Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-11-05

Sugar.
GRAND ISLAND, Neb., Nov. S.--To the
Editor OF The Bee: In answer to Mr.
D. c. Johns letter, I wish to state that
! had no intention OF "rf1iculously mis-
representing" him did not say that boil
weeviI destroyed sugar cane. l asked II
any one ever heard OF boil weevil de-
stroying the sugar beet. In Mr.. John's
letter of the I'D he stated that Germany
was the only sugar producing country
affected by the war. and 1 came back
with the statement that It was not Cane
sugar is. absolutely. not one bit better
than beet sugar. and can prove that
to Mr. John or any one else.
II wisconsin's beet crop only averages
four tons per acre (which l doubt very
much) agree that the farmers and beet
sugar manufacturers OF that state should
call halt and quit the business as soon
as they can. Without rains Nebraska
OF any other beet growing state in the
union would 60 ahead of that. The 1911
beet crop OF Nebraska will average
eleven to twelve tons per acre. and there
lis no beet growing state that will go be-
low eight tons Ounless wisconsin,. and
some viii produce from fifteen to twenty
| five tons per acre
No. beet sugar cannot compete with
J cane In cost of production, but in quality
beet sugar Is as good as cane, and II
sugar (cane) is ever admitted free of
duty, concede that beet sugar will
| ce5se.
What do you suppose would be the
price of sugar In this country today II
II were not for the enormous beet sugar
supply that Is helping to meet the Amer
lean demand in the face Of abnormal for
eign demand? The European war Is
forcibly demonstrating the absolute
necessity, OF the United States placing
herself, in a position to produce her own
sugar Instead of a special war tax
which would be unpopular and direct
burden upon all classes of people, to
meet the expected decrease In tariff reve-
nues why rot restore the duty on sugar
and thus at one and the same time put
S5O,OOOOOO annually into the treasury and
save the beet sugar industry?
II sugar goes on the free list 1t will
mean the closing of practically every beet
sugar mill in the United States Now
Mr.. John. to get down 10 your cent
sugar, II the beet mills are forced &c
close can the people afford to give the
American Sugar Refinery and its allies
complete monoTAly of the sugar bust
ness? No. although this is what will fol
low II sugar goes on the free list. For
eign countries win raise their prices OF
the raw product. refiners will have to pa,
higher for same and il means that tn,
refiners, who can never think Of oper
ating at loss. viii raise the price on tn,
refined product and the result is tina
your cent sugar is nearer to cent
or ! cents and your theory shot full o.
holes.
Closing beet mills will mean throwing
out OF employment thousands OF mer
skilled In this line of work; il will NEAR
the taking away from the sugar bee
towns and different communities wher,
beet mills are now located. something
between 100000 and si5oO.OO0 paid TO tn,
farmer for beets and for factory la
Dor and practically all OF this none!
stays In the sugar beet town until fire.
sugar comes along and then where vii
1t go? II viii all so to foreign countrie
az we'll as about s4SO.OOOOOO more which
with sane Judgment could be kept a
home. WILL II. SNYDER, JR,.
1t0s West John street.