The record-union., 1896-08-24
ONE HOPE OF THE FARMERS.
1 Crop That Will Pay Them for Their
Labor.
L. ID. Morse, Claus Spreckels' Agent
Gives Information on the
Subject.

Lately the Sacramento Chamber of
Commerce has, through its Secretary,
j. .. Coleman, been in communication
with Claus Spreckels, the sugar mag
nate, with a view to establishing fac
tory in Sacramento County.
This resulted in Mr. Spreckels send
Ing T. M. Morse Superintendent of his
large factory at Watsonville, to this
city for the purpose of making an ex-
animation of the land and to test the
beets which were planted last spring
by several of our farmers.
Mr.. Morse arrived on Friday and has
been the guest of the Chamber of Com
merce, who entertained him at the SUIT
ter Club. Secretary Coleman gave him
his entire time and familiarized him as
much as possible with the character Of
the lands of the Sacramento and Ameri-
can River bottoms.
Invitations were sent to the members
of the Chamber of Commerce and a
large number of other citizens announc-
ing that an informal reception would
be given Mr.. Morse at the Sutter Club
last evening, at which he had consented
to discuss the sugar beet industry in all
its phases with the citizens and answer
all the questions they might desire to
ask
The following persons responded and
were present: Joseph Steffens, DR.. G..
L. Simmons, D. H. Quinn, L. L. Lewis,
DR.. w. A. Briggs, H. Weinstock, c. A.
Yoerl, ]. o. Coleman, William Sims. w.
H. Devlin, Erskine Greer, VIM. Schaw,
d. D. Whitbeck, Samuel Lavenson, E.
X Alsip, H. C. Smith, Louis Breuner.
J. NJ Cornell, John Fitzpatrick and r.
D. Stephens.
Mr.. Steffens briefly introduced Mr..
Morse. He stated that he felt encour-
aged in the fact that the Chamber Of
Commerce had secured sufficient inter-
est from Mr.. Spreckels in the Sacra-
mento Valley to send his expert into
this fruitful land to spy out the sugar
land. Mr.. Morse, he said, was a young
man, but old in experience and an ex-
pert in his line. AS the speaker under
stood it, he was one Of Mr.. Spreckels'
right-hand men.
Mr.. Morse said, in response, that
while he was neither an orator nor lee
turer, he was quite willing to be cate
chised and thus impart what he knew
about the industry which was COM
manding the attention of the farmers Of
California.
It had come to pass, he said, unfortu-
nately, that there was little or no profit
Ia the growing Of corn, wheat, barley,
beans and cereals generally, and the
farmer of necessity was looking for
some crop which would reward his la
Dor and return interest on his invest
f0e0f He kneJy of nothing al the rlraS-
ent time which offered such induce
ments as sugar beets.
When a farmer contemplated enter
ing upon any industry it was well for
him to first consider whether there was
a demand or market for his product
IN the sugar industry this question
need not bother the farmer. There are
two million tons of sugar consumed in
this country annually, and of that
amount only about one-ffth is pro-
duced at home. Money was going to
China, Java, Cuba and other countries
which should be paid to American
farmers. The only question to be con-
sidered was, "Wiu the land produce
beets, and If so, of a quality which will
pay milling?" At Watsonville the fac
tory is making from 100 to 10 tons an
nualIy.
If Solano County came up to their
contracts. Mr.. Morse said the county
would soon have one of the largest
factories in the world.
The greatest benefit to a community
is that the industry is remunerating.
and that it cut up the land into small
holdings and thereby increased the pop