Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-11-17
100000 TONS GROWN IN AMERICA
Tariff Agitation Alone Prevents
Expansion of Industry,
COMPETITION REDUCES PRICES
Refiners Alleged to Misrepresent
Case to People.
FARMERS BENEFIT BY TARIFF
Amount Expended for Labor and
Material in Manufacture of Do
nestle Sugar Eight Times
that of Imported,

CHICAGO. Nov. 16.-Beet sugar manu-
facturers, who have been meeting in
Chicago for the last few days. closed
their session today after formulating
plans to combat the propaganda in the
interest OF free sugar." alleged to be
carried on by the cane sugar refiners
and the New York importing interests.
The beet sugar men declared that they
produce annually 100000 tons Of sugar and
draw raw ,terial from sixteen states.
extending from Ohio to California, and
pay the American farmer sSO,OOO.OOO an
nually therefor. They contend that by
putting raw sugar on the free list the
domestic industry would be destroyed and
all competition thereby eliminated and
that thereafter the Importers and re-
liners would have a complete monopoly.
After the meeting the chairman, c. c.
Hamlin Of Colorado, issued a statement,
In which he characterized the publicity
attributed to the refiners as "a cam
paign of Misrepresentation inaugurated
for the purpose of prejudicing the minds
of the American people"
"rhe animus of these attacks is appar-
ent" Mr.. Hamlin says. Beet sugar is
the only competitor the refiners have,
as from it they can extract no toll and
every pound of beet sugar produced in
the United States means one less for
them to refine. The industry destroyed
their only competition would be elm
insted and a few men I'm New York
would fix the price to be paid to the
producers Of raw sugar on the one hand
and that to be charged the consumer Of
refined on the other.
Beet Industry Grows.
The production of beet sugar in this
country has increased from 1926 tons in
1897 to 100000 this year, and our capacity
for further expansion will be understood
when 1t is known that the Department
of Agriculture says that we have 247,OOO,-
0c0 acres Of land suitable for beet culture.
If the Industry is allowed TO expand we
would within q reasonable time be pro-
ducing our entire requirements.
THAT we are not producing more beet
sugar today Is due entirely to the tariff
agitation Of the last few years and the
construction of many. new factories Is
being held up because OF the threat OF
tariff reduction. .....
Due to an increasing domestic produc-
tion. sugar of all the necessities Of life,
hEIA NuSGu III piANI uuNln5 lle ldSI lew
years while the prices of other commodI-
ties advanced so rapidly as TO make the
cost OF living a national issue. The Amer
lean consumers have been and are buy
ing their sugar cheaper than those OF
any other nation, England alone, ex.
cepted.
Forces Prices Down.
The production OF beet sugar in ouI
country has this year, by reason of COM
Petition between beet sugar manufac.
turers resulted in beet sugar selling al
4's to 5lsc a pound, when the New York
refiners were quoting a price OF ~ cents
per pound. When the beet crop came or
the market the price began to decline
and already the refiners have been com,
PEELED to reduce their price over IL
cents pound.
Tho beet supplies half of the sugal
OF the world and of this Europe produce.
about 30 per cent, or 100000 tons Th,
European crop for this season is ovel
100000 tons short because OF al
unprecedented drouth and as this repre-
sents 10 per cent of the normal production
of the world, or 100000 tons more than tn,
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