Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-03-05
Farmers Union Executive Commit.
tee Meets Manager Wietzer
NO AGREEMENT
is REACHED
A. B. S. Co. Will Not Accept the Flat
Rate Contract Prepared by Farm
ers Union and Latter Takes
Time to Consider New
COMPANY Contracts.


cussing the differences between the
growers and company, mainly in re-
gard to the contracts-the Farmers
Union having prepared a contract for
a fiat rate of SI per ton. while the
Company. contract is scaled from
$3.50 to $3.50 per ton.
The meeting was held in the fac
tory office, the following members OF
the executive committee being pres
ent:
]. F. Michaels, Pueblo. Chairman.
]. NJ. Shaulis, Rocky Ford, Secre-
Z. G. Herzberger. Fowler
J. w. Wilson. Avondale.
Arthur s. Manning, Rocky Ford
L. H. Pink, Manzanola.
The Enterprise has interviewed Mr.
Wietzer and members of the commit
tee. and we are thus enabled to give
a comprehensive report OF the meet
ing. which will prove of great inter
ity of whom are vitality interested in
the subject under discussion.
Mr.. Michaels, spokesman for the
committee. opened the conference
with a short statement of the reason
why it had been asked of Mr.. Wietz-
er. He said that it was getting late
In the season and the farmers had to
within short time decide upon the
different crops they would grow,
therefore the committee came to re-
quest that the Company grant the S5
fat rate, as otherwise he thought the
beet acreage grown would be very
small. With the prices the Company
offered, the growers, he stated, had
to take all the risk, and this they
could not afford. He also criticised
the terms of the beet contract. stat.
ing that the Unions attorney had
told them that the growers were sign
ing all their rights away in the con-
tract. while the Company was prac-
tically not bound.
Mr.. Witzcr replied. explaining that
the present three price contract Of
fering:
$3.50 for all beets from IL. to I45
$500 for all beets from I4.5 to I6.
$50 ior all bccts of X per cert
and above
was not a guess OIL an estimate Of
how much the Company could afford
to pay for the bects, but the prices
were based on the sugar contents OF
the beets deliveeed during the last
FIVE years. and he was fully justified
to say that with average weather and
crop condition the growers would
average at least S. for their beets
during the coming season. and that
with favorable condition. according to
the sugar content of the first three
would exceed $40 per ton. Therefore
1t was not fair to say that the grow
ers had to take all the risk.
The risk the growers had to take
under the present contract was rea-
sonabie one. in fact was reduced to a
minimum. as 1t was not larger than
he had to take with any Of his other
crops. We were justified to expect
at least an average season during the
coming year and therefore the aver
\ age price paid the grower should be
Fat least IS per ton, and the Company
would prefer not to contract with
anybody who felt that he, under av-
erage conditions. could not grow
beets with better than IL or 10 per
cent of sugar and was not willing to
make the effort to improve the qual.
ity of his crop. The fewer beets OF
such low quality the factories had to
work. the better they were pleased
More cooperation between the grow
yet better results.
Mr.. Wietzer also frankly stated
that the Company would not return
to fiat rate, as upon the principle
involved in the present contract Of
fered by the Company, that is the
grower must be financially interested
in the CROP" depended the success OF
the industry in the Valley; only by
such cooperation would the quality
of the beets improve and the indus
try become a permanent. profitable
one, and this should undoubtedly be
the desire and effort of all the grow
ers an dcitizens in the Valley.
Mr.. Wietzer said also that wherever
the method of taring or similar mat
tiers were concerned. there could be
no difficulty to agree on the bes'
practical terms of operation as the
Company always desired to adop'
the best method. and in these case:
he would be willing to do so, even al
an additional expense OF an extra op
Grating man at each station:
Mr.. Michacls, when criticising the
terms of the contract, mentioned thai
some of the bcets delivered last sea
son had not been paid for. This wa:
strongly resented by. Mr.. Wietzer
who pointed out to the members o
the executive committee the harm
done through such statement. be
=. cause If the member was careles:
enough to make the mistake OF re-
peafing such falsehoods, it could moi
be surprising tia: :he average mem