Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1912-05-24
ABOUT BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY
Continued from Page Four

of its sugar. To affirm this is inn
possible, as Gov. Thomas does, is
contrary to fact, if the experience of
other nations have any value. When
country like Geremaeney, on an
area less than our state of Texas, can
not only grow the sugar it consumes,
but also exports large quantities, what
particular reason exists that we could
not supply our own demand!
| Sugar is a food and its consump-
ton is increasing rapidly. With the
possible exception OF bread, sugar is
cheaper than any other food staple.
We know that the cost OF living is
continuously mounting, yet, among
all the great commodities, sugar is the
only article that has not risen; in fact,
excepting the recent rise-due to the
almost complete crop failure in parts
OF Europe last year-sugar has act
ually fallen in price. The tendency
of sugar values has always been, and
will continue to be for some. time,
downward. To go into the causes for
this would take altogether beyond the
scope of this article, but the writer S
eighteen years OF experience in the
manufacture of this food staple per-
mits him to make the statement. Gov.
Thomas says that the demand for this
great staple is growing faster than
then has the value OF sugar been con-
tinuously falling? This is contrary
to the law OF supply and demand.
In discussing the labor problem in
connection with the sugar tariff Gov.
Thomas writes as follows: | am told
that the labor employed in raising
sugar beets is the cheapest in. the
country. 1t is done almost entirely
by foreigners, by japanese. Chinese
and Hindoos in California; by Mcxi-
cans, Russians and Polocks in Colora-
do and other beet-growing sections.
And again, This labor is as cheap as
it can be. The wages received can
not fall without extinction
1t is true that a large part of the
labor in the beet fields is performed
by the people to whom he refrs, but
what he means when he says this for
cign labor is the cheapest in the coun-
try the writer cannot understand.
Surely the governor does not know
that this cheap labor he refers to is
the best paid unskilled labor in the
country. He certainly does not know
that some of the japanese and Rus
slams he refers to, earn as much per
day as many 4 sweat shop working
girl or man earns per week. He will
find, upon investigation, that some OF
those workers earn from So to SIS per
day durin gthe season when their la
Dor is required in the fields. The
writer is sure the governor does not
know that in the Arkansa valley the
best work stock is owned by Japan
csc and Russians, whose first work
was on the beet fields and who now
arc either tenants farming or are
proud possesors OF piece OF ground
of their own. The writer is certain
not write as he does. The work is
unquesionably hard, as the writer can
testify from experience. These peo-
pie work from early morn till dusk
and earn their large wages i'll contract
work, but while the work is hard it is
healthy. These people grow into
useful members OF society. And al
so, is it not true that this supposedly
; cheap labor is employed by the farm
crs, not the factories? Only in case
D the sugar companies own land and
3 grow beets themselves do they employ
. field labor and this is small minor
ity OF the total thus employed.
The writer firmly believes that the
influence OF the sugar trust upon the
, development of the beet sugar indus
/ try has been most pcrnicious. The
first move was to crush it, then TO
control it and the trust failed in both
instances. The impression seems to
exist that the trust is in practical con
I troll of the industry. To correct this
mistaken impression a list OF the in
dependent manufacturers in the coun-
e try is here given:
: South Western Sugar and Land
company, Glendale. Ariz.
Los Alamitos Sugar company. Los
Alamitos, Cal.
Union Sugar company, Betteravia,
} Cal.
American Beet Sugar company,
with factories in California, Colorado
and Nebraska.
Sacramento Valley Sugar company,
Hamilton, Cal.
Southern California Sugar COM
, pany, Santa Ana, Cal.
Anaheim Sugar company, with fac
tories in California and Colorado.
National Sugar Manufacturing COM
pany, Sugar City, Colo.
Western Sugar and Land company,
Grand Junction, Colo,
Charles Pope company, Riverdale,
III.
U. S. Sugar and Land company,
Garden City, Kan.
West Bay City Sugar company, Bay