The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-16
BEET GROWERS TREATMENT

There are signs that the beet growers
of this State are waking up to the fact
that the sugar companies, under the
firm grip of the church chiefs, arc
mistreating and robbing them. In the
carly history of sugar-making in
Utah there was a correlation between
the price of ton of beets and the
price of a hundred weight of sugar;
they were the same. The farmer could
get from the sugar factory hundred
pounds of sugar for every ton of beets
he turned in. Now he gets seventy
five pounds of sugar for every ton Of
beets he turns IN.
In the meantime the sugar companies
and their stockholders have grown
enormously rich at the expense of the
sugar beet farmers. The stock Of these
sugar companies has been watered pro-
fuscly time and again, IN order to dis
cuise the enormous dividend rates re-
ceived on the investment of the com
panies.' stocks. The farmers. while this
was going on, have been grubbing
along, bearing their loss and the dis
elimination against them in this bust
ness as best they might. Year after
wear there have been demands for at
least some share of the profits and a
fair price for beets; but their re-
quests have been denied. This year Mr..
Ecclcs made reply to Cache county beet
growers that the price for their bccts
was more likely 10 be lowered than
raised. And this while his sugar divi-
dends were bursting his pocketsl
In other ways, also, the battle has
gone against the farmer; the factory
managers insist that the farmers shall
not use the hook knives. which they
find so serviceablc in harvesting the
beet crop: the objection to these
knives being such as the farmers do
bone Of contention in which the
factory managers have always had the
better of the farmer; III fact, it is
pretty hard to see wherein the farmer
has had any advantage In late years
from raising sugar beets. But the
edict has gone forth from church head,
quarters that the farmers must raise
beets. and raise beets they have done
The signs of revolt this year, how
ever, are taking on more definite form
The beet growers at Plain CITY, who
market their beets at the Ogden sugar
factory. are making determined stand
for fair treatment against the monopoly
which annually enriches itself at theii
expense. They demand $4I5 ton fol
their beets, and also concession in
transportation, which the factory people
could easily give. One hundred OF these
growers. representing three Thousand
acres of beet lands of Weber County
in mass meeting agreed not TO grow any
beets this season unless their demand:
are granted. There is no doubt what
ever that their demands will be cou
ceded If the farmers will stand to
gether. For each ton S415 was former
ly paid for beets; in those formel
times beet sugar was to be hat
considerably below the rate of five dol
lars for a hundred pounds; now it j
six dollars hundred, and still thu
factory people say that at the presen
price Of sugar they cannot afford t
pny $475 ton for beets! They coult
afford to pay it easily, and max
enormous dividends on their homes
stock, if they had not watcrcd thei
stock by over-issues. These oyer-issue
; represent no investment whatever, bu
mere gratuity to the old stockholders
So far AS the farmers are concernet
there is no reason whatever for urg