2UO THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



ence shows that not only does a well-arranged bounty force the manufacturer to improve 

 his processes, but encourages the production of more sugar than the local demand needs 

 for its consumption. The bounty as it hitherto existed in this country was upon sugar 

 extracted; the effort of manufacturers, then, was to secure that bounty, regardless of 

 careful scientific processes. The good that could follow was and will always be tempo- 

 rary. On the other hand, if we admit that an average factory can extract 10 Ibs. of sugar 

 from 100 Ibs. of beets, let a bounty be paid to those manufacturers who exceed that 

 amount. To accomplish this, superior beets and machinery are needed, higher prices 

 would be paid to farmers, who will thus receive a great encouragement for the produc- 

 tion of roots having a high sugar percentage. Let manufacturers receive from the United 

 States government one cent a pound for all sugar exported; let all new and existing fac- 

 tories pay a tax into the treasury in amounts proportional to their annual production. 

 This method would prevent the building of patched-up so-called beet sugar factories and 

 would encourage the erection of beet sugar plants only after the latest and most im- 

 proved designs. Ample capital could be secured for their working; the government tax 

 would be a trifle as compared with the profits to the manufacturer and farmer. With 

 Cuban, Porto Rican and Philippine sugars in competition, the American beet sugar 

 industry could hold its own. The monopolists of these islands will cause, sooner or later, 

 a rise in the price of sugar per pound; home beet sugar will derive the benefit just as it 

 does in California. Another question remains, should not the United States government 

 collect an export tax on sugar leaving the islands now under our flag? This would be a 

 means of forcing each state to pay the war expenses incurred by its annexation. 



NEW STANDARD OF PAYMENT. 



Beets are usually paid for by two plans: (1) At a straight price, say $4 per ton, 

 for all that test 12 per cent, sugar of 80 purity or above; 2, at a graded price, say $3.50 

 per ton for 12 per cent, and 30 purity, and 25c more, for each additional 1 per cent, of 

 sugar or 25c less for each reduction of 1 per cent, sugar. By the latter plan, beets con- 

 taining 16 per cent, sugar would net $4.50 per ton, against only $4 by the first plan, ', 



The graded price is an effort to pay for beets according to their quality. But it is 

 not a strictly accurate method, as it is based only upon the quantity of sugar. The scien- 

 tifically exact plan would be to grade the price upon both quantity and quality. A beet 

 of 16 per cent, sugar of 90 purity is worth considerably more than one of 16 per cent, and 

 80, but by the grading now in vogue they would be paid for at the same price. 



Prof. P. G. Sukey, chemist at the University of Michigan, calls our attention to 

 Stamner's method of meeting this difficulty, as outlined in Prof. Sukey's article in the 

 Louisiana Planter, Dec. 11, '97. He would base contracts for beets on a standard of 10. 

 called the "number of value." Thus a beet containing 12.75 per cent, sugar and a purity 

 of 78.75, multiplied together and divided by 100, would be the standard, for which he pro- 

 poses that $3.80 should be paid. For every additional number of value 20c per ton more 

 should be paid, and for every number of value below 10 should be deducted 20c per ton. 

 We figure that the new method would compare with the present graded or straight prices 

 as follows: 



SugarX purity Price per ton of beets 



gives number New Graded Straight 



method method method 



US; ' * 3 ' 40 ?3.25 $4.00 



ioJ? x ?2." 3-60 3.50 400 



12,7ox78.75-10 3 . 80 3 50 J 



2 -}{ 3.80 3.50 Jg 



11 4.00 3 50 4 no 



-11 4.00 400 . JoO 



-12 4.20 IE 



-12 4.20 JJ J'JJ 



-13 440 |-g JJJ 



16.25X85 -14 4 . 60 Jg ^ 



