The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-30
PRESIDENTS JOSEPH F. AND JOHN
HENRY SMITH INTERVIEWED
oresonlan, July Goth.

| Portland Oregonian, July GOTH
The true story of the connection be-
] tween the Mormon Church and the sii-
gar trust WIS told In Portland yesterday
by Joseph F: Smith: the venerable and
famous president OF the Church. who
with his wife. IL of his children and one
grandchild. his second counselor and
cousin. John Henry smith: Bishor
the faith: Seymour B. Young, president
| of the seventies. the principal body OF the
Mormon clergy: their wives and some
OF their children, party OF - In ALL
The coming OF President Havemeyer
OF the sugar trust TO our country, said
President Smith. stroking his gray beard
as he talked, In unconscious emphasis OF
his words. has been one OF the grandest
and greatest boons TO prosperity and sue
cess to the people OF Utah and Idaho that
given employment to the settlers and
their families. and TO thousands more
who have since come In; IL has built up a
vast industry where none was before.
OF the land.
Sugar Price Doesn't Rise.
"And moro than that he added,
throwing back his broad shoulders. now
somewhat bent from 73 years OF life
most OF which was passed In the sturdy
industry OF the pioneer farmer. since
Mr. HavcmeyeT came to Utah In the carly
COS. the prices OF chickens. OF hogs and
livestock generally, and OF vegetables.
farm products and foodstuffs OF oil kinds
have gone up many times. but the price
of sugar there still remains substantially
at the same figure.
we hold Mr.. Havemeycr, as far as
the work he has done in our country is
concerned. In the greatest respect He
looked us squarely In the eye and did as
he said he would do. Never once did he
And for all that we feel very kindly to-
wards his memory.
"Let II be understood, however. that
the Mormon Church has never bought
sugar trust Mr., Havemeyer bought
half interest in the sugar company which
the Church, by backing with Its own
credit and taking stock In payment. at
a time when the corporation was on the
verge Of bankruptcy. had saved. Later
this company built or acquired control
OF other sugar making plants In Utah and
Idaho. Mr.. Havemeyer putting up hall the
money. The Church was interested only
in so far as 1t held the stock mentioned.
'In the simple. straightforward Ian
establishment. President Smith then told
the interesting story OF how the beet
sugar industry became such an important
factor In the industrial growth OF Utah
and Idaho. and Of the events that led to
the coming OF Havemeyer. None could
be more competent to tell these details
for President Smith himself came across
the plains to Join the Mormon colony in
IS4s and has been one OF the most promi-
nent figures In the fostering OF the In
dustry.
AS far back as 1850 said he. Brig
ham Young had felt that the people OF
Utah should raise their own sugar. He
made very careful study OF the indus
try, and the result was that ne sent all
and for modern manufacturing plant.
n had to be OF light construction. for
bringing II across the plains by oxteam
presented great difficulties.
Sorghum Plan Fails.
"'Well. they planted sugar beets and
The experiment was a failure. They
couldn't get tho sugar The plant
worked all right. but the beets didn't |
produce enough sugar TO make 1t worth |
While and so tho project was abandoned |
or A time
"'Then n few years later. one OF the
most prominent of the settlers conceived
he idea that sugar could be produced |
rom sorghum-thc sorghum plant is n |
;ort Of n halfway between sugarcane |
md corn. This experiment. too. failed.
Excellent molasses was got. but not much
'uRar.' $3.50.
president Smiths ewes twinkled a |
bit through the rims OF his Glasses as he
'ecalled the failure. OF those carly efforts
O make the sugar sugar correspondlng
making the Jelly jell Evidently II
,adnit been a smiling matter then. how
yer. But. the pioneers wouldn't give up
neiT cream OF nSNlnE reals nome grown
ucar.
1--WE tried again In the '9os said
President Smith. This time we con-
racted with a man named Dyer to build
is n factory. on a payment of $50 600
Iown, and organized stock company.
The stock In this company-amounting to
omething more than 81 .0o0, ,000-we
damned to sell by subscription. and we
esred especiallv 10 have the stock sell [
ow enough so that the people generally
ould subscribe One man subscribed
80. 600, another $4,000. others $4,000.
nd so on.
Church Rescues Company.
Everything went we'll enough until
came to paying In the subscriptions
nd then most OF the subscribers ran
hort OF money. Cash wasn't always a
cry plentiful commodity In those days
We couldn't raise even the $4,000 We
ad guaranteed to pay for the factory |
nd the time OF paying the contract
ad come. /, myself, spent several days
raveling through the state but the
eople simply didn't have the money.
1t was at phis critical juncture
hat, 10 save the company from going
and to save the new sugar In
ustry. the church came to the rescue.
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