The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1912-03-16

II "Mf. W1Ilettt. II Yes SIR
Mr.. Kinds. You speak of our be-
ing independents Of Europe?* -
Mr.. Willett. Yesy@, .E'tl5
Mrs ~Hines:~1 Even,a although we
produced& enough to, as, YOU might
say, supply ourselves, nevertheless
that would not give US sugar any
cheaper than they would get it in
Europe on, that specific year; would
it?
Mr.. Willett, 1t would give us sug-
ar always, cheaper than they would
get it in Europe in any year, if I
understand your question, right. :
Mr.. Hines. Yes. You think, then,
it would be possible for us, to. get
sugar, by reason of our greater pro-.
duction- -
Mr.. Kinds (continuing). Under
the worlds price?
Mr.. Willett. At all times under
the worlds price. We get it now
at all times except for two or three
months in the year. (Part 81, page
I3095 Of Hearings).-
/, 1t appears that the sugar beet in
dustry is the only real competitor
that the sugar trust has at present
and that the elimination Of the tar
iff will SO injure the beet industry
that eventually it will be driven out
of existence. Then with the home
industry stifled and the duty on the
raw goods removed the trust will be
in a position to charge any, price
that it sees fit. When that point is
reached, it will then be up to the,
American people to pay, or to re-es-
tablishs the tariff and start once,
again to build up the beet sugar in
dustry.
Listen to the argument of the six
retiners and the common people:
Refners: Reduce the price ON raw
sugar and it will be lowered to the
consumer. .-
People: If we remove the tariff,
we kill your only competitor and you
can fix the price to suit your will
Rehners: Choicely located beet
factories would continue to operate
If the tariff was withdrawn.
People: If the reduction of the
tariff will allow factories only in the
most favored communities, then
there will be no advancement of the
industry. Capital is timid about
venturing into uncertain places.
Reiners: Last year the home pro-
duction of sugar beets reduced our
profits by $6,000,00O.
People: In spite Of this the price
has gone up. With you in absolute
control of the field we would soon
repay you that $6,00O,00O.
Refiners: Before the beet sugar
arrived, we served you we'll and
faithfully:
People: Before the coming of the
sugar beet, there were differences of
40 to so per cent between the price
of raw and refined sugar while now
the margin is narrower.
Refiners: For every ton of raw
sugar we import, we pay out $6.72
to American labor.
! People: For every ton of sugar
produced from American beets, $75
is distributed to American labor.
Refiners: You can never hope to
| produce enough home grown sugar.
People: Secretary Wilson says
| that at the present rate of yield, g.
100000 acres would raise enough for
our total home consumption and that
we have 274,000,000 acres available.
! Refners: One process of making
sugar Is just as cleanly as another
whether it be from cane or beets.
People: No, Mr.. Refiner, from the
time that beets go into the bin and
through the washer, it is continu-
GUS process to the sugar in the bag
twenty-four hours later and the hand
of man never touches it until after
the retail grocer weighs it out. Your
raw cane sugar. made in the tropics;
is piled up in great bins for weeks,
where millions Of flies gather on it,
peon labor tramps over it in bare feet
and it is subject to all sorts of filth
and pollution, after which it is ship
ped In il1-smelling holds of ships to
your retlneries and you clean it up.
We prefer to use our home produced
beet sugar which is known to be
clean from beginning to end. ..
Last year the United States pro-
dueed, $4,000 tons of beet sugar, ac-
cording to testimony, given before
the Hardwick ,, committee. This is
estimated as being, about half of the
quantity necessary to secure equili-
brium of prices in America. It is tes-
timated that i ,0OO, 200 tons per year
would make us independent of the
prices asked for raw sugar on the
Hamburg, market.
If Beltrami county did not have
the best kind of soil for the pro-
/ duction- Of sugar beets it might
seem far cry to some that we should
be SO interested in the sugar tariff.
But every man that uses su ugar in his
coffee, oatmeal, or the hundred and
one dishes that he, eats contributes