The Penn's Grove record., 1901-12-27
The man who is lazy never has time
TO do ANYTHING.
The Beet Sugar Industry.

Messrs. Oxnard's and Cuttings views
on the beet sugar industry in this
country appeared on the editorial page
of the New York Evening Post of De
cember 10 last. and as every house
hold in the land is interested in sugar
the article will be of universal interest
THE BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY.
The Evening Post bids the heartiesi
welcome to every American industry
that can stand on its own bottom ana
make its way without leaning on the
Door 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
publisb elsewhere a letter written In
1899, and signed by Mr.. Oxnard ana
Mr.. Cutting. the chiefs of this indus
try on the eastern side of the Rocky
Mountains, showing that this was fhe
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 VIII be
ruined If Cuban sugar Is admitted tor
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 laudable
motive for telling the truth and show
ing the large profits which awaited
! both the beet grower and the manufac-
turer if the industry were persever-
| ingly and intelligently prosecuted. 10
this end 1t was pointed out that farm
ers could clear 500 per acre by cult
waiting beets, and might even make
800. But in order to assure the culti-
yator 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 a
finished article, refined and granulated.
1t is not, like cane sugar grown in the
West India Islands, black and often
sive paste, which must be carried IN
wagons to the seaboard and thence by
ships to the United States. where, af'
ter another handling, it is put through
costly refinery. and then shipped by
rail to the consumer, who may possi
bly, be in Nebraska, alongside a beei
sugar factory, which turns out the re
fined and granulated article at one fel
swoop. Indeed, the advantages of the
producer of beet sugar for supplying
the domestic consumption are very
great. We have no doubt that Messrs
Oxnard and Cutting are within bounds
when they say that sugar can be pro
duced here cheaper than 1t can be il
Europe" The reasons for this ar,
that
THE sugar industry is, after all
merely an agricultural one. We cal
undersell Europe In all other crops
and sugar is no exception"
1t follows as naturally as the makini
of -four from wheat. If we can pro
duce wheat cheaper than Europe, thel
naturally we can produce -four cheap
er, as we do.
Bat the writer's of the letter do no
depend upon a-prlori reasoning TO prov
that they can make sugar at a prof
without tariff protection They poin
to the fact that under the McKinle
tariff of 1890 when sugar was free o
duty, the price of the article was fou
cents per pound. Yet net profit of 5
per ton was made by the beet suga
factories under those conditions, no
counting any bounty on the home pre-
ductlon of sugar. They boast tn,
they made this profit while workin
under absolute free trade and the
have a right to be proud of this resul
of their skill and industry. Man
beet sugar factories had been starte,
in bygone years. back in the sixtie
and seventies of the nineteenth cen
tury, and had failed, because the pro
iectors did not understand the bust
ness. Since then great progress ha
, been made, both here and abroad, il
the cultivation and manipulation of tn,
beet. What was impossible thirty
years ago is now entirely feasible The
industry is already on solid and en-
during basis There are factories In
the United States, these gentlemen
tell us in their letter. capable of using
350,000 tons of beets per annum at q
profit of So per ton, and this would
make profit of $1,050,0O0 as the in.
come TO be earned under absolute free
trade.
1t must be plain to readers of this
letter, signed by the captains of the
beet sugar industry, that the people In
Washington who are declalming
against the temporary measure which
the President of the United States
urges for the relief of the Cuban peo.
pie, are either grossly Ignorant of ths
subject, or are practising gross decet,
ton. The tenable ground for then
to say: Other people are having pi.
lection that they do not need, and
therefore we ought to have more than
we need" This would be consistent