de-
pendent for existence upon tariff protection, or
other protection in the form of Government or
State bounty.
That cane sugar can be produced In tropical
climates at much less cost than beet sugar can
DO produced In either Europe or this country Is
q fact beyond question. Cane sugar, too. has
always this advantage over beet sugar, that IL
Is fit for consumption as food at any stage of its
making. from low grade yellows to the highest
refined granulated or hard crystals, while beet
sugar must be refined from the alkaline impuri-
ties of the lower grades in order to make it suit.
able for food. Hence 1t is not likely that tho
production of cane sugar will be superseded
wholly by beet sugar; neither can the present
eXDOrt bOunfy aystnn 0f EuroDe continue yy;th-
out detriment and loss of revenue to tho sugar
bounty paying countries.
There is another side to this question deeply
interesting to the people of this country. The
production of beet sugar here is q necessity IL
we are to be delivered from foreign producers of
this article Of food, whether from the cane or
beet sugar producing countries. 1t is, therefore,
imperative upon us TO protect the industry suf.
fciently to enable the people to produce their
own sugar. Most Of the States in our Union are
suited for the production of sugar beets, though
only a small part Of them can produce cane sugar.
Hence the beet sugar industry is a necessity to
us. We cannot produce enough cane sugar, but
we can produce beet sugar In any quantity re-
quired for homo consumption, In addition to our
cane sugar.
III talk about the dangers of producing beet
sugar In excess Of our homo consumpti on, and
consequent loss Of revenue from sugar, is not
only counting chickens before they are Matched,
but is also misleading. The Cuban sugar
planter. Mr.. E. F. Atkins. of Boston, asks where
we are to get tho $4,000. 900 Of revenue from
sugar to be collected il we produce our own
sugarf When we produce all the sugar re-
CURED for home consumption the $50, 900, 900
or more now paid annually for imported sugars
will be in the pockets of the American people,
who can then we'll afford to pay a small internal
tax. say of a cent per pound, in lieu of the duty
now levied on imported sugar, and have some
of the $4,000, 600 remaining to their credit,
Thus would the Government get all the revenue
required from sugar, while the consumer would
have the money from the acquired homo in
dustry without dependence upon foreign pro-
ducers; and thousands of industries would get
a share OF the trade and thousands find employ
ment in It.
Another bugbear presented by opponents of
our progress as beet sugar producers is that the
extensive production of beet sugar will deprive
US OF land for the growth Of wheat and other
cereals. and so reduce or destroy our capacity
for their production and deprive us of tho
money now received from exports of wheat and
other food products. which, II is said, would he
grown In foreign countries. This point is simply
bosh. nasmuch as neither Mr.. Atkins nor this
writer. and not any child now living. is likely to
see the day in this country whom we cannot pro-
duce all the wheat and other products for which
we have q foreign market, and at the same time
be able to employ all the land and many times
more that would be required for the production
OF the 2,000 600 or 80 tons of sugar required an.
nually for home consumption in this country.
The assertion that 1--WE shall not produce tho
1000. 900 tons of sugar here and produce tho
things we are now producing is nonsense. We
can not only produce all the sugar we require
for homo consumption. but we can also produce
simultaneously many times the amount
OF wheat and other cereals now produced.
1t Is wonderful how at one time some people will
argue the immensely OF this country for one pur-
pose and Its Limitation for another purpose; It IL
also strange that the moment tho beet sugar in.
dustry Of the United States has become a fact,
and its progress a substantial evidence of the
normal capacity Of this country to produce all
the sugar required for home consumption, fears
for future preponderance of tho beet sugar In.
dustry here should worry the minds of Cuban
sugar planters and their CONDUCTORS In this
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