New-York tribune., 1902-01-06
pEET SUGAR AND CUBA.
,vpLE ROOM IN THIS MARKET FOR THE
ISLAND CANE PRODUCT AND THAT
OF THE AMERICAN FARMER.


e-- If one essays the investigation of the cost
=. n,oducing sugar from domestic beets, he
s-5s himself entangled in a jumbled mass of
'-.,using figures. In The International Sugar
,.--naI' OF November l, 1899 Professor julius
aot a German authority, gives 2 16-100 cents
-. Mound as the cost Of production in Germany.
=, document recently republished, issued in
800 by Messrs. Oxnard and Cutting, the follow
ns ........................ Per s. soa %
Ss,ss Sn:: Of making 3 90
6s5t ISs5 realized from the sale Of the product at
tno1ns t1 o.nfs pound $40 90
Net proat per So 90
This is open 10 a clearer statement The pub
Hsbad reports from American beet sugar dis
,rcts show varying cost Of beets. The greater
,,-obAr give a range from 81 so to S5 80 per ton.
ysv-York State gives bounty Of one cent per
,ornd. provided the grower is paid So per ton
,or his beets. The general average price would
,,near to be about 81 90 In their report Messrs.
ovnard and Cutting state that their average
LET of the conversion of beets into sugar is
so IN ner ton. a figure which they expect to re-
Ace 10 50 per ton. The beets yield from Il to
* oer rent Of their weight sugar. The pres
.u+ average is probably not above u per cent.
Tbe calculation may then be given, say;
,oO TINS OF beets 81 90 GO
Manufacturing cost at s2 3d.. 1ooO
ro,sI 90
This cost OF manufacturing is the cost given
~ the manufacturers. The cost Of the raw ma
,sriaI is taken from the figures published in
trade magazines. Both may be assumed to be
,r,stworthy. Sugar being weighed in long tons.
.s have then $40 as the cost Of twelve tons OF
,.uor ready for the market. That is SCI GO
tsn. or 2a4 cents the pound If this be not
.s,r statement, it is open TO correction by those
-bo In 1899 claimed ability 10 compete with
,res raw sugar, and who now declare that
-Aauction in the tariff on Cuban sugar would
ruin them.
The position of the farmer who grows the
t.ats annears TO be vague. Here and there
sn enthusiast claims large returns, and those
are nublished for the encouragement Of his fel-
low farmers. A trade journal 'The Sugar Beet
states that in 1900 there were $4,000 acres
r,.,+ed IN sugar beets, and that the yield aver
ssss less than six tons to the acre In the
state Of Oregon the cost Of cultivation is given
as from $50 to $27 per acre, with yield OF
eight tons Greeley Col, gave cost OF Sl4
whether this includes the work Of the farmer
and his family, and at what rate does not
appear.
our consumption OF sugar for 1902 will ap-
proximate 100000 tons. With i per cent
sugar yield this would call for some 20OOOOOo
tons Of beets, requiring for their production at
say, eight tons per acre, 25O0OOO acres OF
ground The output for this year is estimated
at 10000 TONS Assuming that this output in
creased at an average rate OF 2OO,OOO tons
year, It would require at least fifteen years Tor
the beet sugar crop TO furnish our annual con-
sumption of sugar. What will it cost to nurse
that particular industry, assuming the posi-
piuty Of its attainment Of such dimensions? For
one item, the ruin OF the island Of Cuba For
another, the sum Of something like round
billion of dollars from the pockets Of the
American people in the shape Of an enhanced
price Of their sugar.
BY their own statement and their own figures
the beet sugar people do not need this protec-
ton Their own estimates plainly show en-
ability to meet the competition Of Cuba's raw
sugar, which may be roughly computed thus,
using minimum figures:
Cost sugar IN cents
Cost Of refining cent
Total q cents
This is but general approximation, but 1t Is
not far wide of the mark, and stands at
cents, as against the 2$4 cents allowed by the
beet sugar people. The special object to be at
TO the American consumer. and all that 1t may
easily mean IN the extension OF American in
dustries which would be opened a result Of
cheap sugar. The question of revenue may be
eliminated If domestic beets are to supply our
sugar, We Will get revenue any more than we
would II the tariff were removed under reel
procty treaty with Cuba. For a number of
years to come there will be ample room in the
market for both Cuban cane and domestic beet
ssgars. and It is quite evident that the bars to
caoan sugar can be let down with manifest ad-
vantage to Cuba and TO the American people.
and without undue injury TO our over-est-
mated infant industry or TO the necessary reve-
nues Of the United States. Moreover, If we
give the Cuban planters a chance to sell us
million or so OF tons Of their sugar, We may
confidently look to them to send along with
their sugar their orders for American natural
and manufa ctured products to the value OF
hundred million so of dollars per year.
In explanation Of the above quoted cost of
Cuban sugar, ii is important to state that this
Is the figure at which Cuban sugar ought to
be produced and not the price at which IT now
s produced Burdened with debt and without
capital for his work. the Cuban planter is
unculy handicapped in his efforts to re-estabish
MS wrecked industry. His hope of re-establlsn-
ment and reasonable prosperity hangs wholly
upon the treatment he receives at the hands OF
those upon whom he is obliged to depend for
market. Cuba's veal or woe depends upon
consideration which should have been much
earlier given to her economic interests. That
tas consideration be given with marked
advantage to the American people and to
american commerce is wholly evident to any
iAr and open minded investigation Of the facts.
ALBERT J. ROBINSON.
Washington, D. c., Dec. is. 1901
STATEMENT OF VERNON H. BROWN.