The Donaldsonville chief., 1914-02-28
THE SUGAR INDUSTRY AND THE
TARIFF.

THE SUGAR INDUSTRY AND THE
TARIFF.
The following article from the
Rayne Tribune has been reproduced
or commented on approVlngly by sew
eral Of our Louisiana contemporaries:
"The esteemed DonaldsonVllle /
Chief, under the heading, A Human
Tragedy devotes a half column to |
the closing down of the Miles sugar |
plantations Of that section. The
Chief attributes this industrial trag-
edy to the mistaken policy Of put
ting sugar on the free list and says
that upwards Of five hundred faInl-
| lies. comprising more than two thou
sand souls, reside on the Miles
places. and a great majority OF these
| families are dependent upon the
meagre earnings Of their working
members for the necessities OF life
Without any resources, either IN
money Or other possessions, they
are virtually thrown out Of doors in
poverty and destitution, knowing
not which way to turn for food, shel-
ter or clothing Just four columns
east of Ae same article~in The ChleI
is q. five-inch want ad for tenants TO
cultivate cane and corn wherein spe-
cial induc ements are held out to all
/ applicants
The "want adj to which the TIL
bune refers called for tenants with
mules and implements to cultivate
cane and corn" and could be OF no
interest or application to the great
mass of the people thrown out Oh
employment by the suspension OF op-
i. erations on the Miles places, Whola
/ we correctly described as destltute Oh
: money or other possessions, depene-
s emf upon their daily toll Tor the
e barest necessities Of life and not
knowing which way to turn tor food,
shelter or clothing. Laborers in TINS
j nredicament have no mules or I'M
g elements for the cultivation, OF cane,
e corn Or anything else, and are there-
g fore not of the kind sCEght by land
|. owners as tenants.
I It must not be assumed from the
0 esteemed Tribune's quotation ana
{ comment that The Chief has asserted
or ATTEMPTED to demonstrate that the
present: deplorable condition OF the
Y Louisiana sugar industry in general
Il or the collapse of the Miles company
l. in narticular have been brought about
Il solely by the unfaVorable tariff leg
|, islation enacted by congress last Oc-
II tober.
e Ours is not a political or partisan
l. organ and does not seek to ADVANCE
6 the fortunes of any party or indlVlou-
al by suppression, Initiation or other
INSTRUMENTATION of facts, and 1t
II aims to avoid any position or ar
J. gument that cannot be maintained
s and yindicated from the standpoint
u of truth.
l. 1t is well known that the sugar in
( dustry of this section has suffered
|. series of drawbacks Of recent years,
It including oVerfloWs, unfaVoraDle
IS weather conditions, low prices and
r financial stringency, and that each -oi
q hese has exercised some influence
toward the industry's present general
depression and generalization; but
5. there can be no denial of the fact
l. that the reduction Of the tariff
t. effected by the law now in force
u coupled with the provision for plac
o ing all imported sugars on the free
T. list two years hence, has capped the
a. climax of the sugar producers mis-
O. fortunes and created an atmosphere
al Of uncertainty and lack of confidence
ae that is the greatest obstacle now
Il confronting the people who depend
upon the cultivation of cane and the
manufacture Of sugar for a livelihood
1t is not from partisan reasons MOI
b. for political effect that The ChIe1
s. characteriZes the placing Of sugar or
IS the free list as a mistaken policy
We firmly believe the near future
lie will furnish such indubitable evidence
d Of the soundness of this view thai
y the Rayne Tribune and all other o.
If our esteemed south Louisiana con
n temporaries will share and declare
D. the same conviction.