New-York tribune., 1903-02-23
FRENCH SUGAR CRISIS
Situation Regarded as Serious for
Producers-Remedies Suggested
Paris Fshr1,aru 1

| specialists. will have tremendous consequence
| at home and abroad The effect Of the into
national sugar convention Of Brussels rscanfI,,
! signed and ratified by the French Governrnant
| and Legislature. and which goes into force a.,
| September 1, viii reduce the tax on sugar eon-
| sumption in France from 81 francs to % francs
| the 100 Kilograms. TO So to the 22O1.
! pounds. 1t is now discovered that the cost 81
production and manufacture Of sugar IA I
francs or 81. greater in France 10 the 100
Kilograms than in Germany or Austria Hun
gary Consequently the German anC Austrian
sugar producers. by merely making sacrifice
of one centime to the kilogran. one-tenth
of cent a pou.-d. can food France with for
eign sugar and undersen the French sugar pro-
ducers in their home market
It is with something like CONSERVATION that
the great French producers. who, under the
bounty system have enjoyed monopoly under
the sugar laws enacted during the reign os
Napoleon III, view the crisis Sugar producers.
sugar refners sugar dealers. beet growers and
all who earn their livelihood directly or in
directly by means Of the sugar industry in its
manifold ramihcations have held meetings and
consulted with the Ministers Of Finance OF Agri-
culture and of Commerce. The situation has
been studied by the leading economists. such as
NJ Leroy -Beaulieu, VI. Eugene Rostand father
of the author of "Cyrano" and "LAigon"; ".
ViVien.
Crentfn; by NJ Henri Pupin. and. last but not
least, by an American sugar specialist. Lewis
Ware. of Philadelphia and Paris Reports on
the sugar crisis caused by the new situation to
be created next September have been submitted
TO President Loubet Committees in the Senate
and in the Chamber of Deputies have been
closeted together endeavOring 10 seek a means
of avertins what the sugar men describe as the
impending ruin of a national industry.
At last a supposed remedy has been found in
an exhaustive study Of the subject made by
Lewis Ware who suggests that all sugar enter
ing into the composition of jams and preserved
fruits should be taxed not sugar as at pres
| ent. but ds glucose. Mr. Ware demonstrates
| that sugar is by chemical inversion transformed
| in the process of jam making into glucose. and
that by scientific and logical application Of the
fiscal laws the sugar in the form Of jam or pre-
| serves should be taxed only francs % centimes
| To the 100 kilograms Cor 81 80 to 22050
| pounds) which is the regular tax for glucose
| This measure, in the opinion OF the specialists,
| will enable France to produce jams and pre-
served fruit of quality superior 70 those OF any
other country in Europe. and far less cost. It
| should be noted that England which now manu-
| factures 20 per cent Of the jams used in Eu-
rome does so almost exclusively with fruit In
| norted into Great Britain from France. and uses
| for the purpose French or German sugar. 1t is
admitted here and abroad that France produces
| fruit in greater abundance and Of superior favor
| than is the case in any other country on the
| Continent, and the utilization OF this fruit for
| Jams and preserves will consume. under profit
| able conditions the present oVerproductfon OF
French sugar.
With the law. Of the Brussels conference IN
| force, it is expected that the export OF French
| sugar, which was formerly "bounty-fed, viii
vii situation
fs disclosed by the fact that last year France
onIv consumed 10000 tons OF sugar. while dur
ing the same period the production exceeded
| 1 04O 600 tons With the probable cheapness or
| sugar there will doubtless be an increase IN the
| consuuption, but allowing for reasonable in
crease. there will be something Ike han
million tons of French sugar clogglng the mar
ket and the production Of which costs 81
| to the 100 Kilograms more than the German
and Austrian sugar. The crisis IS con-
| seoueutly a desperate one for the French pro-
| ducArs who not only can longer export
supar but are liable to be undersold by foreign
sugar in their own home market Hitherto Eng
| land has taken the bulk Of the French eXpor'eu
sugar for the annual sugar consumption III
| Great Britain is 100000 tons Germany Win
her annual production of 2,3OoOOO IONS d.
| a cost OF 81 to the 100 Kilograms less
| than French sugar, viii drive the French sugar
out of the English market IHS
| men seem hopeIessIy handicapped in the strug-
| gle and the only salvation for thelii' % ~
/ Ware points out, is the creation OF nc" -
| d,,s+rv-tar, and preserves-which will absorb
+ba surnIus French sugar in the form OF glu0-'7
| and avert a catastrophe tenfoId more disastrous
| than the present dearth of sard1nes' WHICH L-N'
,Irrsad brittany into a famine such as mas
| .o-,Iy bsen witnessed in France since tH7
| Middle Ages -. ,,.g,zs
,T- Ware has also found other means to utlllzS
| the overproduction of French sugar anu NAS
submitted TO the authorities a report conOalii7
| The comparative ingredients of the ratons i
s,ad ~ the armies and fleets or the sIe@'
no,rars of F,urope and of the United states
| y or,Aars that since 1878 little has been DOM
| g. France in realizing a scientific food Ior 'h9
soldier and sailor. In Germany Ior OH9 ~
three wears careful experiments nave oeSI ili
| in this direction under the supervision u -
leading chemists. The result IS that lhe "e
| mans have discovered that the element OF sus@l
- +ba dailv ration Of the soldier increases his
| endurance at a ratio OF per cent
naror William has closely watched tnese
| chemical experiments made with his troops ana
| the sugar is now regular factor in the German
nrbtine mans food on land and on sea- II wa
ard in peace. II is believed that France VIZ
shortly follow the example 81 her eastern helsH-
bor AT present the French soldiers ration cum
sists OF large proportion OF meat anu o.Ne
| nitrogen producing elements, while the caFO'i'
| producing food is proportionateiy far less 'IH
| in Germany or Great Britain. Sugar the sle@
carbon producing ingredient. is at present aIii0
| totally absent from the rations issued 70 SUI
dters and sailors by the French Government.
Great Britain became convinced Of the value Oh
| sugar as factor in the army ration oy 'he "a