The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1929-01-09
6,244,035 tons
------ 4l5,S65 tons

Net imports -------5, S29,lIO tons
The first group of imports, those
from the Philippines, Hawaii, Porto
Rico, come in free although these ter
ritories have oriental or other cheap
7 labor and corporation farming. The
huge import from Cube, n land of
free immigration. troptc soil, no in
come taxes, etc, pays 20 per cent
Tess than our published tariff rate of
2.20is cents pound, or l.76ia cents.
Perhaps it is overbold to declare Mt
this time that the American sugar
market should belong to the Ameri-
can farmer, but no state in the Union
has greater stake in such declara-
ion than has Minnesota. Soil and
z climate experts have found our state
we'll suited to beets, largely due to
our lakes and consequent moist or
heavy dew cool night. The state al
ready has two sugar plants, each re-
curing about 10000 acres and an in
vestment of some $2,0O0,O00. There
could be many more if those already
here had better returns.
Removal of the 20 per cent dis
count to Cuba would make possible
$1.15 cents a ton more for beets than
our farmers receive now. If in adj
dition only one cent was added to
the duty, $3.50 more per ton could be
paid for the beets, or total increase
to farmers of 1915 ton, about so
per cent more than the 1923 contract
price.
Sugar beets fit we'll into live stock
farming, weed reduction and soil i'm
provement, and every new acre de-
voted to them would reduce the now
troublesome surplusses. 1t would
} take about 16,180,000 acre of good
Nplow land to produce the sugar now
imported.
This is more than the total
acreage devoted to corn and bar
Il ley IL the four states of Min
e nesota. North and South Dakota
and Montana.
The wheat acreage in these
our state in 1927 was 1873
900 acres, which gives another
comparison of farm acreage lost
by this sugar import.
The potato industry would be great
ly benefited through the develop
ment of the sugar beet industry.
Many acres devoted to potatoes could
with much more profit be devoted to
raising sugar beets if the tariff cut
out sugar imports and made sugar
beet growing profitable. The reduc-
ed potato acreage would be the fac
tor that would solve the potato grow
ers' problems.
1t should be better realized that
the vested interests in sugar are the
great coast refineries handling i'm
borted sugars and the corporations
irawing dividends from sugar lands,
sugar mills, and cheap labor in Cuba
and our island possessions. Wall
Street sugar interests are opposed to
encouraging American sugar and
they hide behind propaganda for con-
sumers.
A moderate adjustment of the su-
gar duty and of imports from our
island possessions would bring a su-
gar boom to Minnesota-millionS of
new property added to our tax rolls.
thousands of acres better used and
employment for the time of thousands
of people.
Executive action on tariff rates
should be made acts of congress
so that in the future the execu-
tive may be free to render fur
Their aid under the flexible clause.
Butter will serve to illustrate the
value of this plank. President Cool
idge gave butter producers all the
increase the tariff law allowed him
to give in 1924, that is so per cent.
He raised it from eight to y cents
a pound. He can do no more no
matter how heavy imports may be-.
But if congress will make the rate
of II cents its own act, then the ex-
ecutive will AGAIN be free to make
any needed increase up to Is cents.
The wheat protection is in a similar
position. The executive has gone the
limit, and we will be at the mercy of
any new factors making for imports
here.