Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-01
OUR SUGAR IMPORTS.

More thar 5000. 100000 pounds of SUI
kar, valued at over S1Qo.OoO,000, was
brought into the United States in the
Ascal year just ended. This IS larger
reding year in the history of the cour-
lry. and the value is greater than in any
preceding year except the importation
of 1891. 1893 and 1894. These figures
include the sugar brought from Porto
Rico and the Hawaiian islands: and
while the figures OF the shipments from
'vAxe not Included in the official state
nent Of imports, they are properly in
cluded in the statement to show the
quantity of sugar coming into the
United States. The total number OF
pounds of sugar brought into the
United States during the year was, as
shown by the records OF the depart
lnent of commerce and labor thru Its
bureau of statistics. 5,2l1.077,o34, while
in no earlier year In the history of the
country has the Importation of sugar
ever reached 5,o0o,000,00o pounds.
The largest importation in any ear
( Her year was that of 1897, when the to-
tai was 4,s1s,so5,733 pounds. Adding
to the enormous Importation of 1903
/, $1,000, 900 pounds as the domestic pro-
duction would give a total sugar sup
ply of ,S17,0eO,O0O pounds for the year,
or sufficient TO furnish an average of
seventy-two pounds for each individual
In the United States. estimating the
present population at eighty millions.
The record of sugar importations for
the year differs materially in certain
aspects from that of earlier years. The
total Importation of beet sugar during
the year was only 87,000,000 pounds,
against 255.000.000 in the fiscal year
1902 and 90S,000.000 in the fiscal year
the remainder and the cane sugar i'm
portations of the fiscal year. exclusive
OF that brought from Porto Rico and
the Hawaiian islands, amounted to
4,075, 100000 pounds, against 2,6s5,000,-
600 in the fiscal year 1902 and 1885,
100000 in 1901. From Porto Rico the
States amounted to 226, 143,50S pounds,
valued at s7,466.579, and from the Ha-
waiian islands 774,s25,420 pounds val
ued at s25.3106S4. Thus, the total
quantity of sugar supplied by Porto
Rico and the Hawaiian islands
amounted to 1,0O0,oo0,0O0 pounds, or
about one fifth of the total brought into
the country, its value being nearly $685.
100000.
Another marked characteristic of the
years production of sugar is the fact
that the price of sugar brought from
foreign countries has averaged lower
than in any preceding year. The Off
cial statements of the bureau of statis-
tics have for many years shown the
average cost per pound In a foreign
country" of the sugar imported. This
average cost was in 1872 and 1873 over
5 cents per pound. From that period II
ranged downward, averaging and a
fraction cents per pound until 1883 the
cost first fell below cents, being in
1884 S.e cents per pound. From that
date forward it ranged downward, in
some years falling below s cents pei
pound, the figure for 1894 being 2.s
cents as the years average rate OF
cost. BY 1901 the movement was still
slowly downward, the average rate fol-
1901 being % cents per pound, while
In 1903 the average cost was 1872 cents
por pound, and in the fiscal year Just