OCR Text |
Show SAVIXd THE BEET SUGAK INDUSTRY Agreement has been reached by farmers and Utah and Idaho sugar companies on sugar beet contracts for 1922. The contract is based on the principle prin-ciple of the sliding scale, under which the farmer's price for his beets will depend upon the price received by the manufacturers for the sugar, division to be made on a basis of extraction ex-traction in the ratio of 4 6.5 per cent to the farmer and 53.5 per cent to the manufacturer. Except as to the price, which gives the farmer a somewhat greater return re-turn for his beets than did the 19 21 contract, the bargain entered is substantially sub-stantially tbe same. A minimum price of $5 a ton is provided for on all beets having a sugar content of less than 18 per cent. This price ranges upward on the sliding scale. With sugar selling at $S.50 a bag, the farmer would get $9.43 a ton for beets with a 16 per cent content. The success of the western beet sugar industry will depend, however, upon the passage of a tariff which will enable it to compete with the Cuban product produced with cheap labor. A 2-cent tariff would save and encourage en-courage the industry and would not be noticed by any family. If such a tariff is not established thousands of families will notice the destruction of our domestic beet sugar industry and later eel the costly effect of being be-ing dependent on foreign supplies. |