OCR Text |
Show PROTECT BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY. A. E. Carlton, president of the Holly Sugar company, Colorado Springs, Colo., in discussing the necessity of a tariff to protect the sugar-beet grower and beet-sugar manufacturer from killing competition, clinches his arguuments with the following fol-lowing irrefutable slatements: "The history of the sugar trade demonstrates the value, in the matter of price control, of our own domestic supply. If our country were dependent entirely upon foreign production, Ave would soon pay the price fixed by the foreigners. No greater calamity can befall the domestic consumer than to have the sugar supply of the United States controlled by foreigners, who, paying no taxes, and free from restraint so far as pools and monopolies are concerned, could control prices, production, produc-tion, and all things that go into the marketing of this commodity. com-modity. "For years Germany has paid the producers a bonus, resulting re-sulting in the production of an export surplus. A tariff suf-ificient suf-ificient to guarantee the production of our entire sugar requirements require-ments would appear to be a sound economic policy for the . United Etates. "The eastern manufacturers, protected by a tariff, should remember that 92 per cent of their business is domestic, and therefore the beet industry is of importance to them, and thai free sugar does not mean cheap sugar. "Nearly all of our agricultural commodities are produced in excess of home consumption, and the price is therefore fixed in'the world's markets. Sugar is one of the few agricultural commodities that can be protected by a tariff. "Fifty per ccent of the beet sugar companies are today in the hands of bankers' committees. Their only salvation is prompt action by Congress. The federal trade commission reports issued by the government are repjete with data respecting re-specting the beet-sugar industry. Hankers can tell you ol Ihe serious financial conditions of the companies. The qucS: tion of providing money for the present campaign has been difficult. Several factories are unable to begin operations, and many others have found it necessary to mortgage (hen daily production." . The time to act is now, not after our beet-sugar industry has been seriously crippled and we are left at the mercy of the foreign producer. i . , , ,. |