The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-19

ture as compared with other lines OF
agriculture.
Mr. President / am convinced that il
Cuba is capable, as it is contended she
is, of producing enough sugar to supply
the wants of this country she will pro-
duce it whether this legislation passes
or not. without the supposed stimulus
of the concessions of this legislation Cuba
has increased its sugar output in the
last four years from less than 100000
tons to 1000, 900 tons of sugar. / doubt
very much whether Cuba will ever pro-
Iduce enough sugar to supply the American
demand, which will increase as Cuban
production of sugar increases, but il
she is capable of producing enough sugar
for that purpose | have no doubt she
will produce it whether she gets these
tariff concessions from US or not.
Mr.. President, l know that the sugar
producers of this counery, especially those
of louisiana, are not upon an equality
in all respects with Cuba in the produc-
ton of sugar In some respects, how
ever, there is apparently an equal condi.
ton. There is the same condition as to
the kind of labor employed in Louisiana
and in Cuba, and about the same con
dition as to the price of labor applies in
Cuba and in louisiana The kind of la
boz employed in Louisiana is the native
white labor and black labor The kind
of labor employed in Cuba is native white
and black labor.
From the best information l have been
able to obtain. and ! have made quite a
thorough search, the wages paid labor in
THE sugar fields of Louisiana range from
SIS TO $40 per month. The rate of wages
paid labor in the cane fields of Cuba
ranges from SIS to $25 per month, the
difference being slightly in favor of Louis
lana IN that respect
know, Mr. Presiden. that there is a
disparity to Louisana's disadvantage in
the soil and possibly in climate condi-
TONS The soil of that island is richer
than that of Louisiana. It averages a
greater yield per acre than that of Louis
lana. But. Mr.. President, difference in
fertility of soil is not always, nor gener
ally an insuperable obstacle to success
iul competition. To draw another illus
tration from this country. my State and
a number of other Southern States will
not yield so much per acre in corn as
the rich lands of Kansas and other West
ern corn growing States, possibly will not
yield over one-lalf as much per acre, and
North Carolina raises and sells corn in
compettian with Kansas and makes q
living profit UPON it.
NY State will not produce nearly Sc
much cotton per ere as the State of Tex
as, and yet. Mr.. President. we have been
making and we are making cotton today
in competition with Texas. and at a good
profit.
be 7 nc bc
other day that the average output of the
sugar lands of his State was about 1 ton
of sugar per acre. From the best infor
nation 1 have been able to obtain the
output OF the beet sugar states ranges
from to 21a tons of sugar per acre. The
price of these different kinds of sugar is
about the same. With this great dispar
ity between the output of sugar in Louis
lana and the beet-sugar States of this
country, with absolute free trade in do
nestle products in the home market
Louisiana during all these years has beer
able TO meet this domestic competItiar
and sustain itself in the cultivation OF
cane sugar
] have no doubt Mr. President, as
said before the soil of Cuba is more fer
tile and better adapted to the growth o.
sugar than that of this country. That
is disadvantage which we have to con
tend with in competition with tropica
countries in other things as well as sugar
but the superior thrift, efficiency, anC
intelligence OF the Temperate Zone over
the Tropics has generally been able tC
overcome these disadvantages of soil ant
make competition successful which would
otherwise be impossible.
But. Mr. President. if our boasted SUI
periority IN labor conditions and mach
inery conditions is not sufficient to enable
us to overcome these disadvantages ii
competition with Cuban sugar then
submit that after we have taken 20 PEI
cent off OF the duty on sugar there vii
still remain an ample duty to counter
balance any disadvantage growing out OF
better conditions of soil and climate
| have been taught, and | believe, thai
the Dingley tariff is an abomination: thai
it is exorbitant and excessive taxation
and that after levying a sufficient sun
to make uD the difference between the
labor and the material cost between this
country and competing countries 1T I'm
poses heavy additional duties, in many
instances for no other purposes than pr
yate enrichment.
Mr.. President, the average ad valoren
duty under tins highly protective meas
ure is only about 81 per cent / believe
The present duty upon sugar Is abou
ST per cent, or about 80 per cent IN excess
of the average Dingley rate. After de
Quoting the 20 per cent conceded to Cub;
by thisNlegislation, there will still remain
q DUTY upon sugar of about 50 per cent
" have not made the calculation accurate
". but that is approximately correct.
Ithink-leaving duty upon sugar ate
this reduction OF II per cent above th'
Leverage Dingley rate. I submit that i
enough protection to overcome the dit
ferences in conditions of sugar cultivation
here and in Cuba. If it Is not, then suga
cannot be produced in this country OF
conditions just to the American consume
of sugar.
My State is a great tobacco-producinI
I State. | believe there are about thlrt,
counties in my State in which tobacco
, is the chief agricultural product. Las
year three towns in my section of TIN
! State. within so miles of each other, eacl
sold in their warehouses nearly 100000
pounds of leaf tobacco. Last year the man
ufacturers of my State manufacture
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