The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1906-01-19
BEET SUGAR

ont doubt, the beet sugar indus
try. Tins great semi-ard region
where the rainfall is very inadequate
for general crops such as are grown
in the eastern part of the state,
seems particularly adapted to The
production of the sugar beet,
In this dry sandy region where
irrigation can be practlced the beet
grows luxuriantly and contains an
unusual per cent of sweet,
The Industry has been proven a
great success by several years sue
cessful culture and manufacture Of
sugar. Now the industry is being
extended and large factories built
and in prospect.
The beet industry has proven
very profitable to the farmer and is
developing rapidly that part of this
great state and making Of what has
been practically desert perfect
garden spot, with fine farms, good
homes aud beautiful, prosperous
little towns and villages.
This industry, the principal in
gredient OF which is labor, labor in
the planting; cultivating, harvesting
and manufacture which furnishes
employment to thousands Of Ameri-
can citizens at good wages is now
threatened by an assault from its
friends in congress.
Even our President, in whom
there seems to be no guile, but who
has been known 10 be wrong occas-
sionaliy, is on the side of the insur-
gents of this industry. We trust we
have proper amount Of sympathy
for "rhe little brown brother across
the sea-" but we do not want to
force our Kansas laborers to com
pete with him in wages.
Our American laborers are not
considered to be in full evening cos
tune when clothed only in a breech
clout. Neither are they satisfied
with a diet of rice the year round,
seasoned occasionally with a juicy
dog steak. The labor clement of
Kansas is body of men that are
educated and civilized aud are &C
customed to all the essentials and
many of the luxuries of life.
This sugar interest, if protected
will max The sand valleys of the
Arkansas on: vi the most prosper
Gus regions Of Kansas. We believe
this Industry should not be com
pel!e'i to compete with the condi-
ions that prevail in the ORIENT or
even IN Cuba. 1t is possible in
few years, for these countries to
produce all the sugar the world can
consume.
We are the greatest sugar using
people in the world, and, if we hold
our home market, Will soon become
the greatest sugar producing.
Those eastern manufacturers who
clamor for protection to their pro
ducts should and must be willing to
accord protection to the products
of the west and south. We have
heard no expression from the Kan
sas delegation on this subject, except
congressman Scott, and he, you re-
member went out with the Taft party,
but presume they are alive to the in
terests of our state and are willing to
throw around our young sugar in
dustry that protection it seems to
need.
1t was urged by the administra-
ton recently that Cuban products,
including sugar, should have some
special tariff favors, and they were
granted. We have never been able
to find out that American products
ever found any greatly increased
favors in that country in return, or
hat the Cuban sugar producer re-
,eived any particular benefit. We
noticed that the head of the sugar
rust favored the move as great