The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-28
SMOOT AND SUGAR.

the country, n formal and elaborate
| dcfcnsc of tho sugar trust has been
made IN Congress And it was made
! by Smoot Of Utah in the L 5. Senate.
! He undertook to minimize the profits
! OF the sugar trust, and 10 claim that
the American consumer gets the benefit
| of the trust s operations. In view of
the well-known fact that sugar is and
has been for some time much higher
than in former years, il is astonishing
that Smoot should have had the eff
frontery TO make such claim. All
who buy sugar know that the retail
price is materially higher than in for
MGR years. and they know that ii is
| the operations of the sugar trust that
| have made IL so.
Smoot's claim that the beet-sugar
makers can supply the needs of the
country if the customs laws remain
stable and protective, is not borne out
by the facts. These laws have been
stable and protective for many years,
! and yet the gain in output of the beet
sugar industry, magnificent rs it has
been. has fallen far short of keeping
up with the increase in the sugar
demand of The country; more and
more sugar has to be imported
every year TO supply the demand, in
spite of the immense increase in the
production Of beet sugar, And where
Smoot suggests that it is the uncer
tainty of legislation as to the sugar
duty that prevents even a greater in
crease in the bcct-sugar production, he
is misleading. 1t Is not this uncer-
tainty about legislation which prevents
that expansion, but the arbitrary de
cree Of the sugar trust itself, in for
bidding The building of more beet
sugar factories, his in order 10 keep
down the supply and thus Justify its
raise in the price of sugar, In direct
support Of this showing as to the mo
nopoistic and evil trust method. We cite
the case of the proposed beet sugar
factory TO he built at or near Gunni
son. in Sanpete county. The local beet
sugar company, Of which L, r. Cutler
is and has been tho manager from its
beginning. made the direct promise
that it would build that Gunnison sugar
factory The people there relied upon
that promise, and LET 60 an independent
proposition to build n factory outside
the trust. AS time went on and no
move WAS made TO put in the promised
factory. inquiry was made for the rca-
son; and then the explanation was
publicly made that the local sugar
company had acted in good faith, and
genuinely intended 10 build the fac
tory as promised, but that the sugar
trust of the East, with which the local
sugar company is affiliated, and which
owns the majority Of It's stock, had put
a veto on the proceedings. So that here
is the true explanation Of whatever
restriction there may have been III the
growth of the bect-sugar industry, not
any uncertainty as to the law. And
no doubt what the sugar trust has done
in Utah, ii has also done elsewhere.
InQuiring further into Smoot's s posi-
lion, moro especially as to the local
phase of the question, il is clear that
he is also partisan and misleading here.
The salary Of President Smith of the
local sugar trust docs not exceed $4,000
year he says. But why not give
The exact fgurcs7 Why not state, also,
how much Smith gets out of the bus.
ness altogether, in sugar dividends and
in the watering and manipulation of
the sugar stocks! IT is only showing
like that. which will determine Smith s
real interest in the sugar industry. OF
course, tho $2iO0 a year is mere
nothing compared with the whole sum
drawn down on this sugar account
yearly by President Smith.
Smoot saws that Smith should be
considered a benefactor TO the beet
farmers, as they are eager to plant
beets TO supply his factories They
arc eager when he spurs their eager
! ness by COUNSEL which they dare
not refuse to take, For, the fact is.
that there is general disinclination
on the part of the farmers every sea-
son to plant beets; often this takes the
form Of open revolt against planting.
But Smith is always able to suppress
that revolt, and to practically coercc
the farmers (Mormons, almost cxclu.
| sircly. and bound TO obey the '.coun.
sell Of Smith as ''prophet, seer. and
| revelator, } INTO raising what beets
he wants. The reluctance of the farm
ers springs from the fact that the price
| Of sugar has been raised from $3.50 a
! hundred to 5000 a hundred. while the
price Of bcets per ton has been kept at
the old rate of $3.50. The practical
result is that whereas the farmers could
formerly get hundred weight Of sugar
| for a ton of beets. they can get now
only seventyfve pounds. They find
themselves steadily at the disadvau-
tage of having TO give third more
weight in beets TO get hundred pounds
of sugar than before. 1t is no wonder
that they feel themselves robbed by
their "friend,' with no redress And
A l.zl,1