Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-17

cross. appearing in recent number OF
the Cosmopolitan. one installment OF
"The Beet Sugar Round-Up," occasion
| is taken to 'drub" the sugar trust for
! its connection With the beet sugar IN
| terests Of the country. Whether or not
this "drubbing" is deserved. and. re-
gardless OF the much agitated questions
concerning trust methods. and also. re-
gardless OF the vital principles under
| lying the rationale of trust formation,
that portion of the article referring to
the beet sugar proposition will be no.
| ticed.
No argument is considered so conclu-
| sive as that of statistics. and an ,mpos-
| ing array of figures look formidable.
| yet 1t is equally well known that nc
| argumentative device is so easily made
! TO suit the occasion as statistics. The
| juggling of figures is a fine art in the
hands of the skilful. The same set OF
figures may be made to prove either
side of an argument Therefore, tho
matter of statistics Will not enter into
this discussion. The history of the in
PRODUCTION of the beet sugar enterprise
in this country was stormy one, but
possibly no more so than tine develop
men of any other of our great Indus
tries. This difference Is to be noted
however, that while most OF the large
industries of America have been born
and reared under American conditions,
the beet sugar industry was an emil
grant. coming over here full grown and
ready to go TO work. In other words,
the large industries OF the world today
have been developed here either first or
at least contemporaneous with the same
industries In foreign countries. Not so
with the beet sugar Industry. 1t was
developed in Europe and was not intro
duced into America until it was an old
and tried institution there.
1t Is true that its introduction was
attended with many discouragements
and many purSe-raclSing experiences.
Factories were started by enthusiasts
with their eyes more firmly fixed on
the future possibilities than on the i'm
mediate and essential factors necessary
TO insure success. Many such factories.
il not failures were at least under seri-
Gus financial stress and in precariouS
condition for many years. 1t Is but JUS
tice to add, however, at this point that
with but one or two exceptions, these
factories have all been made successful
either by relocation OF strict economy
1t was easy for enthusiastic men, with
the progressive urge working over time.
to figure how many tons of beets should
grow on an acre. about what the cost
would be, what the selling price or
sugar was. and the approximate cost of
manufacturing a pound of sugar. The
prospect was allurng. However, the
necessary or essential details were eth
er overlooked or not understood. The
matter of soil. climate. water supply,
fuel and limestone. and the attitude of
the farming community were not taken
thoroughly into account and given the
attention required. 1t seems that the
early promoters were under the impress
sion that if the factory could be secured
these other things would be added Yet
this was not all they had to contend
with. 1t must be remembered that the
sugar industry is not indigenous to
the United States. and that the first
beet sugar manufactured in this coun-
try was made by foreign sugar men
and by foreign machinery. In Contl-
mental Europe the industry Is an old
we'll established and stable enterprise.
All the factors of success and failure
are known and we'll understood To
bring such an enterprise into conditions
so radically differing from those under
which 1t was reared required an i'm
ulcISS VI WILL Is GdllCu
nerve" Tho optimistic American
jumped TO the conclusion that he could
bring this enterprise to successful con-
clusion Immediately. He forgot, or
rather did not understand the condl-
tions. The growing of beets in Europe
with cheap labor where families are
large, and the farms small, and the
work all done by hand, is an entirely
different proposition from what 1t was
when brought to America, where il is
almost a boast that every American
farmer has a quarter section of land.
Then again. the American farmer does
not take kindly to being dictated to In
the manner of, or In regards to his
methods of farming. and he felt the
factory management was interfering
with his rights when the attempt was
made to educate him in the culture of
the sugar beet. He did not understand
the requirement of the sugar beet In
the matter OF intensive culture. The
consequence was that after year OF so
the early factories had developed large
sized breaches between themselves and
the farming community. This was to
the disadvantage of the factory more
than to the farmer. The factory must
have the beets The farmer had his
regular crops, with which he was ac-
cept so far as the matter of his local
pride was concerned. did not care
whether the factory was successful or
not Then, too. this was augmented
by the European field experts failing
TO understand American conditions OF
soil, climate, etc, and their attempts
to assume the same attitude toward the
free American farmers that they did
toward the peasant of Europe The fac.
tory management was In the hands OF
inexperienced men. who in an Amerl-
can industry would undoubtedly have
been at home. yet when put into the
sugar business. which then had more
the air of foreign land they were lost
and strangers to the place Factory
control WAS not understood. the ma
chinery itself was new and strange, its
operation more or less mystifylng. De-
pendence must be placed in foreign ex-
perts. who however much they may
have understood the matter of sugar
were woefully at sea when placed in
control Of American labor No system
had been evolved. The markets were
not understood. Absolutely all litera-
turc pertaining TO all phases of the
business was In q foreign language. In
fact IL was the translation and the
transplanting of an enterprise. nurtured
In the peasant districts OF Europe. fos-
tered under the protection of friendly
legislation and managed by men grown
old in the business into new and un-
tried surroundings. where Its success
depended upon It's ability TO thrive on