The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-03-05
Donaesticl 6tlqdat Benefits

N his testimony before the Hardwick Congress
sonal Committee, Claus A. Spreckels presi-
dent Of the Federal Sugar Refining Company and
originator of the free sugar campaign, declared
that the actual cost Of refining sugar was not
more than thirty cents the hundred pounds Re-
fners must charge more because of the loss Of
weight in refining due to the washing out Of inn
purities contained in the unrehned product, but
the sum named, he explained, covered the cost of
labor, materials and management . &
This figure is interesting, says Facts About
Sugar, because it gives a basis for discovering
what American industry actually derives from the
refining Of foreign grown sugar According to
Mr.. Spreekels, counting in everything, including
the labor of workers in the refinery, the cost Of
bone black, lime, bags, barrels and other mate
rails, the salaries of managers and statesmen and
every other item entering into the process the
disbursements connected with the refining Of a
single long ton--2240 pounds--of sugar amount
to $6.72 During the year 1913 the people of the,
United States consumed 3743, 100 long tons of
sugar, that the total sum that would have been
dsbursed to American industry had all this sugar
been of foreign origin would have been little
over $25,O00,O00. ~. ..s.-
How would American industry have Jared by
comparison if the sugar used by the American
people in 1913 had been grown from American
oil and If all the factory processes connected with
is production had been performed in the United
States: Under such circumstances some of the
| 5ugar would have been extracted from cane and
| ONE from beets, but the cost of the two proc
'sses is approximately the same and the latter
nay be used for purposes Of comparison. . 80
| An average of figures obtained from several
| independent sources shows that the American
armer received from the factory triAe less than
TWO and half cents pound for sugar in the
| beet Had all the sugar consumed in 1918 been
| produced at home the farmers of the country
would have received $20o,OO0,O00, which in turn
would have gone to pay for labor, fertilizer farm
Implements and all the things that the farmer
consumes. 80 T.. ....s. -.
| The cost of extracting sugar in factory was
given before a Senate Committee by E. H, Dyer,
| | we'll known authority this subject, as, $500
| ton for beets This would give $l08OOOOO0 as
he disbursement to factory labor, and for coal,
| ime and other materials used in the factory. III
| addition there is matter of $l3,00O,OOO repre-
| ,entng the amount that would have been receiv-
ID by the railways for hauling the beets to the
| actory. Taking tinto account only these three
| TENS it appears that the return to American in
!ustry from the production at home of all the
ugar consumed by the American people in 1913
would have amounted to $330,OO0,000, as COM
pared with a return OF $25yO00O00 had the entire
amount been imported and merely refined here
AT the average wholesale price of sugar during
h9l3, the cost Of the sugar consumed in the Uni.
ted States was $358OO0O00. = With sugar drawn
/ entirely from foreign lands only per GENT OF
this amount would have gone to American indus
TRY. With all the sugar produced from American
soil the proportion distributed to American farm
lers, American labor and for American material
| would have been 90 per cent. The difference is
a matter of over $3O0O00OO0 year in favor OF
home production. 81. . ... ~"