Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-01-02
THE BEET SUGAR INnu.:

appeared on the editous
Oh the New York Evening Pa,
cember 18th, 1901, and as evsS
hold In the land is interested
the article will be OF universe,
The Evening Post bids the i
welcome to every American n
that can stand on its own ho,.s9
make it's way without lean,ns
poor rates. Among these safe
ing Industries, WI are glad To ~
the production of beet sugar
events, 1t was such two years 49,
publish elsewhere a letter writ.
1899, and signed by Mr.. oxn.s
MI. Cutting, the chiefs Of this
try on the eastern side OF ths
Mountains, showing that this ii
happy condition of the trade !,
time. II parties m~asqueradinp J.
sugar producers are besieging n.
ident and Congress at this ~.
and pretending that they will ba
If Cuban sugar is admitted II
months at half the present raj
duty, their false pretences ought
exposed.
The letter OF Messrs. Oxnarj
Cutting was probably written u
purpose of inducing the farmers
Mississippi valley to go more
into the cultivation of beets NJ
sugar factories. This was a Ian
motive for telling the truth and
ing the large profits which aI
both the beet-grower and the man
turer II the industry were perseya
ly and intelligently prosecuted. n
end 1T was pointed out that faI
could clear sos per acre by cultiy
beets, and might even make s1OO
in order to assure the cultivation
he would not be exposed to rev
by possible changes in the tariff I
proceeded to show that the ind
stood in no need Of protection.
"The beet sugar industry, thessl
tlemen say, Stands on as firm al
as any business in the country" I
point out the fact-a very impd
one-that their product comes ou}
finished article, refined and grad
ed. 1t is not, like c~ane-sugar 4
In the West India Islands, a blaci
offensive paste, which must be cd
in wagons to the seaboard and II
by ships to the United States, VI
after another handling, it Isl
through a costly refinery, and
shipped by rail TO the consumer
may possibly be in Nebraska alon
a beet sugar factory which turn
the refined and granulated artid
one fell swoop. Indeed, the al
tages Of the producer of beet suga
supplying the domestic consum
are very great. We have no doubi
Messrs. Oxnard and Cutting are v
bounds when they say that 'sugaI
be produced here cheaper than Il
be in Europe The reasons for
are that
1.-THE sugar industry Is. atts
merely an agricultural one. vi
undersell Europe in all other
and sugar Is no exception
"It follows as naturally as the
ing Of -four from wheat. II w
produce wheat cheaper than Ell
them naturally we can produce
cheaper, as we do.
"But the writer's Of the letter a
depend upon a-priori reasoning to-
that they can make sugar at a
without tariff protection. They pa
the fact that, under the Mckinley
OF 1890, when sugar was free of
the price of the article was 4 cent
pound. Yet a net profit Of SO pc
was made by the b~eet-sugar fac
under those conditions, not cou
any bounty on the home product
sugar. They boast that they mad
profit while working under abb
free trade, and they have a right
proud Of this result OF their skill
industry. Many b~eet-sugar fac
had been started in bygone years,
in the sixties and seventies of the
teenth century, and had failed be
the projectors did not understand
business. Since then great progre:
been made, both here and abroa
the cultivation and manipulation
beet. What was impossible thirty
ago is now entirely feasible. Tn
dustry is already on a solid and e
ing basis. There are factories II
United States, these gentlemen Il
in their letter, capable of using q
tons OF beets per annum at a pro
SO per ton, and this would ma
profit of $1,000, 900 as the incon
be earned under absolute free ira
at must be plain to readers Of
letter, signed by the captains o.
b~eet-sugar industry, that the peoT
Washington who r declai
against the temporary measure Y
the President of the United 5
urges for the relief Of the Cuban
pie, are either grossly ignorant Q
subject, or are practising gross d
ton. The tenable ground for the
to say: Other people are having
lection that they do not need,
therefore we ought to have more