The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-01-30

August j. Piper of the town of
Somers, president of the Racine
Kenosha County Beet Growers Asso-
citation, has issued call to arms for
the beet growers to prevent the sign
ing of contracts sent out by one of
the beet sugar companies. Mr.. Piper
has issued a formal statement in re-
gard to the contracts in which he
says:
"'The Rock County Sugar company
has come out with beet contract
that is even more tyrannical than the
one of the past season The new con-
tract is in the hands of their solci-
tors, but the farmers thoroughly
aroused from their semi-conscious
condition caused by the heavy body
blow below the belt from the beet
companies the past season, are not
taking to it very kindly, and denounce
it in loud terms. They declare they
will never grow beets under such
contract, which reads that the grow
er shall deliver beets in such quanti-
ties as may be required by the beet
company during the months of Sep
TENDER, October, November and De-
cember.
The grower must protect the beets
to prevent willing, freezing, and
thawing or deterioration. It is i'm
possible for the growers to comply
with those terms, when the beet COM
pany refuses to allow the beets to be
loaded, and compels the growers to
hold large per cent of the crop until
December as they did the past season.
It also demands that the beets shall
be tared at the factory and weighed
by the Western Railway association
at the factory, and that settlement
shall be made on the basis of such
weights and tare. The company shall
pay for only suitable beets after max
ing deduction for damaged beets,
leaves, dirt or other refuse and i'm
proper topping. This makes the
grower responsible until the beets ar
rive at the factory, are weighed, tared,
sorted and accepted by the beet COM
pany. This work should be done at
the loading station so the farmer can
see if he is getting his just dues or
not, and after the farmer loads his
beets in the car in good and proper
condition, the beets ought to become
the property of the beet company
and settlement made ON that basis,
instead of the farmer being response
BILE for beets standing around on side
tracks three or four weeks, subject
to heavy shrinkage, deterioration, and
in fact total loss, and the grower be
subject on arrival of the beets to
discretion of the beet factory how
those beets shall be tared and accept
ed. By the experience of the past
season the grower gets about enough
to pay for loading and in some cases
he was indebted to the beet company.
Furthermore, the beet company re-
quires the grower to pay the freight.
Does the beet company call that
contract? The farmers a year ago
couldn't read the lines, but they have
had an eye-opener land can now read
between the lines, and no such con.
tract will be entertained. The farm
ers will demand fair contract
through the beet growers association,
which they have pledged themselves
to, or else refuse to grow beets.
The beet growers of Rock and
neighboring counties have organized,
also Milwaukee and Waukesha coun-
ties, as well as Racine and Kenosha
counties, and the farmers have just
right to demand a fair contract from
the beet companies, and other manu-
facturers and dealers, as the farmers
are not getting the profit they are en-
titled to for their labor, money ex-
pended and capital invested. Why's
Because their product are being TAX
en- from them for less than market
value, for the reason they are divided,
and have no head under which their
products are marketed.
The high cost of living which we
hear so much about today, is certain
ly not brought about from the prices
paid the farmer for his product. Why
should not the farmer be business
man or belong to business head2
It is one thing to grow the crop, an
other thing to market it, and as
rule the secret of the profit is in the
marketing, and until the farmers
unite themselves for one purpose,
just so long will they be doing the
work, and the other fellow will get
the profit.