Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-03
ISUCAR IS CAUSING WORRY
Fight Between Beet and Cane Produo
Leaves Wholesaler Without Profit.
NO SOLUTION OF DIFFICULTY IN SIGHT
Meeting of Wholesale GrOcers strug-
giles with the Problem and Finally
Decides Nothing Can BE Done
Except to Wait.

The competition between the cane and
beet sugar interests and resultant disor-
eautzation of the sugar market in this part
of the country is the emergency" which
brought together in Council Bluffs yester-
day the members of the Iowa and Nebraska
Wholesale Grocers' association in a spe-
cially called meeting. This was the prin-
cipal question before the meeting, although
the matter Of railroad rates was also dis
cussed. That the emergency was one
that needed action was evident by the
large attendance, over fifty of the wholesale
houses having membership in the associa-
ton having representatives present, while
others were represented by proxies.
The beet and cane sugar meet at the
Missouri river and then comes the tug of
war and the consequent cutting of prices
in the territory along the Missouri river.
This gives the wholesalers along the Mis-
souri, river territory the advantage over
their competitors who are not SO favorably
located. II was to try to equallze matters
that yesterdays meeting was called. Ac-
cording TO Major Samuel Mahon of OF
tumwa, president of the association, 1t was
finally decided to let the question solve IT.
self as the emergency" would cease to ex-
list in two or three months as the beet sugar
supply would only last about three months.
The meeting, after threshing the matter
over at two sessions, decided that 1t was a
problem it could not solve by any action 1t
might take.
During the discussion it developed that
some Of the wholesalers who are not To-
Gated along the line Of the Missouri river
have been forced by the war between the
cane and beet sugar interests or trusts. as
4H,v Nz-,, Fhar, Nn n0tfa1lU coll this nFnn-
! uct at a loss or at a margin so small that
there was practically no profit left in the
business. They we're the men who wanted
I a solution" Of the vexatious question,
while those situated in the favored terri
tory sat still and sawed wood, being APP
p~arently content with the conditions as
they existed.
Most Of the members left for their homes
at the close of the meeting last evening.
The officers of the association are: Pres
, lGent. Major s.. Mahon, Ottumwa; secre-
tary, ]. L.. Root, Keokuk. Representatives
OF the following houses were present at
the meeting: Dubuque, Ia, John I. Han
cock & Sons; Waterloo, Ia, the Fowler
company and Smith-Lichty- Hillman COM
pany; Des Moines, Ia, Warheld- Pratt
Howell company; Sioux City, Ia, Tolerton
& Stetson company, c. ~Shenkberg COM
pany, Warfeld-P company and
william Tackaberry company; Council
Bluffs, Ia, Groneweg & schoentgen COM
pany and Stewart Bros. Cedar Rapids, Ia.
witwer Bros. and Warneld- Pratt Howell
company; Red Oak, Ia, Red Oak Grocery
company; Creston. Ia, J. H. Merrill COM
pany; Fort Dodge, Ia, Fort Dodge Gre
Gerry company; ottumwa. Ia, J. H.. Merrill
company; Keokuk. Ia, Kellogg-Birge COM
pany; Burlington, Ia, John Blaul q Sons
and Bicklen- Wilmer Grocery company; Ma
. son City, Ia, etts-Spencer-Smith COM
pany; Marshalltown, Ia, Marshalltown
Grocery company and s-Fletcher CON-
pany; Centerville, Ia, T. r. Riggs & Co.
Omaha, MCord-Brady company, Allen Bros
company, Paxton & Gallagher company and
Meyer G. Raapke; Hastings, Neb., Crowley
& Van Sickle company, Trimble, Blackman
& Alexander and Cushing G. Gauvreaui
Grand Island, Neb., Donald & Porter com
pany and Nebraska Mercantile company
Nebraska City, Neb., Bradley, De Groff 4
Co; st. Paul, Neb., Nebraska Mercantile
company; Lincoln, Neb., Hargreaves Bros.
Granger Bros, II. P. Lau company, Ray
mond Bros. and Clark company; Columbus
Nsb., Abts & Gallo.