The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-02-23
Destroying The Beet Sugar Industry

From ration 3 monthly, FEBRUARY
Whatever interest the public has in
the Philippine bill lies in proposed re-
duction in the import duties on tobacco
and sugar to % per cent of the rate pro-
vided for in the Dingley bill; or, re-
duction from $1.6S per hundred pounds
to az cents per hundred pounds on these
articles imported from the islands to the
United States We shall not discuss
the question of benefit or detriment in
the principle of protection, contenting
ourselves with the simple assertion that
whatever virtue the doctrine may pos
sess lies in its long established aid in
fostering new and untried industries in
the United States.
Beet sugar manufacture in the Unit
ed States is an entirely new infant in
dustry. in the establishment of which
many millions of dollars have been ex-
pended within the past six years upon
the positive assurance of our govern
ment that it should have protection un-
til the the experimental stage is passed,
and square deal generally. Not dol
lar would have gone into this industry
without such assurance. And yet, the
whole question, if we may judge by its
discussion in print and in the halls of
Congress, shows an astounding con-
fusion of this laudable industry with
the combination of men who, constitut-
ing the so-called Sugar Trust, are i'm
porters of the larger part Of the sugar
consumed in America; who merely do
Uno IciInin6 moi Ss'"aIo oonUIo1 Uro sugar
market, and who make the sugar prices
about as they please. In other words,
the interests of the Beet Sugar men who
have been trying to establish new
manufacturing business in the United
States-an industry of nearly as great
worth and promise as any that has here
tofore been nourished into health by a
protective policy-the interests of these
men, we say, are Numerically opposed
to the interests of the importers and re-
finers. And it is not only the beet sugar
manufacturer who is affected, it is also
the farmer, who receives each year for
the beets he raises more than 90 per
cent of the entire cost of the sugar.
Another feature seldom referred to
is the fact that the proposed preferential
duty does not disturb refined sugar at
all None of the countries getting the
lower rate produce any refined sugar.
Verify, our sugar refners are lucky
dogs.
The attitude of the supporters of the
bill has from the first been a consciously
awkward one. When asked how our
government can be justified in violating
direct agreement; why a great and
worthy industry must be first cajoled
into being, and then slaughtered without
mercy, we get only an excuse which is
tantamount to an apology: "Our duty
demands that we do something for the
Filipinos"
Neither arguments concerning brok-
en- promises, nor of duty to deceived
American farmers and investors have
been of avail; not even when it is
shown that the Filipinos will derive
no benefit from the measure. In the
Sandwich Islands, it is said that there
is not single Hawaiian of unmixed
blood who owns sugar plantation.
And the Philippines cannot furnish an
exception to this rule-the conditions
are in no way dissimilar. The advo-
Gates of great sugar plantations in the
Islands are taking care to insist at the
same time that coolies must have free
entry if success is to be achieved. In
aiding this future exploitation our gov
eminent will render aid to neither
Filipinos nor the American public
German, Dutch and other European
planters with few Americans perhaps)
will control the industry; and Chinese
and Japanese coolies will perform the
labOr-even "a in Hawaii.