Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 217, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1914 — Ban on Sugar Cane, But New China Doesn't Care [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Ban on Sugar Cane, But New China Doesn't Care

SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. —Broad grins and knowing winks predominated the other day in Chinatown when it became known that Uncle Sam, through his department of agriculture, has banned the succulent sugar cane, with Its

cheap sweetness, from importation into the country from Hawaii, Porto Rico and all foreign countries. Tee Chung Tai, a leader among the score of proprietors of corner stands where are sold tobacco, fruits, candy, abalone and sugar cane, was the first to learn of the new order. "Why no more catchum sugel cane for sellum?” demanded Tee. It was explained that the government has decreed that there are "injurious insects and fungous diseases”

in the sugar cane, and when it finally became plain to Yee that this meant bugs, he expressed his own opinion in what might pass for an ingenious way. "Not all bugs in sugel cane,” commented Yee, with disturbing seriousness—and ambiguity. But the spread of the news failed to disturb the equanimity of the district Instead of mourning there was Joy. A hundred Chinese repeated the report and walked to the nearest stand, where they purchased—sugar cane? Ijo—chewing tobacco. If we can’t chew our sugar cane, because bugs won’t allow it well, we might as well learn to chew tobacco, was the prevailing dentihient. In this wise did the march of progress catch up with YounpChina by eliminating the succulent sugar cane. t Incidentally, for five cents one could buy an armful of the cane, and any one knows that there is more profit in an equivalent sum received for chewing tobacco, hence the chuckles of the merchants.