The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1905-03-09
BEET SUGAR HISTORY.
The international Situation I'm Its
Past and Present Aspects.

The international Situation I'm Its
Past and Present Aspects.
BY FRANK r. RUTTER, Bureau of Sta
tistics
The growth Of the beet sugar indus
try during the last half century has
been remarkable. From 100000 long
tons in 1854 the European beet sug
ar product steadily and rapidly in
creased to nearly 6,70O,O00 long tons in
19O1-O2. In 1902-O3 the production
amounted to 100000 long tons and in
10000 to 5,8O0000 tons. This falling
off, while doubtless traceable in part
to the Brussels convention, was mainly
due to Industrial and trade conditions.
By the Brussels convention in 1901-02
the principal sugar producing countries
of Europe, Russia excepted agreed to
abolish all export bounties, special ad
vantages and exemptions from tax.
The relative increase in beet sugar
production is even more conspicuous
than the actual increase In 1S53-54
cane sugar constituted SO per cent of
the worlds commercial sugar crop,
beet sugar only IA per cent. Half a
century later cane sugar contributed
AZ per cent, while beet sugar, including
the United States crop, furnished about
58 per cent.
High Prices I'm Europe.
A marked characteristic Of the beet
sugar industry has been the extremely
high range OF prices paid in the CONT
mental countries as compared with
prices in England and the United
States. The average wholesale price of
refined sugar, excise paid, in Germany
during the sugar year 1902-O3 was 81
cents per pound. in Belgium Ga cents,
in Russia and Austria tx cents and in
France over s cents In Spain the aver
age price Of sugar during 1901-02 was 8
cents per pound and during 1S99-190O
over 10 cents per pound
In the United States the average
price Of granulated sugar at New York
during the calendar year 1908 was 464
cents per pound and during 1902 only
4.46 cents. In 1902 and 1908 the aver
age price of British refined sugar was
3.S7 cents per pound The high prices
on the continent have resulted partly
from the excise collected on domestic
sugar and partly from the combination
Of sugar producers.
Strong national combinations of pro-
ducers have been not infrequent in the
continental beet sugar industry. OF
these the cartels of Austria II hungary
and Germany were probably the most
conspicuous. The higher profits de-
rived from domestic sales of sugar led
to the apportionment of such sales
among the various producers by pri-
vate agreement in order to increase
prices by limiting the supply.
Recent Decrease In Acreage
The large stocks of sugar had the
natural effect of restricting materially
the acreage devoted to sugar beets.
The decrease in three years has been
nearly 10 per cent. The Brussels con-
vention probably contributed some
what to the restriction in acreage.
Tie new sugar year opens with pros
poets for a reduced beet sugar output
In Europe that will probably wipe out
the accumulated stocks and perhaps
necessitate considerable decline in
consumption. General drought through
out the beet growing sections, together
with a reduction of per cent in the
paintings caused a falling off in the
beet crop estimated at 20 per cent as
compared with 1903