The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-11-30
SUGAR BEET INFORMATION
IN A CONDENSED FORM
Substance of Paper Prepared by
rlelville Stone aad Read Before
the Commercial Club.

The following interesting paper read
at recent meeting of the North Yak
ina Commercial Club, is published by
by request. 1t contains great deal of
information that will be welcomed by
those who are looking into the PROPOSE
ton with the intention of cultivating
beets
TO the Commercial Club, North Yaki-
ma, Wash
Gentlemen
We thank you for this opportunity of
presenting the Beet Sugar industry to
your consideration.
The Yakima Valley is we'll adapted to
the production of sugar beets.
beet sugar factory can be success
mercial and industrial Importance can not
be too highly appreciated.
The beet sugar industry is. in one
sense. new to this country, and yet it is
not new, for beet sugar has been manu-
featured at profit for more than 20
years. But to many of us the idea of
supplying ourselves with sugar from the
humble beet root, is very new.
To produce the quantity of sugar an
nually imported into the United States
would require the immediate construc-
ton of more than 300 factories of 500 tons
daily capacity. and to meet the annual
increase of consumption would require
the construction of more than thirty fac
tories each year. These factories would
consume the product of more than two
million acres of land, or 3. 600, 600 tons of
beets. for which they would pay the farm
erS about one hundred and fifty million
dollars annually. and one hundred mil =
lions more would be paid to factory oper-
atives and other associated industries.
To produce this immense crop of beets
would Immediately put $50 thousand to
200 thousand farmers into the field and
tiN- find oh ON
ployment in the factories and associated
industries.
To construct these factories would call
for an investment of about S2O0,0O00 GOO
and an annual investment of twenty mil
lion dollars to provide for the increase
in consumption at the present ratio:
These are astonishing facts, and fig
ures to contemplate. but they help us to
appreciate what there is before us in the
development of this great industry. The
farmer and the capitalist must solve this
problem What we need most is an
awakening of farmer and capitalist to a
knowledge of the facts, and of the de-
mands of the country along this line, and
the work of development will go stead
Fifty-two factories in the United
States took part in the Campaign OF 1908.
and worked 2,076,494 tons of beets and
produced 240 6O4 tons, worth in round
numbers about twenty-five million dol
lars. They paid the farmers over ten
millions of dollars, and for labor, coal.
coke. lime ana other material ABOUT sew
en- million dollars more.
Local Benefits. j..
The benefits to be derived from the es-
Enlistment of a beet sugar factory in the
Yakima valley. are: First. The build
ings and machinery complete of a 600
ton plant will cost about 100000. Here
is an asset. an immediate addition to the
property value of your town of nearly
-fourths of a million dollars. The
construction of these buildings will at
once stimulate business along many lines.
1t viii add many active enterprising bus
mess men and artisans 10 your permanent
citizenship. And if successfully operated
for three years will increase the value Of
every farm and every piece of business
property within radius of ten miles
from Is to so per cent. If the farmers
Of this vicinity produce the full cam
paign run Of 60. 900 tons of beets, as they
should do and more. the factory Will dis
tribute to them in return the sum Of
two hunderd and fifty to three hundred
thousand dollars. Nearly an equal
amount will be paid for labor and factory
supplies. Many Of your business men can
calculate more accurately than / the eff
feet such a distribution OF casn Will have
upon the business of this community.
The beet crop is a cash crop, sold at a
stated profitable price before the seeo
is nut into the ground OF no other crop
raised on the farm can this be said except
hops which l have learned since coming
to your city are often contracted for sew
eral years in advance. In an agricultural
community the introduction of the beet
sugar factory makes room for ten men
to work where one man worked before.
Ii transforms the sparsely settled rural
district into a semi-suburban community.
with all the social and business adVant-
ages that such condition brings in its
IL puts new life and spirit into farm
life-opens a new field for the advance
ment OF the farmers boys and girls-it