The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-02-20
OUR BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY
1t Cannot Survive Under the Demo-
cratic Free Trade Tariff
(San Francisco Chroniclel

| (San Francisco Chronicle)
Regardless of the promises of the
democrats that they would not in
jure and established American indus
try, sugar will cease to be produced
in this country after next year.
Two factories in this state will not
operate the coming season and have
caused all land which they own to
be sown to grain. The very large
world crop of 1928 SO reduced the
margin of profit in beet sugar that
only our most fortunate factories
made any money in 1918, and 1t is
said that another large crop is in
sight. This would not of itself cause
any factory in this state to close
down. but with certainty of closing
after this year two of our factories
have concluded to quit. The others
will continue in the hope that the
| free sugar provision of the tariff will
be repealed. With the cost of beet
sugar from so to rs cents above that
of imported cane sugar-both refined
the continuance of beet sugar pro-
duction is impossible. The Louisi-
ana cane sugar industry is also ruin
ed and Hawaiin sugar companies
have ceased paying dividends in order
to be able to pay debts when the
crash comes.
This is veritable disaster. Our
beet sugar industry has been one of
the most potent factors in improv-
ing our methods of agriculture, now
acknowledged to be matter of state
and national Importance. 1t is only
the very best agriculture practice
that sugar beets can be raised at all.
On beet sugar land rotation of crops
is imperative and the soil, after beet
culture, is in a condition for a maxi
mum yield of other crops. The in
dustry was growing rapidly in this
state and it's ruin is an agriculture
calamity.
More than that, it deprives thou
sands and thousands of farm laborers
of work which they have been en-
joying and upon which they were
counting. Concede that these have
been largely Asiatics, that condition
was temporary. We are expecting
great influx of European laborers,
who are accustomed to intensive Gull
tivation of land, and the most prom
Using outlook for them, and for us,
was the opportunity to engage in
sugar beet culture. Indications were
that within decade we should cease
to import sugar and that domestic
competition would reduce the price
to the lowest possible point. The
effect of depriving farm laborers of
employment on such scale must be
to add to the congestion of our cities
and the problem of unemployment
1t is possible that there are some
WIZ WILL I6JOIC0 IudL CdplLdIl6LS
who have invested large sums in the
sugar industry will lose their money.
Most people, however, will not think
Iso. There are thriving towns which
have been built upon the location of
sugar factories which are in way
to stand idle with their costly ma
chinery a total loss.
While the farmers can devote their
land to other purposes there is no
other purpose to which they can de-
vote it and contract their crop at re-
numerative prices before it is planted.
There are no other agriculture COM
munities so uniformly prosperous as
those which produce sugar beets.
The condition which we have de-
scribed is permanent condition IL
the democrats retain control of the
government. They will keep control
of the government if the republicans
do not reunite. 1t Is up to the peo-
pie. The people rule.