Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-27
BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY
Charles F. Saylor, Polk County,
Special Agent for Its
Investigation
EXPANSION OF OLD FIELDS
Many Beet Sugar Factories Being Built
in Districts Where II Has Been Proven
That Sugar Beets Can Be Advantas
eousIy Grown-lrrisation Bill Not
Generally Understood.
Special to Times Republican.


Des Moines, Dec. 27-Charles f.
Saylor, formerly county superintendent
of schools in Polk county, for many
years a trustee of the state colleges
at Ames, and graduate of that in
stitution, is the special agent of the
agricultural department at Washing
the beet sugar industry. He was call
ed to this position because Secretary
Wilson knew of his special fitness for
the investigation. He has made it a
study for a number of years and his
reports on the beet sugar industry have
been comprehensive and useful Mr..
Saylor will start Immediately after the
holidays for the far west to continue
Investigation there in the California
fields.
There are more beet sugar factor
les being built right now than in any
previous year." he says. 81 have re-
ports on eleven that are actually in
process of construction and will be in
I use making sugar from next years
crop. There are a number of other
projects some of which will certainly
mature These new factories are
nearly all in districts where 1t has been
demonstrated that sugar beets can be
| grown to advantage. They are in
Michigan, Colorado, New Mexico, and
| elsewhere. There is no new field be-
t ing opened at this time, but great ex-
| pansion of the old fields. There is
great development in Colorado, along
| the Arkansas river, where the industry
| has proven a success. In my opinion
| the future great fields for beet sugar
| is in Wisconsin. The soil of the state
1 and the climate seemed to be be pc
culiarly adapted to the growing of the
beets.
.The political phases of the question
of the tariff / do not care to discuss;
! but the fact that so many factories are
/ being bait and SO much capital is
/ now going into the business indicates
/ pretty conclusively how capitalists feel
/ about the industry. They regard it as
| so firmly established that it cannot be
disturbed and will not be. They at
/ least are not giving up because of any
| fear they have of evil results They
! are prepared to put more money in and
| continue to develop the industry to its
/ limit.
There is one thing, however" con-
tinued Mr.. Saylor, Gin regard to the
| beet sugar question that is not so gem
| orally understood. / regard the ma
tional irrigation policy which has been
entered upon by reason of the bill
| which passed the last session of con-
gress as forever fixing the beet sugar
| industry in this country. The irriga
Etion bill is not generally understood.
What 1T Will accomplish is but little
known. But fund of eight million
| dollars is created with which to begin
operations. 1t will be expended and
| Immediately the money begins to come
BACK from the water rentals, and this
money is applied elsewhere. The fund
VIII thus constantly increase and the
work grow In magnitude from year to
year. 1t will be an Improvement that
VIII accumulate and gather force.
The irrigation country lends itself
readily to the beet sugar Industry
Practically all the land in the arid re-
zion which can be irrigated is cana
bic of raising sugar beets and to get the
IL
such crops as beets must be grown The
result will be that the irrigation law
we now have will more rapidly develop
the sugar beet industry than anything
we have ever tried. 1t Is the most ei-
gantic undertaking for the benefit of
the western states the nation has ever
undertaken. 1t was not necessary for
any one to talk to President Roosevelt
I,
He is the first president we have ever
had who knows the west and thorough
ly understands these problems which
must be worked out, and therefore we
may expect that the irrigation law will
be made most useful in the development
oe the country. And it fixes forever the
status of the sugar beet problem in this
country"
The blanks which are going out soon
from the state executive council to the
railroad people for the annual reports
of the railroad companies on the years
business are different from previous
blanks in one important particular.
The affidavit which must be appended
thereto as a guaranty of the correct
ness of the figures is to be sworn to by
the auditor of the company and not by
the president as in other years. 1t has
been found that occasionally there are
always delays in waiting fol-, the presi-
dent to sign up the reports, and as Il
rule the presidents cont know anything |
about the reports to which they sign
their names other than what is told
them. In fact the auditors are the per-
sons who have charge Of the accounts |
and who have personal knowledge OF
them These auditors are to be asked |
not merely to swear to the correctness |
of the figures, but they must make affi-
dayit that they know of their own per-
sonal knowledge that the books and ac-
counts are in accordance with the regu-
|lations prescribed and that the division
OF accounts as to state or interstate and |
other business is in accordance with
the laws of Iowa. In fact the affidavit
appended to these reports will be dis
tinctly iron-clad, and railroad auditors
are likely to take great precautions In