Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-11-14

year 1900 1901 Is given by the Bureau
OF Statistics as $751; S8l long TONS Of i
which 6,l26. $50 were beet, and 3, 455, ,022 |
were cane sugar you will recognize the !
masniture snd Importance Of the revo-
lutioni which has taken place in the
production Of sugar. At the beginning
OF this revolution in 1905, the price Of
raw sugar was si00 per short ton since /
then the price has been steadily down |
wafd, till now 1t sells in Cuba at less |
than $40 per ton, or two cents per
pound. It has sold at $36 per ton mure
than once during the last 90 years. 1t Is !
but truism to add that every point IN
the descending curve Of prices for the
last century ia marked with the ruin
Of sugar cane planters throughout The
world Island after island, given up TO
this industry, has become bankrupt,
nnd it's people have become iiupover-
ished. OF late years we have con-
tributed to the distress OF the West
Indies by high tarif on sugar, while
Srain and Great Britain have done
nothing to prevent the ruin Oh their
colonists by the bounty and premium
fed sugar growers OF the sentimental
cour tries. The Barbadoes, Trinidad,
Demerara and Jamaica, as we'll as
Porto Rico and Cuba, have auccumbed
to the comI etition. Cuba has only been
the last to fall, because she was the
best situated and had both the best
climate and the best lands'in the world
for sugar growing
The war between beet and cane sugar,
notwithstanding the great improve.
ments in the art of sugBrmaking, had
done its work gradually, at times i'm
perceptibly, but always most effectually.
The whole island. when our army ocou-
pied it in January, 1899, was dotted
with ruined and abandoned plantations.
The bullock cane or rusher and the open
pan had given way to the steam
crusher, the vacuum pan, and the
begasse furnace. Every New England
man will understand that under the in
tiuence of competition, every step and
process in the industry had been per-
fected till the modern plantation and
sugar house had become models of
efficient and economic management, but
the struggle was in vain. What the
destructive work of cumI etition had
spared, war and fire had made haste to
sweep out of existence. liy bribery and
favor a few OF the richest plantations
escaped, hut their united output was
reduced the first year after the second
rebellion began to only 225, 600 tors of
# sugar, OplN bub nLtbDb uhN nutNiNods
Three million head of cattle, or over
nine .tenths OF the entire motive power
and fresh meat supply Of the island had
been swept away, the able. bodied men
had mostly gone into the rebellion,
wages had fallen to 30 cents day in
silver or merchandise, and under the
murderous policy OF recommendation
the gaunt forms OF famine and sickness
were abroad in the land 1t is safe to
say that had the Intervention of the
United States teen delayed another
year, all Cuban farming population
would have been starved to death.
But with peace aud the restoration of
civil government came hope and slow
revival Of agriculture and commerce.
Capital and immigration are flowing
again into the country. Cattle are being
imported as rapidly as means can be
found to pay for them, and the output
of sugar and tobacco is steadily incroas-
ing. Three hundred thousand tons of
sugar were Produced in the season of
1885, 1900, 600, 900 in 1e00.190l, and it IS
estimated that the crop of 1901 1902 will
reach 800, 600 tons. The tobacco indus
try is also making rapid strides, but
the competition between beet and cane
sugar, aud between American and
Cuban tobacco is as fierce as ever.
PossIBiLiTrgs OF CUBA.
1t is certain that with an even chance,
free from high tariffs and the hurtful
influence Of bounties and premiums to
ITS rivals. Cuba is tine best country in
: the world for the production of sugar,
ss we'll as of high. class tobacco. Its
| lands lie better aud are more fertile,
| while there are more of them adapted
: to that industry than can be found IN
/ any other leland or country, yet to be
! brought under cultivation. The area oil
Cuba is about 43,0G0 square miles, OF
r n, 500, 900 acres the most OF which is
j suitable for either sugar, tobacco, coffee,
r fruits, OF cattle raising. 1t is one oil
the most beautiful and fertile countries
3 Of the world, and / do not hesitate &c
! give it as my opinion that with its
8 varied resources. developed and undo
( veloped, it is worth more to us thar
t any equal area in the United States
except New York, Pennsyly Ohio
: aud Illinois, and more than any othel
s country in the world except Canada
, | Indeed, the island is a natural garden
{ every part of which, under favorabl,
: conditions, can be made to support {
: much larger population than 1t nov
Q has, and to contribute profitably from
+ its superhuities TO the comfort ant
n happiness nf people living in NOR,
. northern countrieg whore the horticul
q tural and agricultural products arr
q different and less varied.
O Porto Rico ia hilly and mountainous
!. with but little level land adapted {,
It sugar growing. Its maximum outpu
o i, about 130, 900 tons; but nearly eve
. part of it produces excellent coffee
II almost as rioh as the best Java anS
O Mocha in caffeine, and of deliciou
10 flavor. The cattle ranges are excellent
is and all the tropical fruits can be pro
j. duced to perfection, but the population
10 is dense and the land almost entirel.
d occupied. There is but little room 70
J. immigrants, and any great improy emen
1t in the well being of tie people mus
}, come from frse Interchange of product
" with the States. fortunately th
d Portoriquenos now enjoy this prIvileR
j. as citizens OF the Great Republic, an,
ss may therefore confidently expect
ID gradual increase of prosperity and hap
j. piness. .rYlrea
n And now word as to our othe
g. tropical possessions. From all 1 ca
at gather from books, and from the man
r intelligent officers who went from m
le staff in Cuba to serve in the Philip
IN pines, Admiral Dewey was far awa
10 from the truth when he pronounce
E.. those islands to be more valuable tina
il Cuba, their climate to be better, an
h their people to be more highly oivilize
Than the Oubans. | am sure, however
Of that his opinion is not shared by
IN single officer who has ssrS ed in bot
L. Naa. IL