The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20
FARMERS FOR EXPANSION.
4. or, ,iRT WILSON BACK FROM THE
MIST BITH IMPORTATION


4, IN, Pncifc and They want an Amer
ic,r Merchant Marine-The Future of
Opr Rect Sugar and Forest Reserves.
v,sutxoros. Aug. 1a.-Secretary OF ARricul-
,uro WiIson expresses himself as well pleased
with his Western trip from which he has Just
returned The manufacture OF beet sugar. IT.
ri,.tion and forestry are three things pertain
inc 10 tho West in which the Agricultural De-
pnrtmsnt Ia deeply Interested, the Secretary
sail and the trip wa made manly 10 gather
information regarding these Ho visited
number OF beet sugar factories ana studied the
Lc,ntis OF their work ings. the tonnage OF beets
raised. the percentage OF sugar Obtained coss
OF manufacture, Gc.
Tho Secretary bell yea that II Ia i'm portan to
ect lust as much as possible out OF each prod
uct. and he suggests that from the beet prod
uct there could not only be made the sugar.
but the pulp should be used In the dairy b. In
crease the butter product, There was he said.
no loubtin his mind that this could be SUCCESS
fully lone He is convinced that the production
q, sugar cane in Utah and some OF the other
Western States could I've made profitable in
dustry. for while beet sugar could Re produced
forapproNimate!y3 "a cents pound. cane sugar
could hc made for cents. by the introduction
Of and successful raising Of cane. these States
would have another profitable crop to the
,,lnu.crs ard another pa yng industry would ba
aided.
"Whilr tho present tariff" said the Secretary.
gives fair profit TO the producer. yet II can be
realized clearly that il should be the aim OF all
to lessen the expense of production so asst
meet a situation which might arise should
somc sub elurnt Administration lessen the
protection to the producer Should the EFFORT
now being made to open the ports Of the China
Sea to the agricultural products OF this coun-
F,,l BIO. fa, ~ th.A oil 40
coast would be- greatly profted by reason OF a
good market for a largely increased produce
ton"
Secretary wilson studied the irrigation ques-
ii, n thorough on this trip and it is his opin-
ion that the most important problem to be
solved was how to irrigate he land sufficiently
without bringing the alkali to the surface.
Constant irrigation without proper drainage
I'm many cases would bring the alkali the top
of the ground and thus materially interfere
with the productivity of the land, 1t Is the pur-
pose of the Agricultural Department to give ir-
rigation considerable attention. q great deal
more than has been given heretofore.
The principal forest reserves Of the country
are in the West and the Secretary Is anxious
that new forests be planted to take the place
OF those destroyed by reason OF fires and the
cutting OF trees tor lumber. These forest
reserves. not being poiiced properly. are easy
Trey for sluatters and hunters Of valuable
lumber timber IT is not a difficult matter for
large inroads to be made on the trees before
the depredations are discovered. Secretary
Wilson said:
There are no antiexpansionists in the
West. The people understand the subject bet
ter than those OF the East and realize the ne
cessty OF protecting our large and growing
trade with the Orient. Dewey went to Hong
k,n FIJI ha protpptinn nj ahinpnp nd
destroyed the Spanish fleet to prevent it from
attacking our commerce An extraordinary
impetus has been given to the commerce OF
this country in the Orient by Dewey's victory
and the acquisition OF the Philippines. Our
merchant marine on the Pacific coast 10 made
quate for the trade. and the docks at all Pacific
ports arc piled up with goods awaiting ship
ment.
The Department OF Agriculture is now send
ing butter and cheese to six different ports In
the Orient in japanese ships and the Govern
ment is sending whole carHoes Of Roods in
ships which do not fly the American flag. The
general interest which the United States has
in this oriental trade was demonstrated to me
when boarded a ship loading at Tacoma l
found in the cargo lumber. wheat and flour
from Washington butter and eggs from Iowa
and Michigan: fruit from California; ate .
from Alabama; cotton goods from the Caro-
linas; bicycles from Chicago: notions from
New England. and something from every State
OF the Union.
These goods were being sent to China and
Japan, and nearly every industry in the United
States was represented Goods Of every de-
scrption are being rushed across the country
to Pacific ports for the Oriental trade. One OF
the great needs Of this commerce is u system OF
American counting houses and banks to han
die our business with theAa Deppla The ahin-