The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-03-27
OUR BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY
II Cannot Survive Under the Demo-
cratic Free Trade Tariff.


cratic Free Trade Tariff.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
Regardless of the promises of the
Democrats that they wonld not injure
any established American INDUSTRY,
sugar will cease to be produced in this
country after next year.
Two factories in this state will not
operate the coming season and have
caused all land which they own to be
sown to grain. The very large world
crop of 1912 Is 80 reduced the margin
of profit in beet sugar that only our
most fortunate factories made any
money in 1918, and it is said that anoth-
or large crop is in sight. This would
not of itself cause any factory in this
state to close down, but with GER
tainty of closing after this year two of
our factories have concluded to quit.
The others will continue in the hope
that the free sugar provision of the
tariff will be repealed. With the cost
of beet sugar from so to rs cents above
that of imported cane sugar-both re
| fned-the continuance of beet sugar
production is impossible. The Louis.
lana cane sugar industry is also ruined
and Hawaiian sugar companies have
ceased paying dividends in order to be
able to pay debts when the crash comes.
This is a veritable disaster Our beet
sugar industry has been one of the most
potent factors in improving our meth.
DDS of agriculture, now acknowledged
to be matter Of state and national
Importance. 1t is only by the very best
agricultural practice that sugar beets
can be raised at all. On beet sugar
land rotation of crops is imperative and
the soil, after beet culture, is in a con
dition for maximum yield of other
crops. The industry was growing rap
idly in this state and it's ruin is an az
ricultural calamity.
More than that. it deprives thousands
aud thousands of farm laborers of work
which they have been enjoying and
upon which they were counting Con
cede that these have been largely ASH
atics, that condition was temporary
We are expecting great influx OF
European laborers, who are accustomed
to intensive cultivation of land. and the
most promising outlook for them, and
for us, was the opportunity to engage
in sugar beet culture. Indications were
that within decade we should cease
10 import sugar and that domestic com
petition would reduce the price to the
lowest possible point. The effect Of
depriving farm laborers of employment
on such scale must be to add to The
congestion of our cities and the prob
lem Of unemployment.
1t Is possible that the are some who
will rejoice that Capitalists" who have
invested large sums in the sugar indus
try will lose their money. Most people
however, will not think 80. There are
thriving. towns which have been built
upon the location of sugar factories
which are in a way to stand idle with
their costly machinery total loss.
| While the farmers can devote their
land to other purposes there is no other
purpose to which they can devote it and
contract their crop at remunerative
prices before it is planted. There are
no other agricultural communities sc
uniformly prosperous as those which
produce sugar beets.
The condition which we have de-
scribed is permanent condition if the
Democrats retain control of the Govern
ment They will keep control of the
Government if the Republicans do not
reunite. 1t is up to the people. The
people rule.
SOOthea aching skin Heals cuts 7