The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-19
THE SUGAR FACTORY.

The HERALD fears that its Republican
contemporaries are making themselves
ludicrous over the rejection Of the sugar
bounty bill by the legislature. They are
also posing the proprietors OF the sugar
factory in an exceedingly ugly light, in
trying to make it appear that those gentle
men have been actuated by greed, whereas
the truth is, the contrary was the fact as
to several of the more prominent men who
took interest in the enterprise, as we hap
pen to know. Our opposition contempor-
aries, all of which are more or less
esteemed, frantically shrek that the sugar
industry has been destroyed by the legis-
lative refusal to grant the bounty, and
they groan it out that the money Of the
stockholders has been lost. THE HERALD
does not believe there is one of the share
holders who will say that he subscribed
with the understanding or expectation that
the territory would make good any loss he
might incur. If there be one who will say
this the public would like to known his
name, when he will be regarded as a mer-
cenary rather than as an enterprisng gen
tleman bent on developing the resources of
gentlemen went into the sugar-making in
dustry with something of patriotic motives
the intention being to help the country
by providing labor for workingmen, and a
market for farm product, and
also to retain in the community
money sent out for the purchase
Of sugar; and they went into the
business to make money for themselves.
We know this, for they were fortified with
figures to prove that sugar making would
be extremely profitable. And we believe
it will be profitable. If it has not been so
| the first season, there were reasons for
the failure, the chief of which were the in
experience in the matter of cultivating
beets, and the lack of knowledge as to the
better soils in which to grow them. We
also know that the bounty cut very little
! figure in the case, for the company was or
ganiZed, contracts let and work in active
progress long before the government
| bounty, which is Just double that of the
territory, was thought of, and the govern
ment bounty did not have the effect of in
creasing the capital stock or enlargiug the
plant in the least
| But what we were going to say is that
our Republican contemporaries are making
themselves ridiculous in their scare talk
about the sugar factory. Two years ago
the legislature passed an act ito encourage
manufactures and paying bounty therefor, +"
the sum appropriated being So, 900. There
was TO be bounty of 81 per ton on iron
manufactured here; IS per ton on cast iron
pipe, lap-welded wrought iron pipe or
tubing; l cent per pound upon sugar, and
l cent per pound on rope and Irvine from
hemp, okra "or other suitable plant grown
in Utah." The final section of the act is as
follows:
The provisions OF this act shall extend through
the years 1890 and 1891 and the sum of $50, 600
or so much thereof as may be nece, sary is
hereby appropriated for said bounties Prooided,
that not more than $4,000 shall be drawn the
first year; and, ProCtGed TmGter that if NO
bounty is claimed on any one Of the aforemen
toned articles in the year 1890. the provisions
OF this act shall extend far as that article is
concerned, during the year 1892. After ag-
gregate bourties have been allowed by the
secretary of the territory upon the articles
herein named, TO the amount of s3OO0l no fur.
Their bounty shall be allowed or passed by the
territory during the time prescribed by this act
Our friends of the unreasonable opposi.
ton will see when they read the above
what guys they are making of themselves
when they talk about crushing the sugar.
making industry. AS we understand il.
the sugar company drew of the $50, 600 las,
year, about S11, 000, leaving about $4,000 to
be drawn this year, as it is not likely tina,
/ h.
in operation in 1892.
Now, we respectfully submit that if the
sugar industry cannot be ''placed on its
feet" with boucty of 800, 600 in two years
the federal government paying jus,
double what is given by the territory-the
propriety of continuing the business may
well be called in question. Even the most
reckless and rantankerous advocates Of
bounty giving will not say that the peoples
money should be forever taken to maintain
a private enterprise.
The sugar company has no cause to com
plain, and we don't believe it does com
plain. Its shareholders are men of intelli
gence and business capacity. They under
stand that II an industry cannot Within
reasonable time be made to support itself
that industry cannot possibly be made ben
eficial to the community; that is to say, i
1t is forever going to cost more to produc,
sugar than sugar is worth, whether tn,
cost Is met by individuals or the commu
nifty, the sooner we stop making sugar tn,
better. They didn't go into the business
with the understanding that they would
draw dividends from the national and ter
ritorial treasures, but with the coniden
expectation of earning dividends on thei