St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-01-25
THE BEET-sU0AR HDusrG
ue..rs. oxnard's and C1ttins's VI
en the Subject.

4
interested in sugar, It being one Of -
most important articles Of daily food
our readers viii thank us for reprodue
ing this notwithstanding editorial: q
The Evening Post bids the heartieses
welcome to every American industrxl
that can stand on It's own bottom ands
make its way without leaning on thss
poor rates. Among these self-suppor1
ing industries, we are glad to know, is4
the production Of beet-sugar. At al
events, it was such two years ago. W.
publish elsewhere . letter written I'LL
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 ut that
time. Ifparties masquerading as beet.s
sugar producers are besieging the
president and congress at this mo-
ment, and pretending that they will
be ruined if Cuban sugar is admitted
for six months Ut half the presentj
rates Of duty, their false pretensesl
ought to be exposed.
The letter Of Messrs. Oxnard and
Cutting was probably written for the
purpose Of inducing the farmers Of the
Mississippi valley to go more largely
into the cultivation of beets for the
sugar factories. This was laudabls1
motive for telling the truth and show.2
ing the large profits which awaited
both the beet-grower and the manu-I
facturer if the industry were perseverss
ingly and intelligently prosecuted. To
this end it was pointed out that farms
ers could clear SOS per acre by cultivate
ing beets, and might even make $1co.
But in order to assure the cultivator
that he would not be exposed to re-
verses by possible changes in the tar
if, they proceeded to show that the IN.
dustry stood in no need Of protection.
The beet-sugar industry. these gem.
tlemen say, Stands on as firm basis
as any business in the country" They
point out the fact very importance
one-that their product comes out asAS
finished article, refined and granulat
ed. It is not, like cane-sugar grown III
the West India islands. q black and Of
fensive paste, which must be carried i1
wagons to the seaboard and thence bys|
ships to the United States, wheres
after another handling, It il put
through a costly refinery, and thensl
shipped by rail to the consumer, who
may possibly be in Nebraska, along
side beet-sugar factory which turns
out the refined and graduated article
at one fell swoop. Indeed. the advans
tages Of the producer of beet-sugaf
for supplying the domestic consump
ton are very great. We have no doubf
that Messrs. Oxnard and Cutting arr
within bounds when they say that
sugar can be produced here cheapsl
than it can be in Europe" The reak
sons for this are that
''Ths sugar industry IL. after all. mercy
rope in all other crops. and sugar Is no 60;
ception."
It follows as naturally % the MAKE
ing of flour from wheat. II we ca1
produce wheat cheaper than Europe
then naturally We can produce hon3
cheaper, as we do. ss9
But the writer's Of the letter do not
depend upon a-priori reasoning III
prove that they can make sugar at 4H3
profit without tariff protection. They
point to the fact that under the McKins
ley tariff of 1890, when sugar was free
Of duty, the price Of the article wat
/ cents per pound. Yet . net proftl
Of s. per ton was made by the
oeet-sugar factories under those
not counting any bountY
on the home production Of sugar.
They boast that they made this profit
while working under absolute frees|
trade. and they have . right to be-
proud Of this result Of their skill aud n
Many beet-sugar factories
had been started in bygone years, back
n the sixties and seventies of the nine
.eenth century, and had failed, becausea
he projectors did not understand tho
business. Since then great progresss|
las been made, both here and abro4
n the cultivation and manipulate W
he beet. What was impossible thia1
7ears ago is now entirely feasibl6
The industry il already on a solid aiAS|ss
enduring basis. There are factoriesiS
he United States. these gentleme1a
ell as in their letter, capable of using
80, 900 tons Of beets per annum al alS
'rofit OF So per ton, and this would
make profit Of $1,050, 900 as an in
ONE to be earned under absolute free
rade.
It must be plain to readers of thie "
etter, signed by the captains OF the 81
'eet-sugar industry, that the people
n Washington who are declaiming
gainst the temporary measure which FL
no president Of the United States III
lrges for the relief Of the Cuban peos IL
'le are either grossly ignorant Of the
ablect, or are practising gross decor
ion. The tenable ground for. them ~ 81
say: Other people are having pro
ection that they do not need, and ri
therefore, we ought to have more than VI
re need" This would be consistent 4
Nth the letters of Messrs. Oxnard and Nj
'utting, but nothing else il 90 M
-A-- &2SXz
Alo gloves will not mold II packed e Il
way carefully in : dry plaes.
Anent Teeth.