The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-03-10
SUGAR BILL
VERY LARGE

If we take the quantity Of sugar pro-
duced in the United States and add
to this the quantity brought from our
own islands and the quantity import
ed from foreign countries, and sub.
tract therefrom the amount exported,
we get a grand total of considerably
more than billion pounds consumed
in the country; and by dividing the
population into this grand total, we
get an average of 81 1-2 pounds per
capita, speaking in round terms, for
1910, and about a like quantity for
1909 It is not assumed, of course, that
each person necessarily consumes SUI
gar equal to one-half his individual
weight; but taking the total consump-
ton and comparing it with the total
population in the section known as
continental United States, the average
yearly consumption of sugar is found
to be about 81 10 pounds per capita.
In fact, the people of the United
States are larger consumers of sugar
per capita than those of any other
country of the world except England,
for which the latest figures show a con
sumption averaging sc pounds per
capita, against our own average of 81
IL pounds per capita. The next larg-
est per capita consumption is in Den
mark, II "a pounds; Sweden, "a
pounds; and Germany and Holland,
each about 43 IL pounds.
Not only is the U. S. the second
largest sugar consumer per capita,
but the total amount consumed annual
ly is much greater than that of any
other country, aggregating, as above
indicated, more than billion pounds
per annum, against about billion
pounds in England and about 3 bill
lion pounds in Germany.
About one-half of the sugar consum-
ed in the United States is brought
from foreign countries, about one
fourth from our own islands, and the
remaining one-fourth produced in this
country. The total production Of SUI
gar in the United States now amounts
to ga billion pounds year, of which
more than 1 billion pounds is beet su
, gar and about three-quarters of bill
, lion cane sugar. 1t is only recently
that the production of beet sugar Il
the United States has come to exceed
that of cane sugar. In 1900 domestic
production of cane sugar was twice
as great as that of beet sugar, ant
20 years ago was more than go times
as great, but the growth of beet sugal
production has been very rapid in re
cent years, and in 1907, for the frs
time. exceeded in quantity that produc
, ed from cane and has so continued
, since that time.
! OF the cane sugar which we con
, sumo, most of that coming from for
J eign countries is drawn from Cuba
| the Dutch East Indies, and smalle
= amounts from the West Indies, Mex
} leo, Central and South America. Al
of that coming from our own islands
2 Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the PHILIP
5 nines-is cane sugar, while of the dc
nestle product about 40 per cent /
produced from cane. The beet suga
of the United States is grown chiefl
in Colorado. California. and Michigan
and some in Utah. Idaho, and Visor
sin; while most of the cane sugar i
produced in louisiana with smalle
quantities in Texas, Florida, Georgia
and South Carolina.
The sugar Habit is evidently
growing one with the people of tn
United States, and probably with thos
Of other countries, since the tota
world production of sugar, Including al
countries for which statistics ar
available, has increased so per zen
in the last decade and about double
in IS years. In our own case the cor
sumption has shown a rapid growth
the per capita consumption havin
been, in 1880, 40 pounds; in 1890, 5
pounds; in 1900, SO pounds; and /
1910, approximately 81 IL pounds.
What is the cost of this enormou
quantity of sugar consumed in tn
United States? This is more than di
ficult to answer. The valuation {
that brought from foreign countrie
and our islands is set down at about II
million dollars in 1910, and the state
value of that produced in the Unite
States, at approximately rs milIio
dollars; though this comparativel
, high figure when considered by tn
price per pound, is due to the act tina
the valuation is based upon the refir
ed article while that of the suga