New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1906-12-01
DISCOURAGING SITUATION FOR
SMALL PLANTERS.

DISCOURAGING SITUATION FOR
SMALL PLANTERS.
The sugar sisutation has be-
come SO serious that some OF
the small planters are consider
ing possible means of protect
ing themselves and their crops
from the rapacious law of the
trust and its agents. While
these producers complain of the
prices at which they are forced
to sell to the refners who have
combined to keep the price of
cane down to So per ton when
the least that was expected this
year with the small crop wss 81,
they do not blame the refners
for taking advantage of their
weakness with the same oppor-
tunity each and every one might
take part in a similar scheme
for it is the recognized right of
every one to make as large a
profit as he can.
But it is realized that in or
der to successfully keep prices
of cane up to a profit paying
rate for the producer some &C
ton will have to be taken and
that quickly or else the grower
will have to go out of business.
Plans for accomplishing this
have been under discussion fire.
quently of late and it would not
be surprising if an effort were
made to form cooperative re-
fnery in every sugar production
section in which each and every
grower would be share holder.
Take for instance the present
year. Growers hold that prices
should be no less than 81 per
ton for cane and yet the refners
get but So. If there were
cooperative refinery here it
could afford to pay the 81 to
the producer. This would force
the other rehners to pay the
same price or do without cane
and the profits of the refining
would 60 to the growers or
holders of shares.
The trouble with the plan for
the establishment sof co-opera-
tive rehners is the fact that it
costs anywhere from 100000
to 100000 to build refinery.
Bui it is held that this could be
done if each grower in the neigh
borhood would contribute his
share and take stock in the re-
fnery. 1t is held that this year
every planter in this vicinity !
could have afford to have donat-
ed one fourth of his crop to
cooperative refinery any still he I
would have been as well off as {
now. The cooperative refinery {
would have taken his cane at 81 S
per ton retained 81 for stock t
and still he would have left the {
same amount he now gets from '
the refner. Besides he would c
get his share of the profits from
the refining of the juice. $
Such a cooperative refinery
n every cane raising neighbor- "
rood would do more for the 9
Welfare OF the grower than any n
hing else that could be sug-
rested, is the opinion OF the
,rowers who may take active
tepS in the matter.
This plan is new one. 1T
me that has been gaining more
nd more support as the years
ave gone by and the cane
rover has found the struggle
arder to bear. 1t is a plan,
owever that will require COM
ined capital 20 mature and un-
1 the financial end is cared tor
will not materialize. That 1t
,ould be difficult, in the face OF
,e recent events to get together
lie capital for the first co-opera,
We mill is not believed. All
lat is he did is the active and
nseIfsh work of a few OF the
aiding growers. Once under
ay the plan would be matureo
pidly.
This is the opinion of several
the small growers who have