New-York tribune., 1902-01-29

IQeSe supplies put together, LIen, PRRreRdIeu
only 924,944 tons, leaving deficit of 1922, ,903
tons to be supplied from Hamburg or elsewhere.
Even should Cuba in few years restore her
sugar output to its former maximum of 1000,
900 tons, should still have TO get more than
100000 tons from Europe Besides, our con-
sumption of sugar is increasing much more
rapidly than our production. In 1890 it was
only 1.476,377 tons, or 52.S pounds per capita,
and in 1900 it was 2,219S47 tons, or 65.2 pounds
per capita. Therefore il seems quite judicious
10 say, as Mr.. Henry 7. Oxnard wrote in 1899,
that there is no fear that Cuban production
'even under an annexation TO the United States,
"can in our day expand to the point where the
United States would become exporters or
sugar instead of importers and hence that
protection would no longer protect" BY their
own showing it is not Cuban, but German, COM
petition which the beet sugar men fear, ana,
of course, reciprocity with Cuba would not In
the least impair their protection against Ger
many.
Mr.. Oxnard in his letter confirms our belief,
and his brothers statement in 1899, that the ut
most expansion of our beet and cane sugar in
dustries will not be sufficient in our time for
supplying the demand. He does so by admit
ting that the beet sugar industry is growing
more slowly than it was expected to do. This,
he says. is because the farmers cannot be per-
suaded to grow beets enough to keep the factories
busy. They are not now furnishing more than
half enough although the factories have increased
the price TO them by more than % per cent,
and although in 1899 as Mr.. Henry T. OXnard
said the farmers were eager to supply beets-a
full supply provided in 1899 in Nebraska,
and in California more beets We're offered than
the factories could use Mr.. Oxnard does not
explain what caused this drop from full sup
ply in 1899 10 only half supply in 1901. 1t
seems to indicate that farmers are either find
ing beets less profitable than other crops or are
finding the beets more valuable for cattle feed
than for sugar In any case, their failure TO
supply beets to the factories is a grave omen
against the growth of the industry. The sugar
manufacturers cannot. of course, expect this
country. by tariff or by bounty. to recoup them
for the losses they sustain through the failure
of farmers to supply the needed beets, nor can
they hope :; make beet sugar without sugar
beets.
Mr.. Oxnards letter is a welcome vindication
of the sincerity of his brothers statements in
1899 1t also reconces those statements with
those now made by his brother. But it effects
that reconciliation only by showing that the
former statements, though sincere, were errone-
Gus. or at least were based upon expectations
which have not been and not likely to be
realized. The promise of great increase of
the beet sugar industry. and the boast that beet
sugar could be produced here more cheaply
than in Germany, are both discredited and prac-
ticaly recanted. There is, however, as we have
said. not one single word in this letter which
supports the beet sugar protest against reciproc
ity with Cuba 1t is Germany, not Cuba, that Is
shown to be the enemy Of American beet sugar.
But in opening the door to Cuba there will be
not the slightest impairment of protection
against Germany, and surely it would not be
logical to say. I'VE afraid of Germany, and
therefore want protection against Cuba