The Detroit times., 1908-11-20
BEET SUGAR MEN
FIGHT AGAINST
GUT IN TARIFF
FROM GERMANY
WOULD RUIN IMPORTANT MICH
ioAN INDUSTRY, SAYS r. r.
HATHAWAY.

Men interested In the future OF the
sugar beet industry In Michigan are
fighting TO their utmost to prevent the
wiping out OF that industry by the re-
peal of the tariff on sugar, There are
% factories In the state, 10 in opera
ton at the present time, and they
represent an investment OF $4,000
600, while 10000 farmers are engaged
In raising sugar beets. Michigan coal.
limestone and other materials are also
used in the refining OF the sugar.
Beet sugar men maintain that the
competition Of their product has kept
down the price OF sugar In this coun-
try. They declare that the sugar trust
which devotes itself to refining prin-
cipally, would welcome cheap raw
sugar cane sugar from other coun-
tries and has already acquired big
plantations In Cuba, In anticipation
OF a removal OF the duty.
THE state OF Michigan, more near
ly than any other portion Of the Unit
ed States, resembles the beet growing
sections of Germany" says +. r.
Hathaway, Of the Michigan Sugar
Co. Germany produces 100000
tons Of sugar year, almost as much
as the United States consumes-$1OO.-
100000 worth In round figures-al-
though there Is not an acre OF trri-
gated land In that country.
while German sugar costs much
less than ours on account Of the cheap
ness Of labor there. II sells for more
to the German consumer than We Am
orleans pay. We must have protection
to live on account Of the difference in
labor cost. A man who gets $3.50 a
month In one Of our plants would get
only $22 to $3.50 In Germany. She'd
men. who get 20 cents an hour here,
get only i've cents an hour In Germany
and seven cents In Austria. Compare
son Of all the kinds of labor shows the
same ratio.
"The German sugar il TO be had for
export at Hamburg at SEAS per hun
dred and II costs 10 cents to bring II
to New York. We pay the farmer
$240 q hundred for the sugar In the
beets before they have even been wash
ed. Then we have all the manufac-
turing cost--and Its costs US ten cents
freight nom Saginaw to Detroit.
mo other necessity has shown SO
slight q pArcentAEe of Increase as
sugar An th0 laek decade or SO, and only
because Of the competition Of the beet
sugar factories. In 1895, the price of
sugar was $4.53 per hundred, with a
tariff OF only 40 per cent ad valorem.
The price Of sugar today In New York
is $465, only IL cents Increase since
the Dingley law replaced the Wilson
law.
THE beet sugar manufacturers must
sell for 10 cents per hundred less than
the cane sugar men In many places
because they have only one grade
granulated, while the trust has every
grade. The rush of beet sugar into the
market In the winter months tends to
depress prices. and the price OF raw
cane sugar falls at the same time. SO
that the refiners buy II up then and
the tendency Is to keep sugar prices
lower on the average all the year.
I'VE are already going up againot a
virtual reduction OF the tariff. While
the rate Is supposed to be $1.62 IL per
hundred, the concessions to Cuba.
Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Philip
pines have been such that the actual
average duty collected was $l.14 IL
for the last year"
The beet sugar men will submit fur
Their evidence and argument against
the removal OF the tariff before the
subcommittee OF congress, which Is
now giving hearings, has finished de-
liberations.