The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-01-05
Our Sugar Interests.

quet by the ovation that was given him
when he was called upon to speak.
The applause continued for some time
and was a testimonial that such man
as Mr.. Fordney appreciates because it
proves that the people are his friends,
not for political reasons, but because he
feels that they realize that he is inter
ested IN them and their welfare. A
| few we'll told stories and little fun at
| the expense Of his colleagues at the
banquet table preceded his talk on
| ''Our Sugar Interests. Being the sub
ject of legislation that most affects the
people of this district and state he has
made thorough study of it and in the
short time which he thought he ought
to take at the time, he aroused re-
newed interest in the action that con-
gress may take. A synopsis of the talk
is given below:
Now, my friends, as briefly as posi-
BILE, | will try to explain to you how l
feel and what / think about the sugar
industry of this country in which so
many people in and about Owosso are
so deeply interested. To the people of
Owosso it is, perhaps, greater import
ance than some men give it credit. To
the people of the United States it is of
greater importance than the average
man gives thought. Right in your own
| tnx 80 Of fhn Co. oria i1,t bn
country, one that manufactures one
ninth of all the sugar produced in this
state, paying to the farmers for beets
brought to their factory this year over
$500, 100000. 100000 lbs of sugar
have been produced in this factory, this
season, in round numbers $500 tons,
and at twenty tons per car, 80 car
loads. Quite an item, isn't it? The
value of that sugar at about the average
market price this year, Al cts. per
pound, is $675, 100000. In the State of
Michigan there were $4,000 acres
planted this year, from which were
harvested $40, 900 tons of beets, which
produced $1,000 tons of sugar, and at
Al cts! per pound, about the average
price .sthis year, means So, 775, 600. 90.
We consume in the United States 73 lb.
of sugar per capita. In the State Of
Michigan at the present factory price of
sugar, Al cts. per lb., we consumed this
year So, 334, 900 worth, which is 81, $780,
600 more than Mich. produced.
There are in the neighborhood Of 900,-
600 tons of sugar made from beets in the
q. S. this year which at this market
value of Al cts per lb. amounts to about
$50, 600, ,000.00 In this State alone, the
farmers this year received $3, 200, 900. 90
for their crop. The laboring classes Of
this state have received $4,000, 900. 90
for the labor of converting the raw
material into the finished product.
The railroads of this State have re-
ceived nearly 81 ,000 O00 90 in freight on
that crop more than from any other crop
raised in this or any other state; in other
words, the railroads have received in
freight this year over $500 per acre
for every acre of beets raised within
the State, five times as much as has
been paid to the railroad for any other
agricultural crop, or more. In the
State of Colorado where the freight is
higher and the crop must be hauled
farther, the railroads have received this
year $25 90 per acre for this crop. |
picked up some statistics the other day
and find that in Germany for last year S
crop Il give it as near as l can, l have it
here somewhere) find that for all ag-
ricultural products, farm products,
about $4,000 or $500 per acre is the
market value of the agricultural crops,
wheat, rye, barley, oats, and so forth.
Potatoes yield about $4,000 per acre,
but when it comes to sugar beets, the
yield is $4,000 per acre, the greatest
yield in worth per acre of any crop in
the world
We consumed in the United States
2,800,000 long tons of sugar for the
year 1904. 100000 tons of this sugar
came from the beet fields of the United
States and from the cane fields of the
south, 100, 900 tons from Porto Rico, $50,
900 tons from Hawaii, about 10000 to
$4,000 tons from the Philippine Islands,
and 1,232, 600 tons from Cuba, and the
balance, small amount, from the South
Sea Islands and from Germany.
Germany for many years has produced
large amount of the surplus sugar for
the world.
There is q bill before Congress now, a
Philippine Free Trade bill which pro-
vides Qet me first say that some years
ago we removed % per cent of the rate
of duty upon sugar coming into this
country from the Philippines but every
cent of money that this government
collects on duty from goods coming
from the Philippine Islands has been
returned to the Philippine government,
not one cent has been retained) This
present bill provides that 80 per cent
more shall be taken from sugar and the
duties removed from everything else