Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-14
GROWING SUGAR BETS
Advance of the Industry in
This Country.
GREAT LACK OF LABOR
SENSATION CREATED BY BRYAN,s
oRAToRY In JAPAN.
Possibility Of Colonizing Palestine
With the Prosecuted Jews-Baron
Rothschild's Costly Efforts.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.


Written for The Star and the Chicago Record.
Herald.
Secretary Wilson shows. In his annual re-
port, that there were nine beet-sugar facto-
ries in the United States when he was called
to take charge of the Agricultural Depart
ment. The total output of beet sugar that
year was 80, coo short tons. great change
has since taken place. he says. There are
now thirty-two factories in operation. ana
the estimated output for 1905 is 2sO.OOO
tons. Extensive practical demonstrations,
he says, carried on throughout the sugar
beet belt. have clearly and positively
proved that, IL the farmers will properly
prepare and fertilize the soil, sow high
grade of seed and cultivate and care for
the growing crops after the methods rec
commended by the department not only
will their yields be increased but their
beets will be of better quality and contain
more sugar while the cost of production
will be materially decreased. The Secre-
tary is greatly encouraged by the growth
OF the industry and says that one OF the
obstacles to it's further development mas
been the inability of the growers to get
proper seed. One seed man was unable to
fill half of his orders, but Prof. Wilson
thinks that this difficulty can be easily
overcome.
The Secretary does not describe the er-
feet of the Cuban reciprocity treaty upon
the sugar-beet industry. He does not re-
fer to the subject; but 1t may be as
sumed, from the sanguine way In which
he speaks of its prosperity, that the re-
duction of the duty on Cuban sugar mas
done 1t no harm. Nor will the removal
OF the duty upon Philippine sugar be of
the slightest consequence. Neither the
cane growers nor the beet growers OF the
United States would ever know that the
duty was taken off Philippine sugar I'M
IpSa theV the announcement in the
newspapers. Secretary Taft Is quite san
guine that Congress will relieve the Fill
pinos from this burden and give them free
trade with the United States. He thinks
all the senators and representatives whom
he took over to Manila last summer Will
get under and push the measure along IN
Congress. But there will be determined
opposition, both from the cane growers
and the beet-sugar factories, and from
"stand-patters' generally, because the lat
ter may be expected to resist every move
ment to reduce duties on anything. with
out regard to the interests at stake. 1t
is barely possible that the bill which has
been discussed SO much-to give the Fill
pinos a free market in the United States
will pass. but it is hardly probable.
Great Lack Of Labor.
The development of the beet-sugar in
dustry in the western states, more partic-
ularly in California has been arrested by
the lack of labor. 1t is impossible for the
farmers to secure help. Therefore the su-
gar factories are not able to obtain enough
beets One of the biggest factories in the
state has been closed for two seasons be-
cause 1t was impossible to get the labor
to raise the beets under contract for any
amount at $3.50 ton. But the same Is
true Of almost every other agricultural
industry In California. Wages of farm
hands are so high that farming is be-
coming Improbable. and in some sections
of the state they cannot be obtained for
any wages It was impossible to pick and
cure all the prunes in the Santa Clara val
ley last summer for that reason. The Gull
tivatlon of beets Is not laborious. The
seed can be planted and the ground can
be cultivated by machinery, but the rows
must be weeded by hand. In Europe this
work is done by women and children, but
the wives and daughters Of California
farmers do not work in the fields, and their
children are at school. Therefore the in
dUstry has reached Its limit until a new
supply of labor can be introduced. If the
beet growers were allowed to import a
few thousand Chinese laborers they might
be able to raise a sufficient supply to keep
an indefinite number Of mills in operation,
but their present capacity has been
reached.