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Show SAVE BEET INDUSTRY, CREATE EMPLOYMENT During the five-year, prewar, pre-war, period, 1908 to 1913, with a duty of 1.348 the sugar beet , industry developed, largely on i ; Government irrigation projects pro-jects from 425,884 short tons : to 71)3,416 short tons. The one cent duty of 1914, Undorwbod Bill, was not ef - i festive, due to the war, but production did not increase, due-io price control 1918 out- ! put!:760,350 tons. Cubans increased in-creased during the war more thaa1,000,000 long tons. The average ton of beets produces pro-duces 250 lbs. of sugai A two-cent duty on Cuba is 65 cents, or $1.62 per ton above pre-war. Western beet sugar factory tost alone this year was $2.00 per ton above pre-war figure. Beet freight increased 40c ton Fuel freight increased Lime Rock freight increased Fuel at mine increased Labor reduced nearly 1-2 but still above pre-war. Taxes increased. ; Beet industry lost . money under Emergency Tariff of $1.60 per hundred pounds. Forty-seven farmers, under Government projects in "West ern Colorado, report cost per aore $53.10. This is for farming farm-ing period only no taxes or dead season expenses no rent or return on land no water assessments to Government. , The beet sugar industry faces lessened Cuban costs ' due to ! improved mills and labor which has no other market; ', jit hopes for lower freight rates Themost sanguine view of conditions is to pay the farmer half of the increase involved in a 2 cent duty on Cuba or 81 cents a ton more for his beets ; than pre-war price. "With such a division, both the factory and beet grower face more difficult dif-ficult conditions than pre-war and narrow, if any, margin above cost. . Western beet sugar factories want to continue but after the ; losses of the last two years are unable to finance further deficits. de-ficits. The sugar beet farmer is in the same position. This is demonstrated by a decreased acreage for the year 1922 amounting to from 10 to 70 per cent, varying in different differ-ent sections of the country. The 'increased costs effecting the beet sugar factory are likewise like-wise affecting the beet groAver. It is absolutely necessary for him to have $7.00 per. ton for beets as compared with the pre-war price of $5.00. Con gress is most desirous of . protecting pro-tecting the agricultural and food producing interests of the 'country and a proper duty on sugar should be included in the permanent tariff bill. Un-less Un-less this is done the western beet sugar industry will be destroyed. |