Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1913-09-19
TRUST WARS ON
U. S. PRODUCERS
Control Of Market Threatened
by Beet Industry.
COMPETITION CUTS PRICES.

Refiners Who Have Been Forced to Re-
pay Government $500, 900 For Frauds
Now Demand Elimination Of Growing
Farm Industry.
For the first time in the quarter CEN
fury that the sugar trust has been in
existence its domination over the sugar
market Of the United States has been
broken this year. temporarily at least.
according to trade experts. This re-
suit has been accomplished, not by gov
eminent prosecution or through the
competition Of other refiners. but by
the increase In the market supply Of
sugar grown by American farmers and
manufactured in the seventy-three beet
sugar factories scattered from Ohio to
California.
The production Of beet sugar during
the present year (1912-13) was much
larger than ut any time since the cul
tivation of sugar beets was taken up
by American farmers. The output is
estimated at 100000 tons. or enough to
supply the trade demands Of the popula-
ton of I'LL the states west of the Missis-
sippi if it We're confined entirely to that
section. The coming of this sugar upon
the market and the sharp competition
Of the beet sugar manufacturers among
themselves put down prices through
out the central and western states to
point ut which the cane refiners
could not compete. For several months
domestic sugar WAS sold throughout
this territory ut from 80 to 80 points
below the scaboard price of the i'm
ported product. Not only was the for
eign grown sugar driven out of the
west. but for til" first time beet sugar
actually invaded the New York market
and underSold the cane product under
the very caves Of the trust retinerieS.
Two of the hi" retincries on the At
lantic seaboard closed down entirely.
and others We're put on reduced time.
1t is agreed by trade experts that the
competition of the domestic grown
beet product made sugar an average OF
half cent Il pound lower than 1t
otherwise would have been and that 1t
will have the effect Of keeping prices
low throughout 1913.
Under examination before the con-
srcssional committee appointed to in
vestigate the sugar industry Il. Il. At
kin>. acting president of the American
Sugar Refining company, popularity
known as the sugar trust. declared that
the rclncrs must operate at loss dur
ing at least three months OF every year
on account of the competition OF beet
sugar and that this competition was
becoming more severe every year. The
other leading rcfncrS made similar ad-
! missions. With the rapid increase In
! the output of beet sugar the period dur
! ing which rcfiners are unable to con-
! troll prices and to operate ut their usual
profit grows steadily longer and points
to the time when they will be unable
longer to earn high dividends on their
heavily watercd stocks.
| 1t is this menace to their continued
domination of sugar prices throughout
the United States. created by the rapid
expansion of the home sugar industry
that has caused the retincrs to Opel
war on the beet growing farmers OF
Montana and other states and the
manufacturers of beet sugar who Ee
their supplies from these farmers;
With the admissions of the sugar bee
growers and manufacturers themselves
and statements OF such agricultural au
thorities as ex-Secretary Of Agricultur,
Wilson that it is impossible at the pres
ent time for American farmers an,
manufacturers. with the higher wage
and higher prices for bects which the!
pay, to compete against the sugar o
the tropics, grown by yellow and blacl
labor. without duty on the latter prod