Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-03-22
FARMERS ASK
SENATORS AID
Against Adoption. of Free
Sugar Bill
AGRICULTURAL CLUB
ClRCULATES PETITION
ment of Request totSenator
Guggenheim

States senate to that taken by the house
last Frdny would mean the abolition of
the sugar tariff, and consequent depreci-
alton of farm values if not con- nplete ruin
to the sugar beet growers of the Arkan-
sas Valley, officers of the Otero Agricul-
tural Club are this week circulating a
petition and securing practically unani-
nous signatures thereto praying Senator
Guggenheim to use his every effort to
prevent the passage of a free sugar
measure by the senate.
As Enterprise readers are doubtless
aware the democratic free sugar bill
passed the house last Friday by vote
of l6s to lO5, and the measure is now
up to the U. S. senate.
Representative Mondell of Wyoming
(Rep) sought to amend the sugar bill by
making 1t become effective only after
receipt of report on the sugar industry
by the tariff board; Representative
Broussand of Louisiana submitted an
amendment leaving the duty as at pres
ent but abrogating the Cuban preferen-
tial; Representatives Good and Prouty of
Iowa. Lenroot of Wisconsin and Norris
of Nebraska strove to have incorporated
clause providing for bounty on sugar
especially that produced from beet. All
amendments failed.
gshe following extract from testi-
Iirony given before the House commit
tee investigating the sugar schedule,
is so similar to conditions in the Ar
thnt ,S worth
duction.
The witness, Mr.. Thomas Doyle, is
farmer living in Saginaw county,
Mich, and has been growing bects
for number of years and has found
it, according to his sworn statement,
very profitable The witness is be-
ing questioned by Representative
Fordney of Michigan.
Mr.. Fordney: In your opinion has
the growing of beets added value to
the general wealth OF the country and
the price of land in your neighbor-
hood?
Mr.. Doyle: Well, our land has gone
up IS per cent. In other words, |
have got farm l bought at $40 per
acre about IS years ago. in a raw
state, you know, and cleared it up,
and ] can get today SIoo an acre for
it any time. Then we have little
bank there. / am interested i'll it. g.
Before this bet industry came in we
had 100000, the highest VIC ever got,
and now it amounts to almost $780,
600. We started another one 5 miles
east of there two years ago, and the
cashier said if he could get it up 10
100000 he would be tickled. lie is
boy we had with us who thought he
could do we'll He now has S2I2, 900.
and the bank is only three years old
next spring.
Mr.. Fordney: How far apart are
those banks?
Mr.. Doyle: Five miles.
Mr.. Fordney: So your bank COW
crs a territory, say. OF two miles and
half each way?
Mr.. Doyle: Yes. Well, north and
south it would cover more OF terri
tory. probably q miles north. but not
so far south. 1t is a good farming
country.
Mr. Fordney: Is the heft OF that
money deposited by the farmers, or
people in the village?
Mr.. Doyle: By the farmers. The
merchants have little money there,
but they borrow more than they have
on deposit
Mr.. Fordney: Then, in your opin-
ion, the beet industry has added much
to the value of the land?
Mr.. Doyle: 1t is the grandest thing
that ever struck our country for ev-
erybody. not only for the man tina,
grows the beets, but by bringing these
people in there we can use them for
other purposes, on the farm and ev-
erywhere. We are all happy, and we
al 4