The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-03
THE BIG SUGAR KING.
jacksonville Farmers Say Spreck-
els is a Fraud.
HOW HE PAYS FOR SUGAR BETS.
An Interview With Spreckels-The Beet Rails
ing Industry-HOw Sugar is Made
in California.

SAN FRANCISCO, NOV. >, lSS9.-lSpeclal
telegram to THE HERALD. The Cali
fOrnia farmer is at the mercy of the sugar
king Within the past few weeks the low
rumbling roar of the working classes has
been heard condemning Claus Spreckels,
the great monarch of the sugar trade
Charges of fraud and swindling are openly
made.
The facts are these:
BEET SUGAR RAISING
is rapidly becoming one Of the great indus
tries of the world, and the peculiar dry soil
and atmosphere OF California show that
this state is especially well-fitted for it's
cultivation. Under system of protection
and bounties its culture has made wonder
full progress in France and Germany in the
past fifty years, and there is no reason why
the United States should not produce in a
few years all the sugar required by her in
habitants. Sugar beet production has now
been carried on sufficiently in California
to prove that it is no longer an experiment
but an accomplished fact. 1t has also been
shown that the percentage of saccharine
matter in the California beet is greatly in
excess of the European.
The great sugar king explains his posi-
tion, in a recent interview, as follows:
1.-THE people cannot expect me to do every
thing. If they will endeavor to help them
selves, will help them out. If l had a
billion dollars l could put up all the sugar
beet factories required. AS it is, | cannot.
Yes, | want more than a guarantee that
the farmers would put in 5000 acres of
sugar beets. In fact, to secure a factory,
1they would have to guarantee me Is, 900
for, you know, some of them might be-
come dissatisfied during the first year and
go into something else that they fancied
| would pay them larger and more immedi-
ate profits. Then l would be left in the
position of having paid my half-m million
dollarS-for that is what it costs to put up
q sugar beet factory-for nothing. 1 am
not, as you imagine, building these factories
simply for my amusement Yes, the sugar
beet has proven
GRAND SUCCESS IN CALIFORNIA,
so far as it has been tried. The Watson
vile factory is a success. / have ordered
the plant from Germany, and the machinery
is being shipped around the Horn. 1t will
cost SI5, 900 That, however, is only a
small proportion of the total cost of the
factory
The story told by the sugar king does
not agree with the complaints of the poor
rancher who produces the beets He
charges fraud and deception upon the part
of King Spreckels. Within the past few
weeks | have carefully investigated the
charges made by the farmers and ranchers
in and around the town of jacksonville l
find the beet-growers deeply in earnest.
They are willing to swear as to the fraud
ulent practices of Spreckels and company,
who own and operate the immense beet
SlIcrop T1ptOr-v nj Nationwide Tho form,
e-s are losing money on their beet crops,
and of late have been loud in their com
plants of their treatment at the hands of
the great sugar monopoly.
The SpreckelS beet sugar works was
established in jacksonville several years
ago. with the most glowing prospects.
principally on paper. The town of Wat
sonville donated the land for the beet sugar
works, and also gave large cash subsidy,
and agreed to furnish an abundance of
fI1ssIer, an immense quantity being used
Siaily ut the factory. The farmers were
Z led to believe that they would soon become
millOnaires if they had a factory near at
hand where they could dispose of their beet
crops.
From the outset the sugar beet industry
has been one of great Importance to the
agriculturists of the state, and the farmers
have taken a vast deal of interest in the
work. When the Spreckels company es
tabliShed their factory at Watsonville
they held out the most glowing induce
ments to the farmers in the neighborhood,
telling them how many tons could be pro
duced TO the acre, and what enormous pro
tits would result therefrom. The fact is,
d the SpreckelS company has made enough in
profits during the first year to
BEIMBURsE THEM FOR THE ENTIRE OUTLAY
81 building and plant.
rFbp rOO6uS OnpTaDdi of tho pOmOaOv iS
very simple. The farmer brings a wagon
load of beets to the factory, expecting to
sell the same at certain price per ton of
1000 pounds avOirdupois. Upon the ar
rival at the factory, a chemist, in the en-
ploy of the company, selects several beets
from the load and makes the farmer wait
while he proceeds to make an analysis of
the samples. When the result is ascer-
tained, the companY's chemist, instead of
giving the farmer his weighing check for
so many pounds ayOirdupOis, gives the
owner of the load the result Of his test.
Iu other words, he makes a pOraliZatiOn of
the samples, estimating the amount of
sugar to be extracted from the load Here
is where the first crooked feature of the
transaction is noticed. When 4 strange
farmer brings his first load to the factory
tbs chemist allows him say $40 to S22 per
ton Tor his beets, the chemical ANALYSIS
showing 20 or - per cent. of sugar. The
farmer, well satisfied with these results,
readily accepts the OlTer of the company TO
enter into a contract for his entire beet
crop. He sees no evidence of trick or
fraud, but being satisfied with the money
received for his first load, he signs the con
tract which is iron clad and holds him for
his entire seasons crop. When the limo
cent farmer, after having signed the con-
tract brings in his second or subsequent
wagon loads, he finds that the chemist re
- FROM,
to y or Il. The result is that for his
second. third and subsequent loads he re-
ceives from 81 to s. per ton, instead of the
high price he expected TO receive. The
farmer may bring his second load from the
same field as the first, but that makes no
difference to the chemist, who understands
his business, and buys the second load at
Z much lower figure than the first.
THE UNFORTUNATE FARMER
On raise no objections, for there is the
iron clad contract in black and white for
his entire crop. 1t is, of course, one
sided contract, written solely in the inter
est of the sugar company. he Is compelled
TO accept the weighing receipts for each
load, no matter if he does lose money in the
operation Few, if any, of the farmers il
signing their contracts make any provision
for receiving the pulp that remains after
the sugar is extracted. They cannot see
the. value of it. The sugar company. how
even have a fat contract with Miller 81
Lux, GilrOy, prominent cattle men,
whereby the pulp is sold for the purpose of
cattle feed, at the good, round price of $40
per ton. If the farmers arranged in their
contracts to receive back their pulp they
could either sell it or feed it to their cat
Tie.
NnOn an average, 1000 loads Of beets are
turned into the Watsonville factory each
dav-by the farmers living in the surround