Development of the Beet-Sugar InduHry 19 



Previous to this time, E. H. Dyer (Plate III), after years of 

 experimentation and after four complete financial failures 

 and reorganizations, succeeded at Alvarado, California, in 

 establishing a factory on a paying basis, in 1879. This 

 was the first beet-sugar factory that had been made to 

 pay in the United States. In 1888, Claus Spreckels built 

 at Watsonville, California, a factory which the first year 

 made 1000 tons of sugar. Thus, in 1889 there were but 

 two beet-sugar factories operating in the United States, 

 both in central California. 



About this time the Oxnard Brothers interested them- 

 selves in the industry. They went to Europe and made 

 a careful study of it there. In 1890, they built a factory 

 at Grand Island, Nebraska, and in 1891 one each at 

 Norfolk, Nebraska, and at Chino, California. This 

 served to arouse interest in the industry over a wider 

 section of the country. In the intermountain region a 

 factory was established at Lehi, Utah. 



From this time on, the growth of the industry has been 

 constant and at times rapid, stimulated largely by favor- 

 able legislation. The Sugar Bounty Act of 1890, on 

 which McKinley worked, gave two cents a pound bounty 

 on domestic beet-sugar. This was to run fifteen years 

 (1890-1905), but in 1894 it was repealed and the Wilson 

 Act, which was not so favorable to the industry, was 

 enacted. "Development was more rapid following the 

 passage of the Dingley Act of 1897, according to which 

 imported sugars were taxed as follows : refined sugar, 

 $1.95 per 100 pounds; 96° sugar, $1.68 per 100 pounds, 

 with a reduction of 3| cents for each degree below 96 

 and an increase of 3| cents for each degree above 96. 



