Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-08-10
DUB EETSUGARSAFR
PRODUCTION OF CANE SUGAR
DECREASING EVERYWHERE.

DECREASING EvERYWHeHE.
Two-Thirds of the worh's Sugar Sup.
ply Now Comes from Beet Sugar
Growing Countries-The Porto Rican
~TarlE-Onr Island Markets.
simultaneously with the development
of the withdrawal Of slave labor from
the production Of %cane-sugar, beets in
creased their percentage of the worlds
supply from 4.35 in 1910 to IA per
cent. in 1850; 20 per cent. in 1860; 81
per cent. in 1870, and they now produce
6G per cent, or ,two-thirds of the
worlds sugar. This fact shows that
the farmers Of the temperate zone need
no longer fear the competition of the
tropics in the production of sugar, and
especially If a reasonable protection is
granted them, as is the case in the II
ted States. The farmers of this coun-
try have been encouraged by the Re
publican party in their ambition to pro-
duce the sugar Of the country. The
experience Of other nations and of
other parts Of the temperate zone has
shown that sugar can be produced from
beets in great quantities, and at a very
small cost, and can successfully COM
pete with cane sugar under the most
favorable circumstances. Under the
stimulus given to the beet sugar pro-
duction by Republican legislation, beet
sugar factories sprang up all over the
United States, and the production Of
beet sugar has already reached large
proportions and is increasing with
wonderful rapidity.
The first thought that came to the
minds of the farmers when the vents
following the war for the liberation of
Cuba brought under our control GER
tain tropical areas was whether or not
the possession or control of tropical
territory by the United States would
injure, or perhaps destroy, the oppor-
tunities which they believed were al
most within their grasp for supplying
the $1OO,O00,OOO worth of sugar which
the people of the United States annu-
ally consumed. This fear-if it reach
ed the stage in which 1t could be called
by that name-was answered in the
negative by the Republican party when
1t passed the Porto Rican bill. The
Democratic party fought with all its
power to prevent the enactment of that
measure which placed a duty upon ar
ticles coming into the United States
from Porto Rico. That duty was small,
but 1t was IN explicit declaration by
the Republican party that it would not
yield the power to fix such tariff, as it
might deem judicious, against the
products Of cheap tropical labor wher.
ever located and under whatever con-
ditions. In other words, 1T was n dis.
tinct promise to the American farmer
that he need not fear that the Repub-
lican party would permit the cheap la
Dor and cheap sugar of any tropical
territory to be brought here in a man.
ner which would destroy the American
industry of beet sugar production
which the farmers of the United States
have, under protection given by the
Republican party, been building up
during the last few years.
The farmers of the temperate zone
u produce beet sugar successfully in
competition with the sugar cane of the
tropics when both are handled by free
labor, and this advantage which the
American farmer has will be strength
ened in the United States so long as the
Republican party retains its control and
is able to apply the protective principle
in the interests of its farmers as it did
in the case of the Porto Rican bill,
against which the Democrats turned
their every energy. With a few years
of moderate protection against the
cheap labor of the tropics, the beet
sugar industry in the United States
will be placed fairly and squarely upon
it's feet. Meantime the improved con.
dition of labor in the tropics, and the
opportunities for higher wages which
he guidance of the United States will
give them, will more nearly equalize
the cost of the two systems of produc-
ton.
One further fact in regard to the
worlds production and producing ca
pacity is worthy of consideration in
this connection, and that is that nearly
two-thirds of the sugar now imported
into the United States comes from the
Islands of the Pacific. The total inn
p%ortation of sugar into the United
States in the ten months ending with
April, 1899, amounted to 3,3O3, O26, 763
pounds, and of this amount 1,1SO,442,-
1852 pounds were from the East Indies,
the Hawaiian Islands, and the Philip
pine Islands, thus indicating the possi-
blities of our Pacific territory to sup
ply that portion Of our consumption
which it will be necessary to import
until the farmers of this country are
able to supply the home demand. In
stead of sending to other countries and
other peoples the $100,O0O.OOO per year
which we have been annually expend-
ing for foreign-grown sugar, 1t may be
expended under the American flag and
in a manner which will benefit the peo-
pie Of our islands. and incidentally
those Of our own people who may en-
ter upon business enterprises in them.
Political POintera.