The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-01


vorable conditions. no industry in
Utah compares with the manufacture
of beet sugar. 1t is even doubtful If
mining, even under the most favorable
circumstances, offers the inducement
for permanent investment with safe re-
turns that is offered by the manufac-
ture of an article that is as much a
staple in the markets of the civilized
world as gold. silver or copper.
A good idea of the prosperity that
has come TO the industry in Utah and
Idaho is contained i'm the fact that the
officials Of the local companies refuse
absolutely to make public any infor-
nation concerning the acrea ge Of beets,
the output OF sugar or any other ma
terial fact upon which an estimate of
the condition Of the industry could be
based. This is clearly a caSt-iron rule
laid down by the officials of the Ameri-
can Sugar Refining company, the
sugar trust, that has acquired the con-
troll Of the business of the Utah Sugar
company, the AmaIgamated Sugar
company. the Fremont County Sugar
company and the Lewiston Sugar COM
pany. 1t is the policy of every trust
IN the country to keep the people in
the dark as to the business conditions
and this policy will be adhered to until
publicity in enforced by law.
What a Change Has Come.
When the sugar industry was in its
infancy in Utah and for years after
ward. when every effort was being put
forth to attract capital TO the industry
in order that il might be put on a foot
ing where fair returns might be Sc
cured for the capital invested, public
ity was the order of the day. Every
item of information as to the acreage
of beets, the tonnage, the percentage
of sugar in the beets, the prices Sc
cured for the sugar the disposal of the
sugar as to markets, the amount of
money paid the farmers for beets. the
amount paid out for labor, the amount
invested in buildings. machinery and
improvements, and all other facts in
which the people took an interest as
showing the progress of the state were
given gladly to the public through the
press. Now since the trust 6gures that
it has an absolute cinch on the indus
try. not only in Utah. but in all sur
rounding states as well, the public is
told to go to.
Manager Y r. Cutler of the Utah
Sugar company. when asked for some
figures setting forth the record of the
year and the condition of the industry
at the close OF the year, said:
No. sir. not one word. You cannot
have one fact concerning the sugar IN
dustry in Utah and Idaho. Not a par
tiCle of information VIII be given out
as to the acreage. the amount paid per
ton for the beets, the tonnage, the per
for sugar or the markets TO which the
sugar is sent. / have instructed every
official connected with the company TO
give out no Information whatever, ana
l will not endorse any Information that
comes from any outside sources. Too
much information has been given out
concerning the sugar industry in this
section. These statements are carried
east and used in the manipulation of
the sugar stocks. L will give you all
the information you desire concerning
the sugar industry in the world at
large. but not one word about the in
dustry in Utah and Idaho"
Danger Is Pointed Out.
The conclusion is inevitable that the
real reason for this refusal of he trust
to give out infOrmatiOn-it is clear that
Mr.. Cutler voices the wishes of the
trust in the matters that nothing is
TO be made public that might encOura &c
the establishment of independent facto-
rieS in this territory. This idea is en-
phasized by the statement given out for
publication by Mr.. Cutler. 1t follows
IN full, being more i'm the nature of a
warning and an admOnition than a re-
cital of facts Here it is:
'Fifty-eight beet sugar facories were
operated in the United States this year.
The estimated amount of sugar TO be
made by these factories in I9I. 900 tons.
against 2OS.135 tons in the season of
1904. proving cOnclusively that not
wfthstanding several million dollars
have been invested in new factories
and Improvements in old ones the past
year. industry is not making as rapid
strides in this country as was expected.
These conditions have been brought
about by many influences. In some 10
calities perfect mania existed a few
years ago TO crowd together a lot of
factories, because one or two factories
IN that locality had proven a success.
n b
ing together. they have interfered with
each others acreage TO that extent
that none Of them can be made renu-
lucrative and necessitates each factory
having TO go further and further out
for its beets. This also means that
some one must pay railroad transpOr-
ton on those beets, and correspond
ing increase in the number of agents.
weighmasters and people TO look after
those beets. This expense invariably
falls upon the factory people and not
upon the farmer. Therefore the
crowding together of factories is very
unadvisea BILE"
Good Rule to Follow.
a very good rule TO follow in the To-
cation of factory is to decide in your
own minds that not more than 20 per
cent OF the available land in the Vicin-
ity of said factory viii be put into
beets. This varies somewhat according
20 the conditions ana possibilities OF
raising other remuneratiVe crops. In
the vicinity of large town market gar
dening is assuming very large proper
ttonS. There is a growing demand for
early vegetables and as the price OF
land advances. so must the crops per
acre raised on suca land bring 10 the
producer higher prices
Some of the factories referred to are
now seeking other localities. We may
take il for granted. however. that just
as long as money could be had for pro-
motion this condition OF crowding
would have obtained II did not take
long. however, for the investing public
to catch on to the fact that all local
titles were not suitable for sugar beets,
since which time money for beet facto-
rieS has not been as available.
What Utah Is Doing.
Utah has been more fortunate than
some Of it's neignbors. but Tn Utah the
industry has reached stage, when it
las to solve the problem of finding mar