Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1913-06-20
WASHINGTON LETTER

sugar! Why has all the bitterness
of the tariff battle settled upon
this single commodity. which is
one of the cheapest of all foods and
which at casual glance does not
seem to rank high among the i'm
portant food products
The Louisiana cane sugar pro-
ducers Claim that free sugar will
wipe out their industry which they
claim represents an investment of
Sl2O. 100000.
Yet the administration is going
through with its free sugar tariff
bill needless of the cries of the
rich and powerful sugar interests.
The beet sugar producers of the
United States have an investment
of about SCI, 100000 according TO
the report of the Hardwick COM
mittee which Investigated the
American sugar industry last year.
The beet interests are claiming
irreparable damage to be caused
by free sugar. Bosh in Hawaii and
Porto Rico there are huge invest
ments in sugar production.
The Hawaiins the Porto Ricans,
the domestic beet sugar producers
and the Louisiana interests are
maintaining in Washington the
tariff lobby against whose insid.
uous activities President Woodrow
Wilson recently so justly com
planned. These lobbyists contend
that free sugar means ruin for the
American sugar industry. And
yet the Democratic tariff makers
are not halted. Why?
! There is basic principle under
lying the Democratic determination
to remove the tax from sugar. The
ordinary man does not understand
the question at all clearly. The
sugar question has seldom been
plainly stated to the average citi-
zen. Yet, when the conditions un-
der which sugar is now produced
are clearly understood, the free
sugar principle becomes as simple
as it is just.
| 1t then becomes astonishing that
this country ever taxed sugar. To
protect this product is the very
opposite of common business judg-
ment.
| shall, therefore in two articles
to follow explain the Democratic
free sugar argument and the effect
free sugar may be expected to
have on the different phases of the
industy in this country. In the
first place, what of the Importance
of sugar es food?
In a recent bulletin issued by the
Department Of Agriculture, sugar
is given place among the three
or four most important food stuffs.
following after meat and bread.
In the human diet il is the great
energy producer. And so it is the
great food of the workingman.
Experiments have shown that while
large quantities Of sugar gives dis
pepsia to idle.s and indoor work
ers it is readily digested by men
who do manual work, supplying
them with stores of physical ener-
gy
Sugar as we know it. however.
is a commodity of the last century.
. 1t was formerly produced only in
India, and Europeans supposed il
to be a gum exuded from trees
Cultivation of sugar cane began
in this country in 1851, but only
in the last 75 years that it come
into general use The world pro.
duction is now over 1000, 600
tons or 81 pounds per capita. are
consumed annually in the United
States.
In the latter part of the 18th
century German chemist discov.
cred that sugar could be made
from beets. This was merely a
; scientific curiosity until Napoleon,
realizing the absurdity Of fighting
Englaud's army while France was
! paying great annual sums to Brit.
ish sugar producers, which money
England was using to equip new
, armies and navies, by imperial
edict established o large number
of sugar mills in France and order.
cd the French peasants to produce
all the sugar consumed In the