The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-06-26
OUR wASHINGToNLETTER
BY CLYDE II. TAVESER,
Member OF Congress,

Member OF Congress.
Washington CORES pondence of The Time
Washington, June 23.-Comparc
the total investment in the American
sugar industry with the amount the
duty on sugar costs the American
people annually and we pick up the
clue explaining why, despite the
presence OF the sugar Hobbies In
Washington, the 2.cent tariff tax is
to he removed from sugar.
Exclusive of land and farm ami,
mails (Which can be used in othel
farming operations) the total in.
Veslment in sugar In the United
States Is about 500, OO0,0 200. for
the benefit of the few men owning
this industry, the American people
are taxed annually in the increased
price Of sugar $4,000, 200, or $40.
600, 900 more than the total sugar in.
vestment. 1t is also SAC, 000. OO0
more than the total annual value Of
the American sugar crop including
its by.products.
To the individual this tax amounts
to Sl.5O or an annual charge Of 81. 80
on family OF average size.
Since 1897 the protection to the
sugar industry has cost American
consumers two thousand million
dollars. But il the public got value
received for this sum-in revenue to
defray the cost OF government
there would not be so much com.
plant. Rut the actual duty col.
lected In l6 years has been only
$500, 600, 600. The balance 81 200, 600.
600, has been bonus pure and
simple wrung from the poor to Gre
ate IA new group OF American mil.
lionaires.
Leaving aside the principle that
sugar as prime food necessity
should come untaxed to the Ameri-
can public, the production of cane
sugar In this country is an artificial,
unnatural industry. There are two
types OF sugar production-from SUI
gar beets, grown in many sections
Of the country, and from sugar
cane, grown along the gulf coast of
Louisiana and Texas. /: is pos.
sible, indeed probable, that beet su.
gar production has now progressed
to "A point where Il can be called
natural industry. II so, 1t does not
need protection in order to survive.
But there is no natura! Justification
for cane sugar production in the
United States.
1t is possible to grow bananas and
tea in New England In hot houses.
Yet not even the most rabid protec.
ZIONIST would advocate a prohibitive
duty on bananas or tea, raising the
prices of these foods ten times
above what they are now, In order
that tea and bananas might be prl.
duced with profit In hot houses in
New England.
In somewhat smaller degree
cane sugar growing is hot-house
industry. The sugar in cane Is
called sucrose by chemists. Louis
lana cane is only six to seven per
cent. sucrose, while Cuban cane is
ii to l4per cent. and Hawaiian from
IA to 10 per cent. sucrose-or over
twice as much sugar In the same
amount OF cane.
In Cuba sugar cane grows natur-
ally, and is planted once every 10
years. In Louisiana the cane must
he replanted every year. There is
never frost in CUBA in Louisiana
the cane must be cut IN October be-
fore maturity to escape frost, thus
accounting for the lower sucrose
content. Louisiana sugar mills are
antequated; while some of the Gu
ban factories are the latest and most
efficient in the world.
And SC, though Louisiana wages
are much lower than those paid in
Cuba, it costs nearly four cents To
produce pound of raw sugar in
Louisiana, against Cuban cost of
two cents. said Representative T. |
w. Hardwick, of Georgia, the great
sugar expert of the House;
"In order to produce cane SUI
gar crop valued at So, OO0,u0O our
Louisiana friends insist that we |
ought to continue system Of taxa /
ton that costs the American people /
SllO ,OOO,OOO in the increased price of |
sugar. 1t is undemOcratic; it Is uu-
iair; IL is uuriUhteous; and, so tar /
as am concerned, Wi. never /
stand for It continuance of this pol. (,
icy to keep duty ON this great .
necessity of life which cannot pos.
sibly he produced in Louiana one
half as cheaply as it can In the bal.
luce of the world
Last Witch Burning.
There are countries 10 which tho