New-York tribune., 1902-01-23
BEET SUGAR AND TINPLATES.

ScrlDed beet sugar production as a vast IN
dustry brought into existence by the legis-
latiOn of Congress. He did not Ear as
we can ascertain. repeat his recent dec.ara-
ton that that industry is no longer depend
ent upon such legislation for continued ard
prosperous existence. Nor did he invite a
comparison of that industry with other FRO
tected industries in respect either TO their
protection their achievements Beet sugar
and tnplates are two Of the most conspicuous
and-either at present or recently-most dis
cussed of our protected industries. They both
affect, strongly and directly, the great masses
of the American people. They both had their
origin at practically the same time, under the
Mckinley tariff of 1890. a comparison of their
progress and of their present condition will be
pertinent, and may afford valuable suggestions.
1t is the more timely, since the beet sugar in
terests believed to be maintaining an active
lobby at Washington to thwart the recommen-
dations of the administration TO Cuba.
In the ten years Immediately preceding 1890
our imports of tnplates averaged $17,52S,59S a
year The general and natural tendency was
toward increasing imports the smallest amount
in that decade being S14 1887 in 1891, and the
largest $21 ODD 653 in 1889. Passing by some
abnormal fluctuations in the next few years
nearly S36.000.0O worth was rushed in in 1881
in anticipation of the tariff and domestic COM
petition-we observe that the imports soon
began to decrease. steadily and swiftly In
1893 they were S11, ,565, $40 In 1895 they We're
$12 IA. .0S0 In 1896 they were SS,95O,6J6. In
1891 they were $5.34463S In 1895 they were
So. .SO9.14S. In 1899 they S2613564 In
1900 they were 81. 100, 796-a small reaction, due
TO temporary causes. The average imports in
the five years 1S96-19OO were only S51O3560 a
year or less than 30 per cent of what they were
in tba
reduction of imports effected in the face
of a steady and large increase in domestic CON
sumption, the latter being supplied by domestic
production. Indeed. the increase in domestic
production was even more striking than the de-
crease in imports Thus in 1892 our total out
put was only 13,646.119 pounds In 1893 ii was
99,S19,202 pounds. In 1894 it 139.223,467
pounds. In 1895 II was 193. sol ,013 pounds In
1896 it was 3O7 DDS 621 pounds. In 1897 it was
446,9S2. .063 pounds In 1898 ii 6S1 GA OPS
pounds. Note, too, that our consumption of inn
ported black plates, which was over 56o00,o00
pounds in 1899. decreased 10 less than 34.OO0.O00
pounds in 1895, TO less than 5,OOO0O0 in 1896, TO
only ~ POS in 1897 and To none at all in 1898.
Finally-and this is by no means the least i'm
portant feat.re of the case-all these changes
were effected without increase in the price OF
tinplates and thus without cost to the Ameri-
can people.
There. then, is typical protected industry.
1t had it's origin in and under protective tariff.
1t rapidly grew up 10 supply the over
whemng bulk Of the domestic demand And 1t
levied no tax in the form of extortionatc prices,
upon the American people.
In the same ten years preceding 1890 our i'm
ports of sugar averaged 2,461 ,0I3 pounds
year. with a general and natural tendency tow
ard increasing purchases Then the beet sugar
industry founded, under a bounty which
gave it really more protection than the tinpate
industry enjoyed under the tariff The promise
was made that in ten years time the beet sugar
industry would be supplying our entire domestic
demand and exporting 1,O0OO0O tons Il year
Since that date. however. the imports of sugar
have been steadily increasing In the ten years
1S90'99 they have averaged 3.6SJ, ,459 611 pounds
a year or nearly 10 per cent more than In the
preceding ten years. So that at the time when
according to the promises of the beet sugar men,
we were TO be supplying all our own demand
and In addition exporting 100000 tons year
actually importing about 2.OO00O0
tons year, and the amount was steadily in
creasng. The domestic product of beet sugar
under at first high bounty and later pro-
tective tariff increased from 5000 tons in 1890
to less than $4,000 tons in 1900: a rate of in
crease nothing like equal to the rate of increase
| of consumption. SO that instead of abOliShing
| imports and supplying the domestic demand, as
the tinplate industry has done, this highly pro-
| tected beet sugar industry permits and indeed
makes necessary the steady increase OF imports
of foreign sugar And this marked failure Of
promise has been effected at a heavy cost
| to the American people. Our consumption Of
sugar for the first ten years of this century will
| average 100000 tons a year. and the duty Is
| $40 ton on crude and $50 ton on refined
! sugar. At the former figure the cost to this
country of giving to the beet sugar industry ii
| protection which ii declares it does not need
| will in ten years amount TO 500 O0O or more
| than one-half of our interest bearing national
| debt
There then, is n failure OF a prot lcted
| industry" to justify its protection. 1t has
! failed TO supply the domestic demand. II
has failed to diminish imports even to
| keep them from increasing. And Il has
| levied a burdensome tax upon the American
! people, We should greatly rejoice to see il do
otherwise, to see it do what the tlnplate indus
! try has done. But thus far it must he confessed
| 1t gives no encouraging promise of so doing AS
simple business proposition, and as n propo-
| slton in political economy of the protectionist
school, it does not seem reasonable to tax the
| people of this nation than $5O,OOO,OOO a
! year for the development of an industry which
declines to be developed, and for the protection
! of an industry which declares itself TO be i'm no
| need of protection.
WAYS OF COMMERCIAL EXPANSION.
Much food for thought strong meat too: not
! milk for babes-is to be found in the address