The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-02-01
The Beet Sugar Industry,

Messrs. Oxnard's and Cuttings vim,
on the beet sugar industry In tbh
country appeared on the editorial psss
of the New York Evening Post Of NJ
cenber II last. and as every houn
hold In the land Is interested In su,,,
the article will be Of universal intera
THE BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY
The Evening Post bids the heartio.,
welcome to every American industr,
that can stand on its own bottom ana
make Its way without leaning on th
poor rates. Among these self.supuort.
ing industries we are glad to know. n
the production Of beet sugar. AT m
events, 1t was such two years age. W.
publish elsewhere letter written n
1899. and signed by Mr.. Oxnard and
Mr.. Cutting, the chiefs of this indua
try on the eastern side of the Rockv
Mountains, showing that this was tha
happy condition Of the trade at that
time. II parties masquerading as lAet
sugar producers are besieglng thu
President and Congress at this mn.
ment. and pretending that they viii b.
ruined If Cuban sugar is admitted far
six months at half the present ratesof
duty their false preteDces ought to be
exposed. +,
The letter Of Messrs. Cxnard and
Cutting was probably written for thu
purpose Of inducing the farmers Of tia
Mississippi Valley to 60 more largely
into the cultivation Of beets for The
sugar factories. This was laudabe
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 perseve.
ingly ana intelligently prosecuted. 70
this end it was pointed out that farm.
ers could clear $50 per acre by cult.
waiting beets, and might even make
500. But IN order to assure the cult.
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. islands on as firm basis
as any business in the country" They
point out the fact-a very important
one-that their product comes out asa
finished article, refined and granulated.
1t Is not. like cane sugar grown In the
West India Islands. black and Often.
sive paste, which must be carried In
wagons to the seaboard and thence By
ships to the United States. where, af.
ter another handling. it is put throush
a costly refinery, and then shipped By
rail to the consumer, who may posal.
bly, be in Nebraska. alongside bet
sugar factory, which turns out the r.
fined and granulated article at one fell
swoop. Indeed. the advantages Of the
producer Of beet sugar for supplying
the domestic consumption are ver
great. We have no doubt that Messrs.
Oxnard and Cutting are within bounds
when they say that sugar can be pso-
duced here cheaper than It can be jn
Europe" The reasons for this flfe
that
"The sugar industry Is. after d,
merely m agricultural one. We en-
undersell Europe in all other csepk
and sugar is no exception"
1t follows as naturally as the making
Of flour from wheat. II we can ~
duce wheat cheaper than Europe, ia
naturally we can produce four cheat
er, as we do. ).
But the writer's Of the letter Do ~
depend upon a-priori reasoning to pfove
that they can make sugar. It . prods
without tariff protection. They pdns
to the fact that under the McEuu
tariff OF 1890. when sugar was tlpe =
duty, the price of the article wasHew
cents per pound. Yet net prodt g
per ton was made by the beet guSaf
factories under those condition. nos
counting any bounty on the home 1tc
duction Of sugar. They boast tnas
they made this profit while WORKING
under absolute free trade, dnd tney
have a right to be proud of'this sesu"
of their skill and industry. MANY
beet sugar factories had been starlea
in bygone years, back in the. slxlles /
and seventies of the nineteenth fe1
fury, and had failed, because the pe
jectors did not understand the Qusf 1
ness. Since then great progress nas
been made. both here and abroao. y
the cultivation and manipulation q tns
beet. What was impossible tnEv
years ago is now entirely feasible. Ins
industry is already on solid ana a.
during basis. There are factories "
the United States. these genflene1
tell us in their letter, capable OF uslns
$50, 900 tons of beets per annum u
profit of So per ton, and this wou'o
make a profit Of S1.0500oO as tine w
come to be earned under absolute ifS
trade.
1t must be plain to readers OF 'as
letter. signed by the captains OF wv
beet sugar industry, that the people :
who are decialm.ps
against the temporary measure wn'e.
the President of the United Stas'
urges for the relief Of the Cuban peV
pie. are either grossly ignorant OF WV
subject. or are practising gross deer
ton. The tenable ground for them