Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1912-05-24

Owosso Sugar company, factories
at Owosso and Lansing, Mich.
German American Sugar company,
with factories in Michigan and Ohio.
Mt. Clemens Sugar company, Mt.
Clemens, Mich.
St. Louis Sugar company, st.
Louis, Mich.
West Michigan Sugar company,
Charlevoix, Mich.
Western Sugar Refining company,
Marine City, Mich.
Wisconsin Sugar company, Memo
menee Falls, Mich.
Chippewa Sugar company, Chippe-
wa Falls, Mich.
Rock County Sugar company,
GAINESVILLE, Wis.
U. S. Sugar company, Madison,
Wis.
Nevada Sugar company, Fallon,
New.
San Luis Valley Sugar company,
Monte Vista, Colo.
Pacific Sugar corporation, with fac
tories at Nisalia and Corcoran. Cal.
If it is really desired to curb the
refiners or trust, lower the duty on
refined, keeping raw sugar duties
where they are, or at least lower the
duty on refined to a greater extent
than on raw sugars, always OF course
basing the duties upon business ba-
sis.
Gov. Thomas hopes for tariff
written by statesmen instead of sugar
spectators. Without wishing to cast
reflections upon our law makers, the
fact is, nevertheless true, that they
are not sufficiently informed to write
such a tariff or if informed are not
guided by their information. Witness,
for instance, the vote of the house on
the free sugar bill, when, from the in
formation the house had before it, it
costs more in some instances Tor the
sugar in the beet than it cost Euro
pean manufacturers to lay refined
sugar down in New York. Nor should
the tariff schedule be written by SUI
gar spectators as. it no doubt has
been i'll the past, but, certainly 1t Is
to be hoped that there are men in this
country who are well enough versed
to give congress information upon
which tariff can be drafted which
country. ! rather feel that such in
formation has been furnished but it
cannot have been used.
There are certain broad questions
of political economy and statesman
ship underlying the beet sugar indus
try which do not seem to be recog-
nized at all by our law makers. The
country recognizes the evil effects OF
the movement of our population from
the country to the city. Efforts are
made to check or reverse this move
mcnt. Yet that the beet sugar in
dustry is the only factor of any i'm
portance which does so is not consid-
cred.
The beet sugar industry is and OF
necessity must be a rural industry.
| The factories for the manufacture of
| this article cannot, Tor obvious rea-
sons. be massed i'll our centers of pop
ulation and there add their quota to
| the filth and misery OF the ever-grow-
| ing Stun areas. They must, for eco
nomic reasons, due to the bulky and
perishable nature OF their raw mater
| ial, be distributed in comparatively
small units throughout the agric ultur-
al areas suitable to the cultivation oil
| the. beet. II is the one world indus
| try of consequence which brings
| manufac turers and farmers into inn
mediate contact.
Furthermore, every beet sugar fac
tory is an agricultural college set
down among the farmers. The agri-
cultural staff of such an institution
| reaches hundreds of farmers whom
| our agricultural colleges could never
| reach Every beet sugar factory is
a chemical and mechanical laboratory
| on giantic scale and bring thou
sands of people into immediate con-
tact with the results of modern sci
cnce who. otherwise, would never feel
its influence. 1t teaches and practices
intensive agriculture without which
it cannot survive. Its influence, more
than anything else, has brought about
this tremendous increase in crop
yields in Germany and elsewhere until
it makes 4 good American ashamed
to look a table of comparison of crop
yield per acre. between Germany and
this country, in the. face.
Perhaps the beet sugar manufac
turcrs have been and are guilty OF
many sins of commission as well as
omission. Perhaps they have erred in
their policies and, as long as we, as
people, pay them premium or in
direct bounty by way OF the tariff, we
have right to know and inquire in
to the state OF affairs, but is the only
remedy an entire removal OF the tar
if and consequent destruction OF the
industry? That surely would be an
admission OF weakness on our part.
If these people have been making an
unreasonable large profit then it
should be reduced either by partial
reduction OF the tariff or by distribut-
ing a greater share. OF the profit among
the producers. the farmers.
Gov. Thomas finds that some OF
the beet sugar manufacturers have
enormously increased their capitali-
cation by watering stock. True, no
doubt. But will the removal of the
tariff cure this canker of American
industrial life? Will removal of the
tariff squeeze the water out of our