The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-18

ROLAPP ON BEET SUGAR.

Former Judge Henry n. Eoapp is out
in plea for beet sugar. He has an
idea that the present movement FOR
putting raw sugar upon the free lust,
or very materially reducing the duty
upon it. is n scheme Of the cane sugar
men aud directed against the beet
sugar industry; and he makes an ear
nest plea for the extension of the rals-
| ing of sugar beets and the manufac-
ture of more beet sugar
The plea is well meant, but tho fact
is that the increase in the production
Of beet sugar, great as 1T has been,
does not keep pace with the increase OF
the consumption of sugar In the United
States 1t would be advantageous to
the people Of the United States un-
doubtedly, as Judge Rolapp argues. if
we could raise all Of our own sugar;
but we fall very short of this, the total
of sugar produced in this country
amounting to mere fraction or the
total consumption, and the production
is losing as compared with the gain In
consumption every year.
Judge Rolapp argues that If the
500 100000 pounds Of foreign cane
sugar that is imported into the United
States from Cuba were displaced by au
| equal amount Of American beet sugar,
the bcets so raised would require al
additional 100000 acres of land, and
the product would cause the expendi-
ture of an additional $60,000,0 900 among
the farming communities of our own
country That, reckoning as he does
the average product of sugar beets at
ten tons per acre, would mean the pay
ment to the farmers of So a ton for
their sugar beets. which, As we under,
stand, is not always done.
If the beet-sugar makers would deal
as fairly with the farmers who raise
the bcets as they ask the public to deaI
with the beet sugar industry, we think
that their cause would be far more
popular than il has been heretofore
There has been an inclination on the
part Of the beet sugar factory people
to hold the price of beets down to th'
lowest notch, and on the other hand tC
get as much as possible for the sugar
If, for instance. the beet sugar maker:
would have a standard Of paying the
farmers So a ton for their beets and
sell their beet sugar at s. a hundred
we think that the feeling between the
sugar-b beet raisers and the beet-sugal
makers would be more amicable, and
bo
muuity in general at about that price
without taking advantage of temporary
markets, there would he more genera
disposition on the part of every one
in the community to stand by the beet
sugar industry.
The enormous profits that have beer
made by the local sugar trust. and it!
disposition, on the ono part, TO hole
down the price paid to the farmers TO
their beets, and on the other to eXac
from the community the highest pos
sible price for the sugar has createt
feeling that it would be we'll Il
ameliorate. This region is grea
center of sugar beet production, anr
there would be no question about tht
unanimous support Of everybody here
for the beet-sugar industry if there
were better eive-andtake programme
in force. II is certainly not well TO
the farmers to feel themselves skimpet
in prices and the sugar consumers tt
; feel themselves bled on the same score
The enormous profits of the beet.suga
) makers are well understood in the com
muuitv, and while no one begrudge:
them fair returns on their investment
and n good. comfortable reward beside
] for the long period of experimentation
and uncertainty, the community doe
feel that the time has come for "A NOR,
reciprocal state of affairs than has here
: tofore existed.
ii is all right for the beet-suga
makers TO appeal to the community fo
r support and it is right for the com
muuity 70 support them; always pro
, vided, that the community is treate'
fairly Mt all times as well as at th,
time when appeal is made for help
It is we'll to act unitedly for the com
mon interests; but when a special in
terest takes everything to itself for ;
long while. taking no account OF The
community until it gets into tigh
place. and then calls on the community
for help, the average citizen is likely tt
think that he would have been glad OF
this effort for reciprocal benefits i
it had been applied before and some
what also on the side Of reciprocity.