The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1900-12-14
FLORIDE'S OPPORTUNITY.
The Output of Several Sugar Factories
Needed In This State.

Needed In This State.
Editor Times Union and Citizen:
A recent decision of the supreme court
of Michigan has declared the sugar boun-
ty paid by the state unconstitutional, on
the ground that public funds cannot be
used for private purposes" In all cases
when the payment of bounties by states
has been brought before the courts this
has been the result. At recent confer
ence in Paris Of German, French and
Austrian delegates the question of abol-
ishing beet sugar bounties was seriously
considered. All who have studied the
question are well aware that il is impos-
sible to grow beet sugar profitably in COM
petition with cane sugar, without large
subsidy from the state in the shape of
bounties- In other words, to tax the
many for the benefit ofthe few" With
out this bounty the beet factories of the
west and of Europe must succumb to the
cane growers of the south.
Only by reason of government bounties
and special tariff laws has it been possible
to maintain the beet sugar industry,
either in Europe or America. The ten
dency is now to abolish these bounties,
particularly in America, where it has
been proven that the bounty does not
benefit the grower of beets or cane.
Michigan paid last year $40, 900 bounty
on Z 200, 900 pounds at l cent per pound
This was the output Of nine factories,
costing from 100000 to 100000 each.
At least s., 5OO,O 900 is invested in factories
alone in Michigan, while far greater sums
are invested in western and Pacific
states.
One factory at Jacksonville Tor some
other Florida town., costing not to ex-
coed $3.50, 900, should, and would, pro-
.duce more than the entire Michigan crop.
This should be produced on 1900 acres
LESS than four sectiOns).
At present prices this crop should net
the grower over and above cost of pro-
duction and manufacture not less than 5
cents per pound, or more than $500, 900
net per season.
This can't be done with inferior or
cheap apparatus; as well try TO compete
with the modern cotton factory by using
spinning wheel" and "hand loom,"
or the OK wagon to compete with the
railway. So long as Florida continues to
use antiquated apparatus she may expect
to produce only a raw product, for which
she will find slow sale at manufacturers
prices. Modern apparatus will not only
produce a choice finished standard gran
ulated) sugar commanding the highest
market price, but it will also produce 30
per cent more of such sugar than the best
open-kettle factory either steam or fire
evaporators) can from the same cane. \
modern factory can pay the grower more
for his raw cane than the grower can
possibly obtain for the same cane made
into syrup or raw sugar. The cost of
barrels To contain the syrup will more
than exceed the cost of delivery to the
central mill.
\ first class mill at Jacksonville, Palat-
Ia, Sanford, Ocala, Tampa, DaytOna, Ii
tusville, Tallahassee, Madison, Quincy, or
any other town in the state, from Pensa-
cola to Miami, should readily command
an acreage of two thousand acres, within
a radius of five miles. This area will
average not less than 5000 pounds of
sugar per acre, or 100000 pounds. Jack
sOnville, with her various railways and
river, should easily secure enough cane
to supply a number of such factories.
Within twenty miles by rail, of the towns
have mentioned, there are ten times
the area required for a mill to handle
100000 pounds of sugar per day, to say
nothing Of the syrups made at remote To-
calities now having 10 seek northern fac
tories to be made merchantable. How
long will Florida continue To ship her raw
goods and import her manufactured arti-
Giles? Our lumber, phosphate, kaolin,
hides, vegetables, syrup and raw sugar
are shipped away in vast quantities, and
returned a finished product. With an
enormous supply Of fannie acid material
and large quantities of hides, We ship
fannie acid and hides and import leather.
Producing 30,OOO,0OO pounds of raw
sugar, We import more than that into
this state of granulated sugar, and send
off our raw goods.
One firm in Jacksonville sells 10000
to 3,OO0,OO0 pounds of granulated sugar
per year. This same firm reluctantly
handles syrup from the country mer-
chant, who takes it from the farmer often
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