The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-31

1909. observation-disclosures. %oo17.ooo 8i.272.ooo
Thus IL appears that notwithstanding the
monstrosities Of the Spanish tariff. calculated
to wiring the last peseta from the Cubans. the
island has. by force Of our progress In sugar
making machinery. superiority OF American
products. and the convenience Of near mark cts.
turned naturally to this country rather than
to Spain as a commercial neighbor. With the
yoke Of Spain thrown of. mutual advantage
would only increase the volume Of business
between this country and Cuba. But here
blends with the question as to what is to be
done with Cuba the other question as to what
will be the effect Of free or reciprocal trade re-
lations with Cuba on cane sugar interests In
Louisiana and the newly developed beet sugar
interests throughout the country. and also the
effect on the obligations which rest upon the
country with reference to the sugar output Of
Hawaii and the Philippines.
The United States being the nearest and
most natural market for Cuban sugar. II is
obviously worth while to know how much
sugar the people OF the United States require
annually. where they get 1t and what demand
exists for Cuba's crop.
The figures running back fifteen years show
that the consumption Of sugar per capita has
been steadily increasing. The rate OF annual
increase In the United States. according to
German statisticians who study the American
market as closely as we do ourselves. is be-
leved to be IL per cent. In 1884 the per capita
consumption OF sugar in the United States was
53.4 pounds In 1894 1t was 90 pounds in 1897
It stood at 645 pounds. For the calendar year
1893. from the data collected by Willett & Gray
Of New York. it appears there were consumed
in the United States 2.047.444 long tons Of
2,24U pounds.
This sugar was produced in 1897 for the
most part. and 1t is interesting to see where it
came from. The statlstics OF home production
for that year must be consulted to show our
sources OF supply within our own borders.
The output OF cane sugar in Louisiana in
1897 was 7O7.o5S,S7S pounds. The nine beet
shGar factories in the country produced 3d.
491,B1O pounds, making the aggregate OF
home-produced sugar that year. exclusive OF
the small output OF sorghum and maple sugars.
7eS.443. 54S pounds To this should be added
the crop OF Hawaii. which has now become
American soil, and whose output Of sugar must
be classed as domestic instead OF foreign. For
the fiscal year ending June 30. 1897, which
may he taken practically as the crop year. we
bought 43l .2l7.116 pounds OF sugar from
Hawaii. substantially the whole crop OF the
islands. The crop received from Porto Rico,
also to be considered as domestic and ap-
preaching In amount that OF normal year. was
81 $50, $40 pounds. For ten years past the
United States has bought n large share OF tho
sugar produced In tho Philippine Islands
more than the average citizen would suppose.
During that period the proportion has varied
from % to 40 per cent. OF the entire crop In
1884. when the output was over 100000, 900
pounds, the largest crop OF which there IL
record. we took over two-thirds OF II. Taking
the year 1894, year OF peace and average
prosperity. as affording trustworthy data for
the purposes OF comparison, We find that
we bought from the FIlipinos 12l.323.G02
POUNDS OF sugar. The islands shipped to
Spain that year 4.028.I4S kllos, or $3.50. 1872
pounds. and exported to tho various colonies
OF Great Britain 130.4O3.243 pounds With
the restoration Of peace In the islands. 1t is
reasonable to expect that the United States
would receive an even larger proportion Of the
Philippine crop than heretofore. IL Ia safe to
estimate our share MS at least 49,. 900, 900
pounds. The proximity OF large sugar con-
suming populations in the Eastern Henri
sphere will. however. always divert large part
OF the Philippine crop. Tho average Asiatic
crop OF sugar. produced chiefly in British In
dla and Java. part Of which we now buy,
amounts to less than 100000 tons. The Aus
tralian and Poynesian output. leaving out
Of view that Of Hawaii. is but l25. 900 tons.
Thus the statement Of our average available
domestic sugar crop. exclusive OF Cubas yield,
would be:
Consumption. ,304 90, 300
Louisiana CROP. ............7 o7,D5l.s7S
Beet sugar factories. ao.%v1.87o
Hawaiian crop. ............48l, 2lT,lla
Porto Rican crop, ......... S15s?,slO
Philippine crop ,'......,.. S5OoO.oOO
Total domestic supply .......,...,.. l.4+e243,474
To DO sought in Cuba or foreign
mArfetS .2,9I70la. 326
One OF the many things Spain seems not to
have done for Cuba was to collect adequate
statistics OF her sugar crop and trade. There
are practically no data accessible In Washing
ton to show the area OF producing canc fields.
the output OF raw sugar the number OF mills.
the quantity consumed at home or exported
the number OF laborers employed. the cost OF
the crop in tho field and at the mill nor any
other essential fact in regard to one OF the most
important crops in the realm. The quantity OF
raw sugar sent to Spain from Cuba from year
to year Is not known definitely. but from the
budget showing the duties collected and the
valuations on dutiable sugar. It is estimated
that the average shipment to the mother coun-
try has not exceeded 2.000.0OO pounds since