The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1917-08-30
FACTS ABOUT SUGAR

With sugar selling at the highest
price it has reached since the Civil
war, on account OF the worldwide
scarcity created by the European con-
fiict, American productiveness and en-
terprise are setting out to meet this
war emergency and to avert the sugar
famine that otherwise would afflict the
consumers, of the United States.
The opening of the annual sugar
making has been signalized within the
past few days by the beginning of OPP
erations in ten California beet sugar
factories. This is the first step in a
campaign that is expected to yield a
million tons of sugar between now and
next January. In fact from the pres:
ent time until September next Sugar
mills in some parts Of the United
States will be engaged in turning out
sugar growing from American soil I'M
til total Of 100000 tons or nearly
three.ffths of all the sugar consumed
by the American public in the course
of a year has been produced. Four mil
lion tons is the approximate annual
sugar consumption of the United
States. Aside from homegrown sugar
| it is practically all supplied by the
cane plantations of Cuba.
From the opening of the season in
California until January of next year,
we will be getting beet sugar from Cal
ifornia, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, and
Ohio fields, producing altogether about
one million tons. During late Novem-
Der the Louisiana and Texas cane
mills will begin grinding and will con-
tinue operations until January, 1918,
producing over 100000 tons. On Jan
uary 1, the Porto Rico mills begin op-
erations, running until June, and pro-
ducing about 100000 tons, The Ha-
waiian supply become, available on
November /, and will continue to flow
into the market until September, 1918,
with total output of 625,000 to $780,
! 900 tons. In the meantime, in July or
August of 1918, the beet sugar supply
will again become available, begin.
ming the 1888 American sugar pro,
ducing season. There is no month in
the entire year in which American
grown sugar is not being harvested
and moved marketward in larger or
smaller quantities.
The present world shortage of sugar
| is due to two causes, both directly
traceable to the war. The cutting of
of the beet sugar supply of Germany
and Austria, from which England for.
merly satisfied her sweet tooth, has
compelled the Britons to 60 into the
world market and buy 100000 tons
or more of sugar from outside sources.
Much of this has been obtained from
Cuba in direct competition with the
United States. The second cause is
the scarcity of shipping, which makes
it impossible to move the large crops
stored in Java and the Philippines to
Europe or America.
Although Americans are paying
what seems high price for sugar they
really are getting their sugar more
cheaply than the people of any large
sugar consuming country. Prices in
European countries range from Is to
so cents pound and not one of these
countries, belligerent or neutral, has
normal supply. If it were not for the
large amount Of sugar that we grow
from our own soil-larger this year
than ever befOre-or if the tariff plan
originally contemplated by the Under
wood law had been carried through, al
lowing the American sugar industry
to decline to Insignificant proportions.
We should be faced by situation as
serious as that of any Of the European
countries and sugar might again sell
at dollar pound as it did during
the Napoleonic wars.