Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-03-15
THE SUGAR BEET QUESTION.
Best Methods of Establishing and Foster.


Best Methods of Establishing and Foster
ing the Industry.
Madison, Wis, March IL Special. l
"A large number of people appeared be-
fore the committee on claims yesterday
afternoon to advocate the passage of
Senator McGillivray's bill, which is de-
signed to encourage the sugar beet in
dustry in this state. The bill provides
for the payment of a bounty of 70 cents
per ton on sugar beetS raised in the state
and sold to Wisconsin sugar refneries.
L. +. Mulrooney of Hudson was the
first speaker and he said that the raising
of the sugar beet furnished the farmer
the only ray of hope that he could see
through the mist of hard times. He con-
tended that the Wisconsin beet showed
a greater percentage of sugar than those
raised in most of the other states, or
even in Germany. The average profit
from sugar beet raising was $40 per acre
throughout the United States. The beet
sugar industry had not grown rapidly
because of the large amount of capital
required but with the encouragement of
a bounty it would very soon develop.
j. L. Gates of Milwaukee said that SUI
gar beet growing was no longer an ex-
pertinent, and he believed that the en-
couragement of the industry would
greatly enhance the value of Wisconsin
lands and prevent Wisconsin capital
from going abroad to seek investments
The bill would not only benefit agricul-
ture but would start factories and give
employment, to laboring men. Under it's
provisions the Wisconsin farmers would
get large share of the profit that now
goes to the sugar trusts and to foreign
countries. He dWelt at length upon the
diversity of the soils Of Wisconsin and
said that the state had excellent facilities
for the sugar beet industry. He spoke of
the big sugar factory at Menomonee
Falls which would be ready for opera
ton within ten days. He said that if
the industry was encouraged he believed
it would soon furnish employment to
100000 men. Germany made nearly g.
100000 tons of sugar last year, he said,
and the United States took more of it
than any other country The German
sugar beet district, he said, was only
twice as large as the state of Wisconsin.
Prof. Henry of the agricultural de-
partment of the university told how I'M
der the advice of ex-Gov Rusk the eX-
pertinent station began to grow sugar
beets. In the first year it produced
$4,000 pounds Of beets per acre, which
yielded IA to 16 per cent. of sugar. He
spoke of the different counties of the
state which are adapted to sugar beet
raising, and said that Calumet county
was especially favored, the farmers there
raising beets of excellent quality. If
the present hard times caused the state
to develop the sugar beet industry the
depression would prove blessing
rather than a curse to the people. In
Europe the most profitable agricultural
districts were those which were devoted
to sugar beet raising. The United States
alone, he said, paid the foreign countries
500, 100000 year for sugar.
Mr.. Green of the Menomonee Falls
factory suggested that the refne2s ought
to be given bounty of - to q cent per
pound for all sugar refined within the
state.
Mr.. Paulson of Calumet county said
that the price of farm products had de-
creased until farming was no longer
profitable and the farmers were looking
to the sugar beet industry to bring them
good times.