Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-01-04
The Beet Sugar Industry,

A most important article, giving
Messrs. Oxnard's and Cuttings views
on the beet sugar industry In this coun-
try, appeared on the editorial page of
the New York Evening Post OF Dec.
II, and as every household in the land
is interested in sugar the article will
be of universal interest:
The Evening Post bids the heartiest
welcome TO every American industry
that can stand on its own bottom and
make its way without leaning on the
poor rates. Among these s~elf-support-
Ing industries, we are glad TO know, Is
the production of beet sugar. At all
events, 1t was such two years ago. We
publish elsewhere a letter written IN
1899, AMI 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. If parties ~masquerading as beet
sugar producers are besieging the Pres.
ldcnt and Congress at this moment, and
pretending that they will be ruined II
Cuban sugar is admitted for six
months ut half the present rates OF
duty, their false pretenscs ought to be
exposed.
The letter Of McSsrs. OXnard ana
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 a laudable
motive for telling the truth and show
Ing the large profits which awaited
both the beet grower and the manufac.
turer If the industry were p~ersevering-
ly and intelligently prosecuted. To this
end 1t was pointed out that farmers
could clear 500 per acre by %cultivating
beets, and might even make 500. But
In order to assurH the cultivator 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 rs firm n basis
as any business in the country They
point out the fact-a very important
one-that their product ZONES out as n
finished article, refined and granulat-
ed. 1t is not, like c%ane-sugar grown
In the West India islands, a black and
offensive paste, which must be carried
In wagons to the seaboard and thence
by ships to the United States. where,
after another handling, 1t is put
through a costly refinery, and then
shipped by rail to the consumer, who
may possibly be in Nebraska, alongside
a beet sugar factory which turns out
the refined and granulated article at
one fell swoop. Indeed, the advantages
Of the producer of beet sugar for sup
plying the domestic consumption are
very great. We have no doubt that
MeSsrs. OXnard and Cutting are with
in bounds when they say that sugar
can be produced here cheaper than it
can be in Europe The reasons for
this are that
1.-The sugar industry Is, after all,
merely an agricultural one. We can
undersell Europe In all other crops, anu
sugar is no exception
1T follows as naturally as the max
ing Of -four from wheat. If we can
produce wheat cheaper than Europe,
then naturally we can produce flour
cheaper, as we do.
But the writer's Of the letter do not
depend upon a-priorl reasoning to prove
that they can make sugar at a profit
without tariff protection. They point to
Ihn fn,.t tIot tInlop Tho NInIriplor 40 YTcf &
Of 1890, when sugar was free Of duty,
the price of the article was 4 cents per
pound. Yet a net profit Of So per ton
was made by the beet sugar factories
under those conditions, not counting
any bounty on the home production Of
sugar. They boast that they made this
profit while working under absolute
free trade, and they have a 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 nine
teenth century, and had failed, because
the projectors did not understand the
business. Since then great progress
has been made, both here and abroad,
in the cultivation and manipulation Of
The 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 $780,
boo tons Of beets per annum at a profit
Of $3 per ton, and this would make 4
profit Of $1,050,000 as the income to be
earned under absolute free trade.
ut must be plain to readers of this
letter, signed by the captains of the
beet sugar industry, that the people in
Washington 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 practicing gross decep.
ton. The tenable ground for them is
to say: Other people are having protec-
lion that they do not need, and there
foie we ought to have more than we
need This would be consistent with
the letter Of Messrs. Oxnard and Cut
Ting. but nothing else Is So"