OCR Text |
Show Domestic Sugar" ' in Wear 1915 Taken as a whole the year 1915 has been ono of progress and pros perlty for the American sugar producer pro-ducer Tho total yield of homegrown sugar for tho past twelvo months wa In excess of 2,000,000 long tons. This was tho largcgt output of sugar that has been nchloed In the history of tho Industry, and It enabled suga-giown suga-giown from American soil to nupply ocr half of tho entiro amount ro quired by tho American people. Fioin nn economic point of ew this nchtetcment of producing at homo tho greater part of tho sugar used in tho United States has been (.no of chief service to tho Amoilcan, consumer, as tho competition nlTord ed between tho homegrown product and tho Imported sugar sold by tho liners lias caused tho price of sugar to tho consumer to be far lower than , would havo been the caso with no domestic production, nuo to the o.v istenco of this domestic supply tho peoplo of tho United Stntes enjoyed cheaper sugar during tho past year than did those of any other Import-, ant sugar consuming country In tho world. ' i While It is truo that tho domostlc. sugnr growers, through Increased production nnd becnuso of tho present pres-ent high level of sugnr prices duo to' conditions brought about by tho wnr, secured more rcmunorntlvo financial returns In 1013 than has boon tho enso In provloiis yenrs, they havo served tho American peoplo well by saving them millions of dollars In tho cost of sugar. This saving has been accomplished through placing tho United States in tho position "f being less dependent upon foreign nations for sugnr supplies than evor before In tho history of tho country nnd by tho reduction of prices that was brought about by tho offering of home grown beet sugar In every part of tho country at figures ranging from ten to fifty cents a hundred below tho prices charged by tho Importing refiners for their product. Had such conditions ns havo pro' vailed during tho yenr arisen nt a tlmo when thoro wns a reasonably reliable outlook for the contlnunnce of sugar production In tho United States they would havo rceu'tod In a great expansion In tho industry nnd In tho erection of many new mlllc and fnctones Thot this did not occur oc-cur was duo to tho prospect of tho free Importation of foreign grown sugar after May 1, 101 G. Now that tho administration has recommended to Congress tho continuation of tho duty on sugnr, thero Is hope that tho Industry may survlvo beyond tho uncertain un-certain period of tho wnr. if. that hopo Is realized nnd the production of sugar from American boII continues con-tinues to develop it will bo of Increasing In-creasing servlco to consumers nnd a Bteadlly growing factor In tho national na-tional economic welfaro. m |