The Greeley tribune., 1907-01-24
NOT LITERAL
NAME OF HOT HEAD ONLY
FIGURE OF SPEECH
Just Why Unbiased Judgment
Should Prevail in Sugar
Beet Controversy
Here

"We grangers have crow to pick
with you" remarked a farmer-for
whom personally and for whose
opinions on all matters of farming
we have the highest respect-to one
of the Tribune men few days ago.
"You sort Of intimated In your last
issue that the beet business here was
being controlled by hot heads"
| Hnrrying to assure the speaker
that there had been no particular
person in mind when it was said that
the present situation was one In
which only the coolest judgment
should prevail and that it was not a
situation in which hot heads should
be given too prominent part, the
Tribune man soon saw that there
was no danger of licking so he pre-
pared to defend his position in the
argument, but others coming In the
conversation was broken.
Lest others may feel the same
about the matter as this particular
farmer, the thought that brought out
that particular expression was pEac-
tically this:
No mans individual case or ex-
perience in the sugar beet business
should have too much weight In Z
consideration of the whole question.
He may for one Of many reasons have
lost money. 1t might have bean his
own fault. 4 might hare hsen in-
abilfty to have bis bests accepted at
a time favorable for his making
money, cost of handling making a
considerable difference In the profit,
or 1t might have been failure Of his
crop to yield sufficient tonnage to
make it profitable. Whatever the
cause, II he lost money he would be
more or less prejudiced against the
industry, and would be pretty apt to
size up the whole business from his
own experience. He would also talk
his views pretty freely to his neigh
bors. 1t is one of the weaknesses of
human nature that II q man makes
money he will try his best to keep
this from his neighbors, but II he
gets the worst of a deal ne will. be
pretty apt to shout 1t from the
housetops. That is the shot head"
In the case.
Now to show that the experience
of the individual is not a fair basis
for sizing up the whole situation we
will quote few figures on the in
dustry.
There were just little less than
20. 900 acres of beets grown for the
Greeley, Eaton and Windsor factories
the last season. Up to date the
sugar company has paid out 1880
600 for beets for these factories
The last pay day, for beets not yet
delivered, will be within few dol
lars s13O, 600, or a total of 81, 660, 900
for the total crop. That pays SS3 an
acre gross The Commercial club In
its estimate on cost Of growing sugar
beets places the figure at s3s. rs an
acre. This leaves q net profit Of
81. Is per acre for the entire district
Estimating the value of land upon
which the 20, 900 acres of beets were
grown last season at $50 an acre
which is certainly high enough, the
returns would be fully 30 per cent on
the investment. That beats any
bank stock In Greeley.
But very few farmers will agree
that the cost is as low as $3s. rs per
acre. The same farmer of whom
mention was made above says, when
everything is figured In it will cost
the farmer $50 an acre before he gets
his money. That is the highest
figure we have ever heard In this
connection. But we will take that
figure for 1t, which would leave only
a net profit Of s33 to the acre. Even
this will yield profit Of q per cent
on land valued at $3.50 an acre. II
has still got the banking business
beaten by mile.
or course we will be told that this
Is only on paper, but the figures are
facts based on the actual experience
of the past season.
In conclusion we will reiterate
that because of the value of the IN
dustry as q whole to the communlt!
| $50 no ~, haen nruinu all parties TO