The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-02-01
The Beet Sugar Industry.

A most important article giving
Messrs. Oxnard's and Cuttings views
on the beet sugar industry In tins
country appeared on the editorial pass
Of the New York Evening Post Of Do Z
cember IL last. and as every house
hold in the land is interested In sugar
the article win be Of universal interest.
THE BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY.
The Evening Post bids the heartiest
welcome to every American. industry
that can stand on Its own bottom ana
make its way without leaning on the
poor rates. Among these self-support-
ing industries we are glad to know. %
the production Of beet sugar. At AL
events, 1t was such two years ago. We
publish elsewhere a letter written In
1899, and signed by Mr.. Oxnard and
Mr.. Cutting, the chiefs of this indus
try ON the eastern side Of the Rocky
Mountains, showing that this was the
happy condition Of the trade at that
time. II parties masquerading a. beet
sugar producers are besieging the
President and Congress at this mo-
ment, and pretending that they win be
ruined If Cuban sugar is admitted for
six months at half the present rates Of
duty their false pretences ought to be
exposed.
The letter of Messrs. Cxnard and
Cutting was probably written for the
purpose of inducing the farmers Of the
Mississippi Valley to so more largely
into the cultivation of beets for tho
sugar factories. This was a laudable
motive for telling the truth and show
ing the large profits which awaited
both the beet grower and the manufac-
turer II the industry were persever-
ingly and intelligently prosecuted. To
this end 1t was pointed out that farm
ers could clear $65 per acre by Guilt
waiting beets. and might even make
500. But In order to assure the culti-
vator 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 .
finished article. refined and granuiated.
1t is not. like cane sugar grown in the
West India Islands. black and offen-
sive paste, which must be carried In
wagons to the seaboard and thence By
ships to the United States where, az
ter another handling. 1t is put through
q costly refinery, and then shipped BY
rail to the consumer. who may possi-
bly, be In Nebraska. alongside q beet
sugar factory. which turns out the re-
fined and granulated article Mt one fell
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 thar"sugar can be pro-
duced here cheaper than It can be In
Europe" The reasons for this are
that
''The sugar industry Is. after ali.
merely an agricultural one. We can
undersell Europe In all other crops.
and sugar is no exception"
1t follows as naturally as the making
Of -four from wheat. II we can pro-
duce wheat cheaper than Europe. then
naturally we can produce -four cheap
er. as we do.
But the writer's Of the letter do not
depend upon a-priori reasoning to prove
that they can make sugar at pront
without tariff protection. They point
to the fact that under the Mckinley
tariff of 1890. when sugar was free Of
duty. the price of the article was four
cents per pound. Yet net profit Of %
per ton was made by the beet sugar
factories under those conditions, not
counting any bounty on the home pro-
duction Of sugar. They boast that
they made this profit while working
under absolute free trade. end they
have right to be proud of this result
Of their skill and industry. Many
beet sugar factories had been started
In bygone years. back In the sixties
and seventies of the nineteenth cen.
tury, and had failed. because the pro-
jectors did not understand the bust.
ness. Since then great progress has
been made, both here and abroad, IN
the cultivation and manipulation OF tho
beet. What was impossible thirty
years ago Is now entirely feasible. The
industry is already on a solid and en-.
during basis. There are factories in
the United States, these gentlemen
tell us In their letter. capable of using
$50, 900 tons of beets per annum at {
profit OF So per ton. and this would
make a profit Of $1.05O.O0O 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 tho
beet sugar industry. that the people In
who are declaiming
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 the
subject, or are practising gross decep-
ton. The tenable ground for them II
to say: "Other people are having pro-
lection that they do not need, and
therefore we ought to have more than
we need" This would be consistent
with the letter Of Messrs. Oxnard and
Cutting. but nothing else IL 80.