The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-06-27
FLORIDA CAN BE
A SUGAR RAISING
STATE OF U. s.

for the United States during the cal
endar year 1917 as 3,694,O0O tons, of
which American refners accounted
for 1851 900 tons and the best fac.
tories for 10000 tons. There were
$4,000 tons of plantation sugars di.
rectly consumed as we'll as raw sug-
ar" says the State Marketing Bureau.
Sugar is food stuff of eytraor-
binary high value, with merits above
all others, fact that just recently
became known. Every practical eff
fort to increase its supply should be
made. There is ashortage as evil
denced by the American people being
limited in their purchase and use of
this now necessary commodity.
There has been long and contin-
ued fight to maintain the American
domestice sugar can industry, and to
create and carry on an American
beet sugar industry. The two great
political parties have had ahand in
the work of sustaining the element
of protection as applied in the United
States to those industries essential
to the general good of the country.
This was the doctrine of Thomas JEFF
ferson, and of Sam Randall, for many
years leading Democratic protec-
zionist of Pennsylvania.
Sugar cane grows in every coun-
ty of Florida, and large quantity of
syrup is made, but no sugar. Florida
could make all the sugar used in
the United States, and with allied
industries in connection Herewith,
the state could become one of the
most wealthy and powerful in Amer
lea.
"The State Marketing Bureau has
had correspondence with the United
States Sugar Manufacturers Associa.
ton. and in letter just received
from Truman G. Palmer, executive
secretary and treasurer, the follow.
ing is quoted in support Of the claim
made by State Chemist Rose and 9th
eer experts that Florida could make
the country's sugar. Mr. Palmer
says The wonder has been to me
that the cane sugar industry has not
been exploited in Florida where con-
ditions are so favorable You say
that Florida can grow enough cane to
, supply the United States with sugar.
, l have no disposition to question
that statement.
Furthermore, Florida would prob.
ably be going a long way on that
: road had it not been for the election
, of Mr. Cleveland many years ago. AT
!. that time, the United States govern.
: ment had created an experimental
!. cane sugar mill in Florida at cost
, l believe, of something like $4,000
3 The government had also erected
v sorghum mill in Kansas and had es
tablished a sugar-beet seed expert
g ment station in Nebraska, but imme
4 diately after President Cleveland's
| new secretary of agriculture, (Nor
|. man J. Coleman), came in these ex
!. periments were abandoned and the
Y machinery was sold at fraction OF
Il it's cost to installation. DR.. Wiley
|. informs me that steam had never
been turned on in the Florida plant
Y which had just been completed
r. "'In my judgment, it is economical
|. ly wrong for this country to be i'm
'. porting a pound of sugar; the South
IS ern and Western states ought to pro
g duce it all.
e "T must trust that some day Flor
ida vii begin the manufacture of cane
S. sugar and will make success of thu
" enterprise
10 "The high price of sugar will con
% time until after the war ends. OWN!
a. to various factors, unless the cant
b, and beet interests of this country ar,
1t largely increased.
At Few persons realize that for cen
N turtles sugar was considered medi
" cine and sold only on the prescrip
t. ton of a physician. 1t was not unit
the Introduction into Europe of tel
p. and coffee from the far East that su
k gar fell to price within the reacl
ne of the ordinary individual AS lat
" as 1912 sugar sold in London at $27
to per 100 pounds, and as late as 1877
l. with imports vastly increased it wa
quoted at $50 hundred pounds.
IS Honey was about he only swee