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Show H THE WEST'S RESPONSE ON SUGAR. M Secretary Lane in his recent Tabernacle speech said he H had received many anxious inquiries from the down east fl states, asking how the people of the west, 3000 miles from H Washington, were responding to the government's appeals in her hour of peril. Mr. Lane made a telling point when he said he had been able to report most favorably to every fl inquiry. It is to be regretted that he could not have H paused long enough in Utah to learn the full extent of the answers made by this state; but probably he will know H in Time. fl The response made by Utah, Idaho and the other west- V crn beet sugar states to the government's appeal on sugar B furnishes a powerful instance. As is generally known the fl w authorities placed sugar among the three most vital of fl " k war time foods. Bread, meat and sugar lead all others fl in importance, and the government figures tell that pound fl for pound and dollar for dollar, sugar has more calories B of sustaining strength than either of the other products. B The fact that Mr. Hoover's committee took up the ques- B tion of sugar immediately following that of wheat as a B war time necessity, indicates the relative importance of B our sugar product. B Among the earliest proffers of assistance to the gov- B ; eminent was that made by the manufacturers of beer. B sugar. They extended their full and unqualified support B to the government until it could establish regulations B which would best serve the interests of the public, as well B as the needs of our Europeon allies. It is gratifying to B recall that it was the spokesman for the beet sugar manu- B facturers of Utah, who sent the first offer of aid and B co-operation to Washington. B The harmonious conference which followed, and the B fixing of beet sugar prices at $7.25 seaboard points, is a B matter of general knowledge, but the full extent of the H ' sacrifice made by the beet sugar industry is not under- B stood. The fact is, that beginning October 1st, an imagin- B ary line was drawn north and south through the United B States, Chicago and St. Louis being the dividing basis. B On the west side of this line, beet sugar prices prevailed; B on the east side of it, the sugar owners obtained and are B still obtaining about $1.00 per cwt. more. Inequitable as fl this seems, the beet sugar men conceded it, realizing that B the government had an almost impossible task on its m hands to bring the owners of cane sugars (whicli included M the Cuban producers, the refiners, and the army of specu- M Mors who had bought sugars at prices above $7.25) under H the terms of a general arrangement. This condition has lasted since October 1st. It will continue until the license system is in working order, and negotiations with the H eastern cane interests can be concluded. The government H has expressed its appreciation of the loyalty of the western H , beet sugar interests, which are giving to the sugar con-H con-H sumers of the western two-thirds of the country the privi-H privi-H he of buying their supplies at a large saving over former H prices and under prices ruling in the east. It is probable, H too, that the price-lowering influence of the beet sugar H will be felt in time throughout the entire United States. FM Had Secretary Lane tarried a little longer in Utah he FM would have been furnished with one more telling instance J of the development of the beet sugar industry of the west; he would have learned, too, how war conditions ' "ave .brought about, for the first time, a harmonious J working arrangement between the beet Growers, the fac- J tones and the government. The conference held in Salt Lake last week, between & the members of the Farm Bureaus and the sugar fac-H fac-H tones, was most beneficial. The remarks made by James w. Jones, government representative in charge of com-J com-J mercial sugar problems, were especially instructive. The I agreement between the growers and manufacturers by J which a co-operative basis was reached for the produc-J produc-J cion of next year's crop of beets marked an era in the A commercial development of the west, and the delegates j who attended the State Farm Bureau session must be J highly commended for their sane and conservative action J in indorsing the co-operative plans proposed for beet nro-J nro-J auction. ' Of equal importance was the stand the delegates took ie? uy went on record opposing further factory build- SBpn.iUtah' SfL Uie beet PduStion has had S m to catch up with the factory capacity. This subject con ml M SffSlT V0 thG bGet gr0We' bec"use the Kacf of for a full factory run must reduce the profits which, uncler BFMvMaaaaaaaaaaMaaM'' . - - the new arrangement, will be divided with the grower. Beet growers and stockholders in sugar factories are alikd jhvare of the danger of overdoing the promotion of factories.- Several new plants being erected in Utah this year are, built with capital which comes into the industry for thefirst time? In some instances, these do not have much reserve capital. They, as well as the factories owned by'theold established companies, will find the hardships hard-ships that must follow the erection of factories in districts dis-tricts already thoroughly provided. Absolutely every beet that will be grown 'in Utah next year, both for old and new factories, can be sliced in the plants already built, and they will still have much less than a capacity run. Utah has made a great patriotic response, but her people must now study the question of efficiency an handling handl-ing her resources. Deseret Evening News. |