The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-02-07

HOPE FOR SUGAR INDUSTRY.
Planning to Meet the Great Er1er
gency in LoHisiana-The God
chaux Movement Outlined.
Albert Phenis, the noted CORES
pondent of the Manufacturers Record
contributes the following interesting
article to that publication:
New Orleans, La, Jan. 1e.
Very serious and thoughtful CON
sideration is being given here te
the grave question of what is tc
/ become of the sugarTaising industry
CT Louisiana. Some planters particu
karly well equipped and skillful in
managing have announced they will
go ahead with sugar-raising, with the
idea Of instituting economies and i'm
| provements that it is hoped will
make it possible to raise sugar even
"1IllcuL GJS LeLl ILL., StIGI pidukeIS
see no hope whatever, and are con-
fronted with very gloomy outlook.
Sugar-groWing is a very expensive
undertaking. involving large outlay
| for machinery, which is useless for
| any other purpose, and requiring q
large investment i'll implements,
buildings, land and seed cane The
planter has to be financed by his
banker, and it goes without saying
that unless there is fair prospect of
him coming out even. it would be
impossible to secure financial assist
ance to Garry on his worhl I'm
doubtedly, ahere will be instances
where a planter will be forced out of
business and driven bankrupt from
his plantation. Wherever possible,
sugar planters will continue to put
in crops, but the outcome is regarded
as uncertain by even the most cour-
ageous and optimistic.
"a notable instance of the deter
mination to take advantage of every
possible method for continuing the
business is furnished in the case of
Charles Godchaux, who has resigned
the important position of president of
the Whitney Central National Bank
of New Orleans, in order to give ex-
elusive attention to the affairs of the
Leon Godchaux Co.. Ltd, owners of
some 10000 acres OF land, half of
which is usually planted in sugar
cane. Mr.. Godohaux proposes to de-
vote his entire time to the study of
the problems which the sugar planters
of Louisiana are confronted with, in
the hope that some solution may be
reached which will make it possible
for the sugar industry to survive.
One Of his suggestions is that ar
rangements be made to refine at a
plantation refinery not only Louisiana
sugars, but those of Cuba and Porto
Rico, so that instead OF operating ex-
pensive plants for only few months
in the year, they may continue in
opera ton the year ron nd IN connec-
ton with this proposition, the suggess
ticn is made that cooperation be eff
fected between planters by which re-
fined sugars can be prepared for the
market and sold through an organiza-
ton of planters, instead of having to
go through the present channels, the
American Sugar Refining Co., ct al
"The suggestion is made in many
quarters by newspapers, publishers
and others THAT the sugar planter
should go into the raising of staple
crops, and also hogs and cattle. Where
intelligent efforts have been made in
that direction southern Louisiana
has been found to be altogether
adapted to hog and cattle raising, a
bunch of hogs having recently been
marketed from some reclaimed land
in the Raceland district and bringing
a premium of q. cent a pound in the
Fort Worth market. That the sugar
men could Immediately make the
transition from planting to
stock-raising is not generally accepted
as feasible. The sugar planter, as
rule, knows very little about hog
and cattle raising, and some in
stances Of failure through lack Of
knowledge are quoted as likely to be
deterrents that will at least make
them rather cautious in undertak-
Il,g this line of industry. Neverthe-
less, it would seem to be the logical
conclusion that in the course of time
there musp4be very large Increase
in the raisfng of corn and staples,
and a marked growth in the number
of places where hogs and cattle are
raised, to a greater or less extent.
zone very interesting possibility is
in the line of a gradually extended
development Of orange and grape
fruit culture. A Canadian syndicate
has under option about 5000 acres of
land in PlaQuemines parish, forming
d part of three plantations owned
by Ex-Governor III. &C. Warmoth. A
representative Of this syndicate,
Hon. Edmund Bristol, member of the
Canadian parliament and general
counsel of the New Orleans Southern
and Grand Isle railroad, was recent
visitor to this section, and spoke most
enthusiastically Of the possibilities of
where conditions are declared to be
very much superior to those in Cali
fornia. Mr. Bristol stated that his
syndicate had under consideration a
plan to colonize portion of the War
moth lands with orange growers, and
that he hoped in the course of time
to have thousands Of Grange trees on
The property. He was enthusiastic
ever the Louisiana orange on ac-
count of its superior qualities of juici-
ness and sweetness, and declared