The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1917-11-17


The greatest optimist in the Louisi-
ana sugar business in July, 1914,
could not see more than three-cent
raw sugar in any event, and hundreds
would then have sold their sugar plan
tations for rs much as one-twentieth
of what they were assessed for. Su-
gar houses were sold to Cuba and
other tropical countries for little
more than the price of junk. That
was before the war broke in Europe.
When the overabundance of Euro
pean ultimatums came the entire su-
gar world was thrown into great
panic, during which the price of su-
gar climbed to almost impossible
levels.
Today the industry is inAItter
shape financially than it hsxi'Deen for
at least fifteen years. Some say it is
on firlner financial footing than it
has been since the days of the bounty
in the early nineties. And it faces
greater prosperity, with $50, 0,O00,O 900
crop soon to be harvested. The 1915
crop approximated 100000 tons.
The 1917 crop should reach 100000
tons at least.
Although the high war pices breath
ed back much new life into the sugar
activity of Louisiana, it was hard to
convince the conservative old pessi-
mists that this revivification was per-
manent. But there were some few
among them-Le Bourgeois & Bush,
the Burguieres, and others-who did
not intend to say die until they had
been killed. Before the war was de-
clared I asked one of the Burguieres
boys what his family intended to do
with their plantations. His answer
was that they were going to keep right
on making sugar.
A number of others were for doing
the same thing, and it was then that
the manufacture of white sugar on
the plantation of the same granu-
lated grade as the refners' was ad-
vocated.
Immediately there sprung up in
Louisiana, where white clarified su-
gars and yellow clarified sugar had
long been successfully made, plan
tation granulated industry that has
not stopped expanding. It is today
as big an item Of production in Lou
isiana as are either raWs or yellows OF
whites.
Plantations that once could not be
soId-that would have been hard t
dispose of even as gifts-became
worth many times more than they
had been worth before the ghost OF
free sugar laid it's hand upon the su,
gar belt. The acreage in cane cult
vation today in Louisiana is seven,
teen per cent greater than it was In
1916, and although the crop is not sc
prolific in growth this year as it was
last year the production will be great
er, due to greater'acreage and cuitiva:
tion.
1916 was slight.s The planters were
retrenching. This year they have
spent more money for fertilizer thar
ever before. .
Scare Was EessoA to Planters.
The new life of sugar in Louisiana
dates from the latter art Of 1915
| when it became practically certain
that the duty one sugar was going tt
be retained. The free-sugar scare
was valuable lesson to the planters
It made them put their houses in or
der and stop up many of the leak:
that had crept into their business and
had been overlooked in the years o.
| nlentv, Also, the planters realized
that their only hope lay in co-opera
ton. The American Cane Growers
Association had long been fighting thu
political battles Of the planters a
| Washington. 1t had become, how
ever, a moribund institution iocali!
and needed new blood.
When it was seen that tlrs-- essocla
tion offered the only way for tiksheon n
certed action against the refinera
so very necessary, the younger ele
ment resolved to take an active par
in the association work, with the re
suit that the older element was con
| uuered, and the young agriculturlst
took control and whipped the trus'
Now the refneries are compelled D
| the law enacted in 1915, through tn
efforts of the revived American Can
Growers Association, to deal falrl
| with the sugar growers OF the state
and it looks as if there would NOT D
| any more trouble.
| The enactment of this legislat1o
was followed by bitter fights in bot
the state and federal courts, but a
these matters have been compromise
for a small amount of money and
complete remuneration on the part
the trust of all the methods by whlc
thew had in many instances hampere
the plantation white-sugar business
Louisiana.
The trust now takes part in evel
activity of the American Cane GroE
ers' Association looking toward q
further progress Of the industry. VI
of The great sources Of friction b
tween the trust and the cane-sug'
!, producers was the wide discrepan'
l between the chemical tests OF the 8
: gar made on the plantations and Il
e Chemical tests which the retiners ma
and paid on. The difference was = !
!; ways against the growers. Now q
a refiners have suggested to the gro
!; erg that a laboratory be establlshe
t independent Of both parties and a
r ministered by a board composed
g representatives of all Of the sugar
terests of the state. where d1sput
will be settled.
From 1910 to 1916 about fo1
: Louisiana sugar houses ceased opel
: tions. Since 1916 at least nye
J. houses have come back IN the list
i, houses operating or being made rea
Vs. to operate in the coming season. ,