Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1913-12-06
A CRIMP IN BEET
SUGAR.

Germany has for some years pro
duced an average OF 2,5OO,UUU tons OF
beet sugar annually.
1t has taken Germany 90 years to
build up this magnificent industry.
1t has been the result of a rigorous
policy of protection to the home IN
dustry. No sugar produced i'll Ger
man colonial possessions is permitted
to enter the German market III com
petition wit hthe sugar produced in
the German empire
Besides, bounties and kartels have
been provided to help out the beet
growers and sugar manufacturer in
Germany.
The beet sugar industry in the Uni
ted States was inaugurated about 10
wears ago. Protection was promised
the beet sugar producer, but before
the industry was fairly on its legs the
importers and reiiners of raw sugar
became alarmed at the promising in
FAINT, and inaugurated a crusade
against it, Under the specious plea,
the duty we owe to Cuba, the re
fning trust lobbied through congress
the Cuban reciprocity treaty and 80
sugar companies being organized to
build and operate beet factories threw
up the sponge The refining trust
spent several hundred thousand dol
lars lobbying that treat" through con
gress.
Despite that handicap the beet in
dustrv developed until some 70 odd
factories were erected and the pro-
duct had reached about 100000 tons
This competition forced the price of
sugar down in the markets and alarm
ed the sugar trust 1t at once be-
gan another crusade for free sugar
and the country knows the result.
Had the government of the United
States adopted the sugar policy pur-
sued by the German government,
there would now be 500 sugar fac
tories producing annually fully 2,0OO,-
600 tons of sugar. and the hundred
million dollars annually paid by the
people of this country for sugar would
be kept at home and American labor
would be the gamer to that extent.
In the beet sugar industry alone
more than $l00.000000 of capital is
invested. producing 100000 tons of SUI
gar and paying out yearly S20,OOO.0OO
to the farmers for beets Tens of
thousands of farmers produced beets
on 365 900 acres of land.
Not only is this industry the chief
source of income for these farmers.
but aids in enriching the soil, max
ing possible the production of greater
crops and furnishing feed to an i'm
mense number of cattle and hogs.
There are 20 States engaged in beet
sugar production, Colorado, Califor-
MIA and Michigan leading.
The cane sugar industry in Texas
the present time of at least $l50,000,-
600 directly and indirectly, and gives
employment to $4,000 people
As it is. the beet sugar industry in
the United States has been to an ex-
ten handicapped from the outset and
has been deprived OF the fostering
care it has received in Europe.
CAPITAL almost single handed has
had to shoulder almost the entire bur
den of what has been accomplished.
We know of no other industry in
which the price of the raw material
has been so constant with so variable
price for the resulting product; in
no other industry has the price OF the
raw material risen SO steadily while
the price OF the finished product has
gone SO steadily downward. The
miller does not guarantee in advance
price for wheat with -four fluctuat
ing; the packers do not guarantee a
price for hogs with meat prices liable
TO variation. In no instance but our
own has there been guaranteed
price for the raw material from year
to year with possible fluctuations OF
50 per cent in the selling price OF the
finished product
Whether with the change in the tar
if it will be possible for the factories
to carry the load placed upon them
and permit the industry to even hold
its own. let alone any thought of ex
pansion, must be left to the logic of
events to determine. Certain it is the
industry is confronted with a most
serious proposition.-Bay City mich