The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-19

usurious interest rates on its mortgage
debts. or in face Of impossible condi-
tions for effecting loans, that finally
prepared the industrial Spaniards
themselves to forecast their fate They
saw no choice of terrors. The torch
was held in both hands.
1t is Therefore useful to bear in mind
this hasty epitome of sober history, for
1T is quite apparent that perplexing
Cuban problems are yet to be consid-
cred in the light of these facts, rather
than in view of any sentimental effu-
siveness about the natural rights OF
man and his moral dignities.
Matanzas and Santa Clara together
are one enormous sugar hacienda.
Covering 10000 square miles in area
or 100000 acres, nevertheless there is
not to exceed 100000 acres in sugar
cane cultivation in the two provinces.
THIS Is about per cent of the agri-
culture lands. and sugar Is about the
only crop that is produced. The large
capital required for a sugar estate, and
the value of the crop compared with
all other sources of revenue and profit
gives to the sugar interests the charac-
ter Of monopoly of industry. The
acreage occupied. however. is wonder
fully small in comparison. The aver
age yield Of the cane fields in Cuba is
said to be less than twenty-five tons
of ripe came to the acre Here in
Santa Clara it is possibly thirty In
Louisiana the average is not much diff
ferent than in Cuba, but the cane does
not yield the amount nor the richness
Of the juice In Cuba. In place of 1000
pounds Of sugar to the acre of cane In
Louisiana. the average product here in
Santa Clara will reach over 1000
pounds. The raw sugar product is
from 12S fO 1h0 1oOJ1nHc nf frif
In Louisiana it is 100 pounds. In pros
porous times this yield represented
more value in good financial credit
than any other crop on earth Of the
worlds staple food products. With
wheat in the United States averaging
over $15 gross return per acre, and
cotton $50. 1t was bad year that did
a net return of $50 on every acre Of his
cane field. 1t is therefore easy to see
that the possibilities in this direction
are expansive. 1t only needs organ
lied labor at the command of some
rare tutelary genius. better elabor-
tion Of the best scientific methods in
sugar making. and new facilities for
cheap transportation inland. to insure
double the old average sugar crop in
Cuba, without remarkably increasing
the present productive area.
And what makes these observations
the more impressive, l am told here
that the official tax returns show that
there Is not and never has been to ex-
ceed 400 sugar properties in Cuba that
have a fair title to the dignity of be-
ing called "ingepios." And this means
q cane field with sugar mill attached,
whose owner works up his own sugar
for market. makes his own rum and
molasses. Nevertheless, these 400 es-
tates. in holdings Of 500 to 1000 acres
each, produced in 1S93-94 the major por-
ton of million tons of raw sugar. or
more than third of the worlds total
output Of cane sugar.
The French in Martinique and Guade-
loupe have 10 doubt set the pace for
the most expert up-to-date methods Of
making cane sugar. They have done
1t by applying to the cane sugar in
dustry in their tropical colonies the
best Scientific Development of their beet
sugar industry at home. The beet
sugar plant at Grand Island in Ne
braska, and the famous Magnolia
works below New Orleans are fit Amer
lean types Of great central factory
system in Cuba. The first illustrates
the economic system of the new indus
trial regime, and the other the tech
nical processes of the most advanced
science in making cane sugar. Every
planter, big or little, sends his strip
ped cane to the nearest central" just
as a. Yankee farmer sends his grist to
the corn mill, or the beet grower con-
tracts his crop for future delivery. The