The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-12-26
The Beet Sugar Industry.

a most IHIVithht "it>fN o%--D
Aressrs. Oxrard's and Cuttings views
on the beet sugar industly in this
country appeared on the editorial page
of the New York Evening Post Of De
cember 12 last and as every house
hold in the land is Interested in sugar
the article will he OF universal interest.
THE BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY
The Evening Post bids the heariiest
welcome to every American industry
that can stand on its own bottom and
make it's way without leaning on the
poor rates. Among these self-support-
ing industries we are glad to know, is
the production OF beet sugar At all
events. it was such two years ago. We
publish elsewhere a letter written In
1899, and signed by Mr.. Oxnard and
Mr.. Cutting, the chiefs of this indus
try on the eastern side of the Rocky
Mountains. showing that this was the
happy condition of the trade at that
time. If parties masquerading as beet
sugar producers are besieging the
President and Congress at this mo-
ment, and pretending that they will be
ruined IL Cuban sugar is admitted for
six months at half the present rates OF
duty their false pretences ought to be
exposed.
The letter of Messrs. Oxnard and
Cutting was probably written for the
purpose of inducing the farmers Of the
Mississippi Valley TO go more largely
into the cultivation Of beets for the
sugar factories. This was q laudable
motive for telling the truth and show
ing the large profits which awaited
both the beet grower and the manufac-
turer f the industry were persever-
ingly and intelligently prosecuted. To
this end it was pointed out that farm
ers could clear S65 per acre by cult
waiting beets, and might even make
| 500. But in order to assure the cult
vator that he would not be exposed TO
| reverses by possible changes in the
tariff, they proceeded to show that the
industry stood in no need Of protection.
| The beet sugar industry. these gen
| tlemen say. Stands on as firm basis
as any business in the country" They
| point out the fact-a very important
one-that their product comes out as
finished article. refined and granulated.
1t is not. like cane sugar grown in the
West India Islands, black and often
slve paste. which must be carried in
wagons to the seaboard and thence by
ships 70 the United States. where af-
| /, t. 4 ,,<~I,
a costly refinery, and then shipped by
rail TO the consumer, who may posi-
bly, be in Nebraska. alongside n beet
sugar factory, which turns out the re-
fined and granulated article at one fell
swoop. Indeed. the advantages OF the
| producer of beet sugar for supplying
the domestic consumption are very
great. We have no doubt that 3Iessrs.
Oxnard and Cutting are within bojfnds
when they say that sugar can he pro-
duced here cheaper than it can be in
Europe" The reasons for this are
| that
"The sugar industry is, after all.
merely an agricultural one. We can
undersell Europe in all other crops.
and sugar is no exception"
It follows as naturally as the making
of flour from wheat. If we gan rro-
duce wheat cheaper than Europe, then
naturally we can produce -four cheap
err as we do.
But the writers of the letter do not
depend upon a-priori reasoning to prove
that they can make sugar at profit
without tariff protection. They point
to the fact that under the fcKialey
tariff OF 1890, when sugar was free Of
duty, the price of the article was fcur
cents per pound. Yet net srotit Of So
per ton was made by the beet sugar
| factories under those condition. get
counting any bounty on the home pro-
duction of sugar. They boast that
they made this profit while working
under absolute free trade, and they
have right to be proud Of thls result
Of their skill and industry Many
beet sugar factories had been started
in bygone years. back in tie sixIes
and seventies Of the nineteenth cen
tury, and had failed. because the pro
| jectors did not understand the bnsi-
ness. Since then great progress has
been made, both here and abroad, In
the cultivation and manipulation OF the
beet. What was impossible thirty
years ago is now entirely feasible. TsS<
Industry is already Oh a solid {sA
during basis There are factsS
the United States these -
tell us in their letter, capax
100000 tons of beets u
profit of SO per top6
make profit OF
trade.