The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-11-13
SUGAR IN TEXAS
AND CONVICT LABOR

a fact Of some significance 10 the
American sugar industry is brought |
out in recent article in the Houston |
fTexas) Post. This paper devotes a
section Of its special trade edition tol
the sugar and syrup industry Of its
own state and presents many facts Of
Interest respecting it.
Thus. eight sugar mills. representing
a Capitalization of S4,0o0, o00 and ca
vacitv of 1894, 0C0 tons of cane, were in
orara ton last year and they used the
nrodlct of some s.. 500 acres Of Texas
land. The average yield was about 70
tons TO the acre, equaling 1900 pounds
If sugar. The total yield for the State
was about 53.440.000 pounds last year.
\ new factory is 10 be added to the
st thfs year. with a daily capacity Of
4;s6 tons. The value Of last years SUI
gar crop was about k1.S0S 60o. An I'M
porrant by-product Of the mills is cali
| 81 eblack strap Of which 1.500,e0o
| gallons were produced, valued at $780,
0e0
But the point of special interest 70
readers Of the American Sugar Indus
| trv and Beet sugar Gazette is the fact
| that practically all this important adj
6ftfon to the states wealth and pros
perity is the product Of convict labor
| On all the large farms the laborers are
| convicts. The state Of Texas has two
/ farms Of its own which. together with
| their mills. are operated by inmates OF
| the penirentiary. The planters who
| own the other large farms hire conyicts
/ frora. the state al a less wage than free
| labor can be secured for, and under
conditions that provide a certain sup
| r1v If labor when It Is wanted
/ The sugar beet growers and beet SUI
gar manufacturers in the northern
states can not but look with disfavor
nDop a system that solves so easily
! the difficult labor problem with which
/ they find themselves eonfronIed,
i Northern sentiment would not justify
them in using convict labor on their
farms or in their factories IN coIIlpe-
ton with free white labor. The Geo.
nonic side Of the question IS one ina
might affect them more seriously If the
industry both South and North NeEt
not already confronted by the conpe-
titton Of foreign labor, cheaper ever
/ than American convict labor
The SITu3IIgAs tllf*f = I4s - 80
tends TO make one reflect. TIE dlrLef-
+ ence between convfet labor and othel
: labor * on the whole q difference il
degrees OF liberty. The work Of th'
American convict may be sold oy M
keepers for price Of which ne r.
cefves no share. The work of so-call
81 free labor must be sold for pE1c'
determined by economic conditions
The workingman' freedom IS. there
: fore. only relative freedom he eaI
nor control the price. Of his labor. a
, though he may enjoy the fruit OF Il
Assuming a situation where capita
in -ha hands Of d few men control
an American industry and is also eh
gagged in manufacturing proauc
: whose raw materials are inporte'
: from abroad. IF the price 81 LABOR
= too high al home. more 81 the 1l-il4'i {
J 81 product win Be used and 1s"e
= American workmen viii be employ e
J suppose the men who OWE the caplsa
: are also in a position TO influence u
: action of Congress On tariff question
: WIN their influence be felt on the saa
> of high tariff and high wages u amer
Z 5ra1 xorkrnen OF low tarlI ana laEz
1 profits On foreign raw 1aaterla-S