Semi-weekly herald., 1912-10-14
THE SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY
AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Colorado are having their eyes opened
to the conspiracy that has been hatch
ed against the prosperity of Colo
RADIO by the sugar trust interests
The situation is this:
If the cane sugar refiners can break
up the beet sugar factories they have
the consumer SO tightly in their grasp
that he has no protection whatever
from the extortionate prices that they
would put in force. Their conspiracy
consists at present in lining up with
the Democratic party for free sugar
in the hope that they can fool the
consumer into cutting his own throat,
Their scheme is doomed to be defeat
ed.
The sugar interests have selected
as the man to betray the people in
southern Colorado Edward Keating,
the Democratic nominee for congress-
man at large.
Keating is supposed to be a build
er in the state of Colorado and not
dcstructionist, yet for the sake of
political office he is ready to pros
titute his position as loyal citizen
state and line up with the cane sugar
refiners' trust, which is seeking not
to benefit the consumer as it is try
ing to make the people believe, but
to restroy the beet sugar industry
in order that the sugar refining trust
may take the consumer by the throat
and make him pay for sugar what
ever it sees fit. With the chance
of winning this fight the cane sugar
trust can well afford to dump thou
sands of dollars into Colorado for the
maintenance of newspapers and to
elect Democratic congressman and
senators who will help it to rob the
pockets of the common people.
For a minute let us look into what
this bugaboo of duty on sugar really
means. The bureau of labor shows
by statistics that the average con-
sumption of sugar is eighty-two
pounds year per capita. From this
amount there fails to be deducted the
amount consumed in manufacturing
preserves, chewing gum, confection-
cry, condensed milk, etc. the retail
price of which is not affected by the
price of sugar. This amounts to
2S.3 pounds per annum, leaving 53.7
pounds as the amount of sugar con-
sumed per capita in this country
each year. Taking the government
reports the average rate of duty col
lected on all sugar imports during the
fiscal year 1911 was 1.3461 cent per
pound. Now, if the duty was removed
and the beet sugar factories continu-
ed in business the price of sugar
could fall that much, which would
amount to a saving to each consum-
er of 72.2S cents per year.
Now, there is no consumer who
for one moment would believe that
the sugar refining trust is going to
let him make all of this saving-not
even if he is told by the hot-air
artists of the Democratic party or by
candidate for congress.
The duty received by the United
States government from sugar i'm
ports into this country during 1911
amounted to $52,406,599. Assuming
that the population of the country
is 90,0O0,000, this amounts to 1898
cents per capita. If this 1898 cents
per capita were not collected by a
duty on sugar, then ii would fall to
be made levy in some other way.
Now, this fact remains plain:
Without a duty on sugar the gov
ernment would have to raise this
amount of taxation and the people
would have to pay it in some form
or other. Now, this would leave a
net balance the consumer would save
by reason of free sugar of 1895 cents
per head. This is what would-be
congressman Heating and Demo-
cratic party are fighting for in the
state of Colorado.
Now, let us take the other side
This year there has been planted
and is now being harvested 100000
acres Of beets, for which the factories
will pay approximately $9,775,000 to
the 1000 farmers who have raised
them. In addition to this the factor
les will pay s1,500,0OO to the labor
ers and other employees who aid in
refining the sugar from these beets,
and the amount paid by the farmers
for labor in the fields is unobtain-
ing. Altogether the sugar factories
will distribute in the state Of Colo
RADIO this year in the neighborhood
of $11,500,00O. Taking the popu-
lation of Colorado at 100000 this
would amount to nearly SLABS per
capita.
The situation, therefore, is this:
to save IA cents per year to each
individual in Colorado the Democrat
ic party and its office-seeking hordes
are willing to take s19.16 out Of the
pockets of each individual.
We will not deal with the destruc-
tion of the same industry in the
states Of Nebraska, Michigan, Idaho,
yYt~h .tr for the people of thege