The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-06
TIE SUGAR REFINERY PROJECT
Views of the President of Board of
Trade Respecting IT,

Trade Respecting II.
Editor Morning News: Your editorial
Let the Test Be Made, in Saturdays is
sue of the News Is an unfair statement of
my position in the matter of sugar-cane
cultivation, and minimizes The broad, gem
erous offer of Prof W. c. Stubs. direc
tor Louisiana Sugar Experiment Station.
TO analyze samples of cane grown in Geor-
gia and Florida to determine their sugar
producing values.
When request was made of me to have
the Board of Trade interest itself in the
sugar-cane production, or syrup industry
of Georgia and Florida, with a view to the
establishment Of a refinery at Savannah, [
set out in the usual way to investigate the
problem, starting from the root and work
Ing up, rather than from the branches
down the trunk TO the root.
l entered upon this investigation with
| thorough knowledge, from actual expert
ence of the crude process of grinding and
boiling in vogue in this section as compar-
ed with the exhaustive and scientific meth
/ DDS employed for same end in Louisiana, of
which latter 1 had made a study on the oc-
casion of my visit to a plantation on the
Mississippi river during the past twenty
years.
In Louisiana prior to the civil war, / 800
pounds of saccharine matter 10 the acre
was a fair average. To-day under i'm
proved methods of grinding and granulat-
ing $500 to 1900 pounds per acre is the re-
SUIT, and the residuum, formerly marketed
as New Orleans mOlasses, is now nothing
but 4 combination of the acids, etc, en-
ployed in the process of extraction.
This residuum and the cane fibre which,
in Old times was used to strengthen the
levees as an absolutely waste by-product
are now worked together for fuel in subs i
tuition for bituminous coal, and afford an
economy that has done much 10 make
profitable cane growing in even Louisiana.
Without the improved methods for cult
| waiting, harvesting, and Of converting the
| cane into sugar now employed. the indus
| Try would have TO be abandoned in Louisi
ana, notwithstanding the protective duty
| enjoyed under the Dingley tariff.
To no man in Louisiana is more largely
due credit for the conception and popular
| zing Of improved methods in the cultiva-
| ton of cane, and its conversion into SUI
gar than Prof. Stubbs, who has so gener-
ousy proffered TO give us the benefit OF
| his experience and learning that has ena-
| Died Louisiana TO retain her standing as
| a sugar producing country against a de-
| cline in prices from % to 50 cents a pound
! Years ago, without tariff protection, 10 10
6 cents now wi, h tariff protection. and that
| VIII enable her 10 maintain her prestige
in the future when il is predicted by able
| scientists on this line of thought, that the
| sugar planter must prepare 10 market his
sugar at a profit at one cent a pound. This
| result may be reached in day by a recip-
rocity treaty with, or the annexation of
| Cuba and Porto Rico or either OF them to
the United States.
In view Of the stern logic Of events in the
sugar production of the world t would be
| childish, if not criminal, to base any adj
| vice 10 planters in this matter as 10 the
| growth of cane or to capitalists any
where, as 10 u profile beness of a REIN
! cry, based upon analysis of syrup produc-
| cd by our crude methods that probably
| only show at their best two-thirds of what
an analysis of the cane would demonstrate
| as possible.
In reaching a result from an ANALYSIS OF
cane Prof. Sfubbs would apply the meth
DDS employed by him in Louisiana fo- ex-
pressing the juice and graduating it. aud
the result would form the only basis for
safe calculating by producer or refiner in
their respective spheres.
In analysis of syrups of a single county
| no one determination could be taken as an
| average as in the case of cane determna-
| lions, because syrup makers lack the uni e
formity of natures work in fashioning her
results into commercial forms. Thus syrup
( determinations to form any basis for prac-
teal conclusions must be numerous, while
single determinations of cane could be
safely followed for whole counties or sec
tons.
Again, an analysis of cane might show
a so per cent. greater value for sugar pro-
ducing than might result from an analy-
sis of syrup produced from same cane by
our present methods for expressing Juice
and boiling il. and thus tend to destroy
interest in cane cultivation unjustly, an op-
posite result to that which il is hoped
to accomplish by present agitation.
Syrup analyses, absolutely unreliable I'M
der existing conditions, In estimating the
value of cane cultivation, might result
in creating a commercial value in other
markets for this commodity and destroy
all margin for profit in a refinery here As
this result would bring no particular ad-
vantage to Savannah, not even in CON
centrating syrup al this port for shipment,
as equal facilities for reaching outside
markets now exist at Charleston, Bruins
wick, Jacksonville and Tampa. nearer to
present producing areas than Savannah l
am not inclined to urge upon our people to
invest in such analyses to our positive in
jury. Individuals may do this for private
gain
The line of investigation for the people
of Savannah to pursue to interest capital
in the establishment of a refinery here, is
to ascertain the value Of cane production
10y the analysis Of the product Itself be-
fore being subjected TO imperfect and an
lquatod methods OF manipulation and II
found sufficiently valuable. then TO exert
every influence TO promote the planting
of cane in a radius that will permit Of
same being taken from stubble to Savan-