| Show SUGAR BEET FARMER jj OF OF UTAH IS CHEATED K Expert Reviews Situation With Reference to Prices l P Paid al d dF by uy F Factories 0 of f S State tat i j t. t That the Utah farmers engaged in sugar sigar beet culture C are up against a hara game and are not receiving a fair return for their product or just treatment at the hands of the Utah-Idaho Utah Sugar company compan is the summary arrived at in an extensive survey of the in in- made b by James H. H Wolf Volf and published in ill inthe the current issue of the Utah Survey The survey of or the sugar industry made by Mr Wolf and nd his associates Is ono of or the most comprehensive ever made of this particular particular par par- Indus industry and authorities are quoted to show that tho the Utah farmers are not flog paid enough for their beets In comparison with th the prices paid In other other oth oth- er states It Is pointed out that tile the Utah Idaho t S Sugar g r c company has ha many mans Influences at work to Induce the farmers to raise beets for Its Us factories and asserts that it 1 is close closely allied with politics In It Its absolute control of ot the Industry Tho rho report of ot the survey In itt part follows The first large arge sugar beet factory In I Utah was built at Lehl Lehi In 1890 It was as erected with money subscribed by bythe bythe bythe the people of Utah especially the farmers farm farm- ers era together with money raised through the cr credit of the Mormon church The manufacture of beet sugar fostered by byth bythe th the loyalty of the Vt Ut Uta people Has Mas grown to be one of the great Industries industries industries indus Indus- tries of the st state te Like other Industrial projects It has its distinctly social aspect The employment of thousands of people Including many children of Immature age In field factory and store entails the consideration of deep ocio problems problem and Invites an inquiry Into the conditions of labor laborin In the various arlous branches of this Indus Indus- try Inquiry Imminent Jn ln Colorado and elsewhere child la labor labor la- la bor m in the beet fields has begun to agitate socially minded people Utah cannot long escape a a. similar inquiry Even Eten the school system In Its attempt to adjust 8 school hool cessions to beet seaSons seasons sea sea- sons is involved in the problems arising aris aris- ing trig from the Industry The Industry has been actively al allied al ai- lied with politic politIcs Three factors have hay brought this this- stout about First the the effect effect of f 1 Q- Q tariff on sugar profits secondly the competition between manufacturers ers of beet and cane sugar and thirdly thirdly third third- ly Iy the diversity of interests between manufacturers of sugar and refiners refiner me merely l v vAll All these matters mallers aro arc fit and Interesting interesting inter Inter- esting eating subjects of Inquiry but at this time we are concerned only with the economic side of ot Industry The haPpiness happiness happiness hap haP- of a a. community Is very much d pendent dependent on the reasonable prosperity of the many and not on oh the great pros pros- of the few There Thero can be no lasting or real pros prosperity where the economic system Is constructed so as to operate as a conduit conduit con con- duit pipe for the gradual transmission of wealth Division Not Fair The prosperity of the many depends upon its industry and frugality ant and upon receiving a a. proper and equitable proportion of the products which it helps to create through that Industry and frugality frugalI For this reason the question of or the distribution of ot the profits derived from the ion Emmer sumer among the various classes and I agencies engaged in the beet sugar or any other industry for that matter Is Isa isa a a. most important one A study of the economic side of the beet sugar industry indus industry tr try Involves two main questions First Is the consumer paying a a. fair price per pound for sugar Secondly id lEI the price which he pays fairly and equitably I bly divided among the farmer the fa factory fat fac I tory and the other agencies engaged in inthe inthe 1 the industry The two questions are Interdependent Whether the consumer consumer er is paying too much depends upon the aggregate profit which is divided among the various arious agencies If It this Is Isto to too great the consumer is paying too much mh The second question concerns the distribution of this aggregate profit prof it among all the agencies engaged in the auger Industry and depends upon the risks risks' and the costs costs' entailed in each division thereof Factories Get Most To be concrete we will suppose the consumer to pay to the retail grocer 10 cents a pound for sugar This l Id 18 I Ithe the price paid in Salt Lake City A Aton Aton ton of ot beets should yield at least pounds of of refined sugar The consume consumer con con- sumer sume therefore pays 2 for the sugar In this ton of beets In Utah the factory factory factory fac fac- tory pays the f firmer i 5 a ton for beets this is 18 the contract price for 1916 beIng being be be- ing 2 25 2 cents per ton greater than than that paid during the year 1915 1916 The 20 remaining is divided between the factories factories fac fac- tories and the agencies above e men- men j If the factory sells BeUs Its sugar for 7 cents a- a pound net getting 1750 for tor the amount It procures from a ton tonof tonof of ot the sugar there Is la left to be divided among the broker the tho railroads railroads railroads rail rail- roads the warehouse men the Jobber the he retailer and other agencies for each Jon ton of sugar augar produced and if a ton I produces pounds 1 cent of the purchase purchase purchase pur pur- chase price paid for tor ever every pound b by the consumer meI goes to these latter agen agen- cies T Tables bl 1 Are Given Jibe second part of our study of ot the th the u sugar beet industry in Utah should L deal with Ith the cost of ot manufacturing su sugar gar from the beet This part should I I ta take ke up the inquiry from the point where w here the refined sugar is Is' Is Isdell dell delivered vered In I sa sacks to the broker II The article deals with the first di dision division dl- dl vi vision islon sion of the subject as above mentioned men men- 1 ti that Is he the cost of producing s sugar ugar beets in Utah and amI the prices paid th The subject Is a a. difficult one n not ot bec because there I Is tack lack of data hut but because b the data are in many cases in Inaccurate and incomplete We publish pub pub- li lish Ush sh at t the end of this article a table Of three fifty-three columns Each vertical column represents on a particular group of farms in different nt localities localities' in the United States Germany Germany Ger Ger- many and Austria J Grower Sustains Loss v- v Table 1 t is one of the most complete In point of detailed data It is from froma a a. report adopted by the Denver convention convention con cort- of of the Interstate Farmers' Farmers as association association as as- In the year 1914 It is ex parte in that it sets out the conclusions of an als asso interested in procurIng procuring ing big as much for or Its beets as possible At the time the farms of northern Colo Colo- rado Vado were involved In a controversy with the Great Western Vestern Sugar com corn company company pany over the price paid for beets bE Notice that the farmers received 5 5 for beets as as' ascom com compared red with the price in Utah at that time of ot The report actually shows a loss to the tile grower of per acre The costs are based on an average of ot twelve tons per acre the average yield in Utah over a period of ot years would probably be a little higher perhaps ps thirteen tons to the acre and represent represent sent according to the associations association's re report report re- re port the average costs for the states of Colorado Nebraska Wyoming and Montana The next table No 2 gives dyes the cost figures figures' issued by the Great Western Sugar company compan and is g giyen ven under oath of ot Its officers The company's company's com corn pany's farm tarm was was located at Longmont Colo Cob The acreage was large and the methods and implements used in the beet culture were probably more economical eco ceo than used by many of or the farm farmers rs Figures on Hauling It will be seen that the costs per acre are nearly 13 less than those given by the farmers The costs under average conditions are most likely y between en these two The cost of hauling haul haul- ing in the case of the factories was wasI probably lower th than n In the case taso of I the average farmer both because of f quantity produced and nearness to the factory factory- The company counts 10 for rental for tor interest This is low Good beet land should should bring bring an acre and a a. 7 per cent re return urn on this amount i is 14 Reliable data for tor farms anns in Utah seem difficult to obtain It is very likely that at atthe the end ot of the present beet fI season son county agents and the Utah Agricultural college will have considerable considerable consid consid- I erable rable data Th The farmers themselves should organize and engage men to I j study this question of costs The They themselves that the figures fig fig- ures which they procure or rely upon are based on an absolutely unprejudiced diced stud study If It figures are gien out which are even unconsciously Influenced influenced by a desire to serve or cater to one part of the beet sugar Industry above another rather than by a pure search for the true fj the harm hann would be considerably gre greater ter than If no no figures at all an were published Utah Price Lowest The tables and discussion herein herein- set setout setout I out will aid In forming some Idea of i the cost of ot the various operations operations' in j I beet raising as well wen as the aggregate i cost But the growers grower's grow rs r's proms profits depend as much on getting good prices for j beets as on the cost of f growing Economy Economy Economy Econ Econ- omy In growing b beets ets would avail avalt the farmers but little tittle if th the manufacturer pockets the results of that economy by not paying ing enough for b beets ets The price paid for beets in Utah as com corn comI compared pared with prices paid in other localities localities I ties Is ic therefore one of th the important important- parts Darts of thiS thiS' Inquiry It may be stated as a sen general ral proposition proposition that the man manufacturer than man will pa pay on only y that price for beets which is necessary to Induce the farmer Cunner to plant the acreage required to supply the factory But put In Utah the farmer has In the past been partly partly part part- ly Iy induced d to raise beets by other than economical reasons Th The leaders and nd organizers of the tho beet sugar Industry In Utah have used other Influences and appealed to his loyalty in him to plant beets The testimony In the case of the U. U S. S ys vs the Amalgamated Sugar company presents some interestIng interestIng interestIng interest- interest Ing disclosures of the manner in which those in control of ot the sugar Industry In Utah have persuaded th the farmer to raise beets The limits of this article compel us to forgo further consideration consider tion of this interesting side of the beet sugar Industry in Utah and to at oll once oce e proceed with the s subject bj ct of ot the prices es paid for be beets ts by hy the tho factories throughout throughout through through- hout h- h out t the le United States Flat Rate Prevailed There are two methods Of p paying the grower for beets One Ono Is the flat price per pet ton disregarding quality The other Is on the basis of the sugar content In the beet In Utah un tit this year beets have been heen purchased by b the tho factory at a B. flat fiat rate per tort ton re regardless regardless regardless re- re of quality In the year ear 1915 the rate was per short shore ton This i year the contract between the factory and the grower calls cans for a rate of 5 per ton for beets containing 15 per cent I sugar and lOc in addition for every one-half one per cent above the 15 per percent I c cent ent It is Instructive to compare this price with that paid In hi other localities Dr in his treatise referred re referred re- re f erred to to reviews and digests the vanus various various vari van o ous us reports reports' of U. U S. S census bureau of the he t department of agriculture and the testimony t was introduced before the Hardwick committee special lal house committee to investigate the sugar In Industry industry in- in dustny Mr Blakey's book was published published pub pub- l In 1912 Since that time th the price of ot b beets ets has advanced materially But at that time farmers in Utah and Idaho were getting a a. less flat price for tor beets than the farmers in any other state The Utah growers growers' received per short ton regardless of quality Comparison Is II Made In Arizona the price was in Minnesota in Washington as far back hack as 1909 the Holly Holty Sugar company p paid ld per ton for beets ranging from 12 to 14 A per cen cent sugar content for those ranging from to per cent sugar cont content nt and for tor those of 16 a per cent sugar i content or over In 1910 the Sugar company paid a flat rate of ot per ton for tor beets at the loading sta sta- sta- sta I tion In 1911 the American Beet Sugar Sugar Sugar Su Su- Su- Su gar company compan paid flat flat and for beets testing 12 per cent and 33 3 1 cents for tor each 1 per cent increase of sugar content This would make for tor beets of 15 per cent sugar content At that same time farmers in Utah and Idaho were re receiving less than per ton In 1911 beets in California Cali CaU- fornia were bringing per ton provIded provided provided pro pro- vided they graded 16 per cent sugar content As the sugar sugar content content in CalIfornia California Cal Cal- runs unusually high although the yield per per acre acre Is generally generally- lower than In Utah the Utah the demanding of a beet grading 16 per cent was not un un- un- un reasonable In 1911 beets containing 12 per cent sugar brought In Michigan and Ohio per ton with 33 3 1 cents for every additional per cent of sug sugar r. r This would mean that more than four years ago 15 per cent beets brought per ton ton as against the price In Utah in that day of less than and arid as against the present price of beets In Utah of the same sugar content at The price of beets in Michigan n and Ohio today is between and thid per ton California Average r Mr Blakey figures the average price received by the tho grower before beCore 1912 In fn the United States at per ver ton 1 more than was being received In Utah before that year The rhe 1916 contract of or the factory of the American I Sugar Beet company P of Oxnard Oxnard Ox- Ox nard Cal L wilt will n net to Ct the grower w over as us an average price for his hig beets This Thin price Is for tor beets delivered at the loading stations the company compan paying the to the factor factory factory- The company furthermore pays pas the grower 15 cents cents' per ton for loading the beets beet In cars The contract also aleo provides for a a. bonus of ot 50 50 cents per pcr ton for every ton of or beets grown under the contract provided provided provided pro pro- vided the average net selling price for refined sugar received by the beet sugar factories shall equal or exceed 4 4 fth cents a pound As the sugar factories will wilt sell seU their sugar for tor considerably above this price this thie year the grower In southern California will receive around 6 5 per ton for beet beets These facts fach necessarily lead us to the conclusion that outside of a few Isolated Instances the farmer In Utah receives ss IS per ton for beets than anywhere else ele In the United States It Is not an |
