The sun., 1903-11-06
SUGAR AND CUBA.

| gives tmeliness to the presentation or a
few facts concerning the item OF sugar,
which forms the real basis OF that legislative
consideration.
| Last year the reople of the United States
consumed $500 900 tons OF sugar, or about
one-quarter of the entire quantity which
came into the worlds market. But
statement Of world production OF APP
proximately 100000 tons OF sugar per
year gives no very clear conception OF the
enormous quantity OF material which 1t
represents. Reducing it to practical
illustration, it may be said that lo,oooo 600
tons of sugar would load a train OF ordinary
freight oars which would reach from New
York to San Francisco, and require 5000
powerful locomotives to move 1t. 1t would
freight 1000 ocean-going steamships with
10000 tons to the ship. II loaded on wagons,
| two tons to the load. close procession
| might be formed which would girdle the
globe at the equator. II made into candy.
| 1t would give to every man, woman ana
child in the United States pound day
| for every day in the year, Sundays ex-
cepted.
| Although sugar is no new thing In the
world, its Use and consumption upon any
thing like the present scale is quite modern
institution. The United States alone now
consumes annually nearly double the en-
tire market supply Of the world fifty years
ago. This is not solely by reason OF the
increased number OF consumers. In 1850
the per capita consumption In this country
was twenty-three pounds. Last year 1t
was about seventy-three pounds This is
largely attributable to the reduced cost OF
the commodity.
In 1850 "crlshed" sugar, then in common
use, sold at wholesale at from 81 to ioN
cents per pound Within the following
decade the wholesale prices fuctuated
between IA and l4X cents. The period
OF the civil W.T. sent sugar prices soaring
by slow degrees to M cents in April,
1864. Three months later saw them JUMP ed
to 80 cents the pound. A year later they
had dropped to 20 cents, from which point
they fell irregularly but persistently until
the period Of reciprocity brought them
lin is94-95) to 81 cents as minimum.
The restoration of the tariff lifted them to
the price since maintained, general aver
age Of about ~ cents the pound.
The effective force in this reduction has
been the bounty aided beet sugar Of Eu-
ippU' AiiD ihs'o'y vi ISu''PV"h '"6Si
legislation is vastly complicated. While
the system has been in operation ever since
it's adoption by the Emperor Napoleon
during the English blockade Of Continental
Europe In 1906, it's effective influence on
and actual regulation Of world prices Of
sugar is a matter Of the last twenty-five
years. and. even more notably, Of the last
ten or fifteen years. The results Of this in.
fIence are indicated in the fact that whereas
In 1850 cane supplied about three times as
much OF the worlds sugar consumption as
did beet root, in 1885 cane and beet supplied
about an equal quantity, and in 1902 the
beet product was about twice that OF
the cane.
This has been one Of the prime causes,
perhaps the prime cause, Of that economic
distress in Cuba concerning which 30 much
was said during the contest in Congress
two ""ars ago. But two other causes OF
Cuba i, need have been directly and ac-
tively contributory. One OF these appears
in the temporary destruction OF the Cuban
industry during the war period. From
this injury, so far as quantity Of possible
production is concerned, the island has
virtually recovered. With an adequate
labor supply and reasonably favorable
weather, 1t would be possible for her to
make, during the coming season, a larger
quantity Of sugar than that produced dur
Ing her record season, in 1894 But the
crop Of 1894 brought Cube approxima tely
$40 900 0OO whereas the same output day,
with prices unaffected by reciprocity,
would bring her barely 50,oOo,ooo, and
perhaps even less than that.
The second Of these contributorv causes
lies in the utter neglect OF Gen, Wood to
give attention TO Cuba's economic needs.
His specialties we're street sweeping and
school establishment which would be seen
of men and therefore would rebound to his
great honor and glory. The stonachs
and the pockets and the bank accounts of
the Cuban people, from field hand to landed
proprietor, were not available material for
a spectacular administration. They were
therefore left to work out their own saliva
tion, until Gen. Wood became panic stricken
over the increasing proportions Of the
menacing cloud Of industrial distress and
plunged vigorously into the struggle for
conces sions which would avert the danger
which threatened his reputation as an
administrator
For the fall in sugar prices neither the
United States nor Cuba is responsible
The damages Of the war period were an
unfortunate incident in Cuba's political
redemption. For the failure of the gov
ernment OF intervention to contribute to
the economic restoration Of the island the
United States is responsible, and that re-
sponsibility was definitely acknowledged
when in 1901, a committee from the Con-
stitut onal Convention asked for advan-
tages in the American market in exchange
for it's acceptance Of the Platt Amendment,
which was imposed as a condition of Ameri-
can withdrawal and the establishment Of
Cuban Government. They were told to
accept the amendment, and, as 1t has been
expressed by Senator o. H. Platt, to trust
the United States" Two sessions Of the
United States Congress have abused that
trust and repudiated the obligation, An
offended public has twice expressed its
indignation, but has failed TO punish
Tho baggage Smashers.