The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-11-14
THE OWOSSO TIMES.
EDMUND o. DEWEY. EDITOR.
OWOSSO, FRIDAY. NOV. IA, 1902.
The Sugar Interest.

The people of the United States con-
sumo eight times as much sugar per
capita as they they did in the first quar-
ter of the last century, four times as
much as during the decade ending with
1850 and twice as much as in any year
prior to 1870. In the years Immediately
prior to 1925 the average consumption
was about pounds per capita; in the
decade $4,000 about 16 pounds in the
years Immediately prior to 1870 about
80 pounds (omitting the war years in
which the consumption was lightD from
1870 to 1880 about 40 pounds, from 1880
to 1890, 90 pounds in 1891, 66 pounds,
and go to 6S pounds since that time, the
figure for 1901 being 6S.4 pounds. This
steady growth in the per capita con-
sumption of sugar is shown by some
figures which the Bureau of Statistics
will present in the next issue of its an
nual volume, the Statistical Abstract.
The per capita consumption has been
matter of record during recent years,
but it has not been before practicable to
compare the per capita consumption OF
recent years with that of earlier
years, and to note the very rapid in
crease in the quantity consumed by each
individual of the country. This growth
in the consumption of sugar is not con-
fined to the United States The increase
seems to have been equally rapid in
other parts of the world. The sugar
production Of the world was eight times
as great in 1900 as in 1910, the figure
for 1910 being 1,150, 900 tons, and that
for 1900S 800, 900 tons. This increase in
production, and consequently in con-
sumption, has come largely through the
development of the beet sugar industry
which increased from production Of
$4,000 tons in 1910 to 100000 tons in
1850, S31, 900 tons in 1870, 1, 402, 600 tons
in 1880, 1858, 600 tonsi in 1890, and 5, $50
600 tons in 1900. During the same
time, cane sugar production increased
from 1, 100, 900 tons in 1910 to 1850, 900
tons in 1900. Beets in 1910 supplied
ABS per cent of the total sugar product
of the world; in 1850 they supplied 1429
per cent; in 1860, 20.43; in 1870, 34.40;
in 1890, g. 20; and in 1900, 67.71. Think
of the folly, under these circumstances,
of trying to strangle the beet sugar in
terest in the United States, under color
of benefiting Cuba especially as we owe
the Island nothing whatever in the prem
Uses as a matter of moral right or even
of sentiment, considering that her posi-
ton as an exporting country is exactly
what it was before we helped her expel
the Spanish power
The consumption of sugar in the
United States is greater than that of
any other country, except the United
Kingdom in which the annual consump-
ton ranges from s5pounds to 90 pounds
per capita.
The following is the per capita con
sumption of sugar in the United States
and the principal European countries il
1900, the latest available year: United
Kingdom, 81 pounds; United States, 60
Switzerland, go; Denmark, "a; Sweder
and Norway, SO; France, 81; Germany
80; Netherlands, 80; Belgium, 23i Aus
tria and Hungary, II; Portugal and Ma
deira, IA; Russia, Ia Spain, 10; Tu rkey
8; Rumania, Z; Greece, Z; Italy, g.
Country Gentleman.