Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-24
BEET SUGAR AND THE TARIPF.

BEEF SUGAR AND IhE iAhiff.
In this contest between the sugar
trust and the producers of beet sugar
the republican press is not doing Its
duty. Most papers refer to the sub
pound, about cent per pound below
mo partisan opinion. The situation is
not a theory, but an actual condition.
| In the last five years the beet sugar
| industry has grown about 500 per cent,
until we have now forty factories IN
twelve states and about score more
| projected for next year. The success
of the beet sugar growers has alarmed
| the sugar trust and they are bent on
| a war of determination against beet
sugar.
Their first attempt was made in Of
fering sugar in 500 pound lots at Mis-
souri, river points for 31a cents per
pound. about cent per pound below
actual cost to the trust.
The Nebraska manufacturers began
shipping their beet sugar south, east
and north and offering it at 10 cents
per hundred pounds less than the
standard price of cane sugar.
The trust soon abandoned this policy
and started campaign of sympathy
for Cuba and the sugar consumers OF
the United States, meantime fortify-
ing themselves by issuing $15,OO0,000 OF
new stock and selling 1t at about Sl.35
for the avowed purpose or purchasing
sugar plantations in Cuba. The COM
pany already had capital of $75,OOO,-
900 of common and preferred stock and
this increase and the premiums on the
500, 900 900 of stock will give them an
available capital of nearly $125,000,000.
No doubt they feel themselves strong
enough to buy legislation and sup
press all competition. No industry in
the history of the country has been
so important or in such need of ample
protection. The steel industry fur
nshes a good illustration. About 1870
steel rails were selling at $3.50 per ton.
Congress imposed a tax of $3.50 per
top and the Iowa legislature voted
protest and requested their members of
congress to secure reduction of this
tariff. What was the result? In ten
years steel rails were selling at $35 per
ton, in twenty years at $50 and In
twenty five years at II per ton.
No doubt the improved methods of
manufacture had much to do with re-
ducing the price of steel. but without
the tariff American capital would not
have engaged in steel production to such
an extent and we might never have
reached our present commanding posi-
ton in the industry We had the ore
and the coal, and every advantage ex-
cept capital and labor, the same as we
have In the beet sugar industry, and all
that is needed now is ample protection
to wonderfully develop the production
at home of both beet and cane sugar.
CUBAN SYMPATHY.
Charity begins at home. Do the Gu
bans need our sympathy, or do we need
theirs? They excited our sympathy and
we sent them arms and ammunition.
We sacrificed the battleship Maine for
them and then sent our army and navy
and drove the Spaniards from the island
and freed the Cubans from the Spanish
yoke. Later we distributed s3,00O,0O0
among the Spanish patriots to recon-
pense them for what they themselves
had done to secure their freedom.
Cuba, agiculturally, is probably the
most productive spot on the face OF the
globe. In spite of misgovernment and a
mongrel and indolent population, Cuba
for eighty years has produced and sold
ius three times as much as we have sold
her. According to the United States
bureau of statistics August. 1901, from
1921 to 1900 the United States bought Of
Cuba 81, 500 O49,4 All, and sold Cuba $780,
312,5s6. In the last twenty years we
bought from Cuba $1.074, S45. 1884, and sold
to her s2s5, 337, $3.50. Even last year. I'M
der our own administration OF Cuban
affairs. we bought of Cuban products
$41, 600, 0O0 and sold her less than $685.
600, 600. Before the Spanish war Cuba
produced about 100000 tons annually
of raw sugar. This years production is
estimated at from 100000 to 100000 tons.
Without protection, there would never
be another beet sugar or cane sugar fac
tory erected in the United States. With
their fertile soil and cheap labor Cuba,
Porto Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines
could and perhaps would. produce the
sugar for the United States. Sugar in
Cuba can be produced for from to ~
cents per pound, and can be shipped to
New York for 10 cents per hundred. The
cane in these tropical climates is almost
perennial, while in the United States 1t
must be replanted every third year, and
Yields only about one-half the sugar per