New-York tribune., 1902-01-25
THE RECIPROCITY FIGHT.
BEET SUGAR LOBBY GROWING
DESPERATE.
DESPITE ITS EFFORTS, HOWEVER. CON.
GRESS WILL PROBABLY GRANT
CONCESSIONS TO CUBA.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. !


IBr TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.I
Washington. Jan. 24.-Increasing desperation
on the part of the beet sugar magnstes charac-
terizes the closing hours of the hearing by the
House Ways and Means Committee on the sub
ject of tariff concessions TO Cuba. To-day their
lobby promulgated story to the effect that the
sugar manufacturers favorable to liberal con-
cessions TO Cuba were anxious 10 compromise
but the magnates Indignantly had declined 20
consider the proposition, and had about induced
the Ways and Means Committee TO agree to re-
port bill for the abrogation of the differentiaI
duty on refined sugar. The differential tariff is
the extra duty between raw and refined sugars
established originally for the protection of the
American refner. including of course the beet
refiners. The beet men saying that the
measure. designed in part for their protection.
has proved their undoing. as according to their
statement it has enabled the American Sugar
Refining Company to get for its product
in the East than in the West, which should
from their point of view belong to them. If this
dfferential is removed. the beet root people de-
clare, the Sugar Trust longer control the
market
Continuing their argument along this line.
they assert that the proposed abrOgation would
benefit the Cubans. it would enable Cuban
sugar producers to sell their clarified yellow
sugars in this market IL the trust endeavors to
beat down the price of the raw product They
assert that Cuban sugar growers make
clarified yellow sugar very easily, and thus
tabsh industry. This new move. how
ever. has had appreciable effect upon the
situation The fact seems to be that it has
only confirmed the belief among the members
of the Ways and Means Committee that conces-
sions can be made to Cuba without doing in
jury to any industry in the United States.
Moreover In tat hat he
light being thrown upon the beet root industry
in this country only tends to multiply the grow
ing doubts in the minds of Representatives and
Senators OF the adaptability OF that industry
to American labor conditions
DEBAsING AMERICAN LABOR
1t has been shown that the tendency of the
industry is to debase American labor in d.
rect way. The cultivation Of the beet root re-
quires a class OF laborers that are not native
to the country. else it demands that the
farmer put his wife and children In the field
to do the work. If he should employ the labor
at hand. the cost Of production to him would
reduce his profits to the vanishing point. This
condition is met by the beet root lobby with the
statement that the crop is such that the women
and children easily be employed by the
farmers TO cultivate ii. 1t is well known fact
that the great bulk OF the labor that produces
beet roots in Germany and other countries
where the industry has been encouraged is per-
formed by peasant women and children. The
labor is not sufficiently remunerative. even in
Europe to attract grown people who are not
paupers-
1t goes without saying that this system of
child labor never become established or
popular in the United States In Isolated cases
American farmers may keep their children from
school to till the SOIL and in other cases the
American farmer may compel his wife and
daughters to work in the fields but this custom
does not long prevail in any community. Hence
even if families should be brought from France
and Germany to cultivate beet roots it would
not be long before these people would become
sufficiently Americanized to discard the Euro
pean system OF child and woman labor In the
fields. II is. therefore. suggested. a natural
outgrowth of the establishment Of the beet root
industry extensive scale in the United
States that eventually cheap labor would be
imported from China and other parts of the
Orient TO keep the cost of production down to a
basis of profit for the farmer. 1t has been In
disputably demonstrated by experience that ma
chinery cannot be introduced into the cultiva-
ton of the beet crop The bulk of this work
must continue to be done by hand The Iaborer
engaged in it must get down his knees to
perform the most of his task. 1t is pointed out
that in this day OF the sulky plough. the riding
cutivator. the harvester and the other numer-
Gus forms of machinery employed in American
agriculture. the farmers of the United States
cannot be induced to revert to the hard methods
of their early ancestors in raising a crop that
brings small profit to them at the sacrifice OF
seif-respect and large profits TO the manufacture
ers who reap all the benefits Of the tariff pro-
lection afforded by the government.
Experts frankly avow that the only solution OF
the labor problem in the beet root industry in
this country is found in the hope of ultimate
repeal of the Chinese exclusion laws. that a
horde of coolies may be brought here to do the
work that the American farmer will not consent
for his wife and children to perform
DUTIES LIKELY TO BE REDUCED.
At the same time. there is disposition In
Congress 10 interfere in any way with the pres
ent employment of women and children in the
beet root fields of the West and New-York.
fully realizing that such employment is only
temporary fad in scattered communities. and
that it will its course Nor is there
auy disposition in Congress to injure the beet
root industry by adverse legislation On the
contrary Congress still desires TO encourage the
industry in order that IL may be amply tested
i'm the United States. But Congress is not yet
convinced that a substantial reduction in the
DinGley rates on Cuban sugar will do the least
harm TO the beet root business and consequently
il is entirely safe predict that provision will
be made for this reduction at the present ses-
sion.