The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-10-04
TrrloatlOr and Zee Su0ar
Latter Most Promising Crop for Development Of Arid
Rmerica--Its Vast Home Market

one Of the strongest and most states
manlike addresses delivered before the
recent irrigation congress at ogden
was that Of Truman C. Palmer. secre-
tary Of the American Beet Sugar as
sOciation, Washington D. c.. on "Irri-
cation and Beet Sugar" wherein he
shows the great possibilities of the
beet sugar industry and its peculiar
adaptability to conditions under irri-
gatiOH I'm arid America. His address.
in part follows:
This arid western American is destined
to become the richest and most highly
civilized portion Of the globe.
As 10 our possibilities for agricultural
development, the late Professor Powell OF
the Smithsonian institution. than whom
there was no better posted man on the
subject. stated that I'm arid America we
have enough arabic land and enough
water, too, when married, TO support ia
aiiluence in atflUence. mind you, t0OOO-
90 of people.
The American congress in passing the
rational irrigation act Issued the licenses
Tor the marriage Of our streams TO our
deserts. Through the recent selections
made by the interior department the
nupuals ceremony is about TO begin IN
live states and territories. and let us all
pray that the wedding bells viii mot
cease ringing until homes shall have been
provided Tor those 70.O00.O00 of people.
Population and Capital.
The first question is. where are those
tc.vjUOOO or people 10 come frOmE NO less
am authority. than Senator Allison OF Iowa
estimates that Iowa alone has sent over
SU.OUO OF her sons and daughters 70 the
canadian northwest during the past TWO
years. Other states are going as mitch.
Canadian Immigration agents openly
state that they expect an immigration
of 100000 people from the United states
during 1908. with hundreds OF millions of
capital TOR Investment.
There Is no true American VINO would
not prefer 10 live under the Stars and
stripes There IS no portion Of the Brit
ish northwest which eXCeis arid America
as a place TO live AS long as arid
America has a single uupOpulaJed and re-
ueemable desert this state OF affairs
should be Impossible, and we must see
10 II that II Is recutteG, that the loot
steps of this flower of our land shall be
turned to arid America and not TO the
British northwest. To do this we must
retain every one of our present ddvdnt-
, ages and must devise and offer new ones
aud encourage the colonization Of arid
America.
The next o,estion is the matter of
capital which is required to induce this
coioHizauon ana with the cOl0nlsts de-
Vclop our resources, not simply by put
ting the water on the land. bur aIICr the
land and water shall have been married
10 produce surplus crops which we can
mat f-tt- ~ q must produce some Llill-
ana we must produce "a surplus OF some
thing which we can ship to the east and
trade Tor those eastern commodities
which we must have. and which we can
not produce to advantage.
American capital has virtually absorbed
an of Porto Rico and the bulk of the
leading industries of Cuba. 1t viii con-
Anuc 10 How INTO Canada n not arrested.
Three millions OF il Will 60 to develop
sugar industry of the Philippines instead
81 the sugar industry of arid America If
TEN fsfa.r f
present laws Can We stem the tide and
swing these people and this capital to
arid America + believe we can If we
Work as until IF SO, how will we en-
ploN those people and that capital?
Some Western Disadvantages.
some disadvantage. First. we cannot
2uder irrigat ton produce for shipment the
treat eastern staples such a wheat corn,
bats, barley. rye and cotton paw the
necessarily high long haul freight charges
ana compete IN the markets of the east,
or OF the world. with similar products
grown M the Mississippi valley and on
lle Allanuc coast. The same rs also true
OF poultry, eggs, butter and many other
products for which the eastern farmer
unds ready market at his door Tor
every surplus pound ne raises. We OF
arid America are barred from raising
these crops except for our own use. II
the cost OF irrigation did not do il, the
freight charges TO reach our great centers
OF population would be our railroads
ever so liberal. Not only this. but all OF
these crops are already being grown i'm
SUFFICIENT quantities not only 10 supply
our people. but for export to the extent
Of over SS5o0Q0.eU0 annually
There is one crop. however. which We
can grow 20 PERFECTION. and I'M such guam
Titles as TO employ all the people and
all the capital we can induce to come here
Tor many years to come, and for which
we can find a profitable ready home mar
kct in -he east. which is now supplied by
foreign importations, and that crop Is
sugar.
Home Market For Sugar.
Last year the United States importa-
lions OF raw sugar amounted to over
-6oOOo9 tons. The cost of this sugar to
the consumer. which includes the cost OF
1.-The raw product, the customs tariff, the
cost Of refining. packages. profits and
brokerage IS about cents per pound.
or, for the 2,6J0,oO0 tons. 610OO.UO0.
There is no use for me 10 eXpatate on
, the superior merits of arid America as
sugar producing country. An know
them Here, then, is a profitable home
market awaiting us for S260O0O.O05 worth
Of one crop we can grow 10 perfection
under irrigation
Now what else can we produce i'm great
quantities and find for IL a profitable
home market Coming over rom los
Angeles I heard am Arizona delegate eX-
tolling the Salt River valley as "a cantc-
loUuc country. He said they could pro-
ducc all the cantclopes the eastern people
C"ulo consume. ana that the producers
could set their own prices ( agree with
the first part Of the statement b,lt how
MANY million dollars worth OF CantelOupes
could be marketed before the market
would bc glutcd2 Another delegate
would turn arid America into "a great
stock ranch, hut as we are already large
exporters Of meats and meat products
we must compete I'm foreign markets with
Argentine and other countries. StiU an
other delegate was figuring on sendina
vast quantities of potatoes and other
vegetables 90 our eastern markets An-
other was imbued with the idea. OF rails
ing fruit but with the exception of a few
specialties the cast raises all the fruit il
consumes All of these ideas are excellent
shd we should expand the production OF
every one OF them; but let us not deceive
ourselves as 10 the extent OF the market.
Growth of Sugar Industry.
The present profitable home market for
sugar is greater than that for all other
things which we can produce combined,
yes, many times over. Is the industry
ouced Loo tons OF sugar from beets. the
first time I'm our history. Last year we
produced. I'm round numbers 2Cj. 900 tons
worth. at cents per pound. $4,000. 900
Ten years ago 10 cost us To 10 cents per
pound to produce IT, Today 10 costs 3 20
cents 10 produce. while Germany pro-
duces it at a cost Of cents per pound.
Our Tonnage per acre has nearly doubled,
the sugar content or our beets has in
creased 80 per cent and our extraction has
almost doubled. while the factory ex-
pCnSC has been nearly h1lVcd. Every I'M
ulcauCu points 10 Il still cheaper cost of
production, but it takes time. for 20 is a
scieuuttc industry from The preparation OF
the soil 90 the drying of the finished prod
ucl ready Tor the table Tn the history
on the industry not single American
factory mas started mp with full run
~ hcets. a luI complement OF skilled
farmers or fun complement OF eNpc-
rlenced factory operatives. All have 70
oc trained and each locality presents IT'S
HI H..H u"