SUGAR INDUSTRY IN UNITED STATES. 45 



CHAPTEE III. 



THE PRESENT CONDITION OP THE SUGAR INDUSTRY 

 IN THE UNITED STATES. 



Of all the articles entering our ports from foreign 

 countries sugar is the most important, not only in its 

 actual value but its cubical volume; hence for this, if 

 for no other reason, the importance of adopting some 

 plan by means of which the millions that are sent else- 

 where for the employment of foreign capital and labor 

 shall remain at home, as a countr}^ should grow and 

 manufacture, as fiir as possible, all products which it 

 consumes. The importance of this was fully demon- 

 strated during our late war, as well in the South as in 

 the ^orth. 



Unlike many of our imports, sugar does not enter 

 into immediate consumption, but passes through a 

 refining process, which industry alone gives employ- 

 ment to 10,000 men, and requires an annual capital of 

 115,000,000. The following table shows the fluctua- 

 tion in the import of this article for years past. We 

 would call attention to the fact that the consumption 

 varies with the times, and it may generally be consid- 

 ered that if in a given year the consumption ^^er capita 

 is great during that same period, the general financial 

 condition of the country has been good. As shown, 

 there exists a slow increase per cainta, which has not 



