The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-05
Think They Were Hornswoggled BY
Sugar Company.
BEET YIELD IS LIGHT
BUT sACCHARINE PER cENTAGE
Is HEAVY.
Farmers Think They Have Been
Given New Kind of Seed, But
Manager Cutler Denies This and
Answers All Other Complaints
Company's Profits.

A serious complaint comes from the
-ugar beet raisers of the West Jordan
district The burden of this complaint
is, first, that the beet crop this year is a
disappointment to the farmers; instead
OF being "all that's desired" as has
been reported the crop will only be
one-half. The tonnage in Salt Lake
county will not reach ten tons per acre,
and the report is that in many places
IN Utah county five or six tons per acre
is common yield. This same land last
year, it is said, produced from eigh-
teen to twenty-five tons per acre. 1t is
also stated that the beets have not
grown since the first part of August.
New Kind of Seed.
From the above the argument is
made that the farmers have been fur
nished an inferior quality of seed and
not the German seed furnished in 1888.
This is further shown, it is claimed, by
the fact that the beets this year con-
tain is to 10 per cent of sugar. shown
by the yield Of 1,500 sacks of sugar
from 400 tons of beets OF the Lehi fac
tory. Last years beets contained from
u to Is per. cent, and this, taken with
the smaller tonnage, is given as proof
that a new variety of beet seeds have
been given out. The point here is that
while the tonnage is greatly reduced.
the percentage OF sugar is greatly in
creased. so that the factory profits at
the expense of the farmer. 1t is con-
ceded that the sugar company pays 25
cents a ton more for beets this year
than last. but the beets must polarize
2 per cent higher.
Another objection is raised against
the contract. which, it is claimed, is
very hard in its term on the farmer,
and faYors the factory in every clause.
BY one provision the beet raiser is pro-
hibited from delivering his beets as
fast as desired until Nov. l.
1t is also stated that the Utah Sugar
company paid a dividend of SO per cent
last year, % in cash and IS in stock,
besides having a large reserve fund.
From this it is argued that the farmer
is not receiving his due share of the
profits from this industry.
Manager Cutters Statement.
These complaints were yesterday
called to the attention of T. c. Cutler,
general manager Of the Utah Sugar
company He said it was the first ser
ious complaint that had reached him.
The statements We're grossly exagger-
ated, he said, and based upon misinfor-
nation.
He said he had heard that the crop
was light in the West Jordan district
and some other Places due, he thought,
to bugs and too much water early in the
season, but it was preposterous to
charge that inferior seed was furnished.
This was absolutely false. He thought
the whole crop this year would aver
age from eleven TO twelve tons per
acre, not quite so large as last years
crop, which was abnormal.
Percentage of Sugar.
Mr.. Cutler said. too. that it was I'M
fair to estimate the percentage of sugar
in the beets from the first run at the
Lehi factory. because there was ], 000.-
600 pounds of raw sugar in this run that
came over from last year. The aver
age percentage last year was 49, per
cent; this year it was hoped to raise
It to is per cent. While the standard
this year is per cent higher that is
only taken as a basis. and beets grad
ng lower are taken as formerly.
The contract used this year is the
same as in former years, except as to
the percentage and the time for deliv-
ering the beets. This last was made
necessary by the fact that the factory
cannot handle the beets as fast as they
come in, and in hot weather they can't
be cared for.
It is a mistake to state that the Utah
Sugar company paid a 80 per cent divi-
dend. 1t paid a 20 per cent dividend
because of the unusually heavy yield
of sugar last year.