Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-02-05
MORE FIGURES

Tribune and Enterprise, certain facts
and figures were given by the local
beet sugar factory which we would
like to extend and note the result:
First-They say that they have
paid the farmers in this locality ST.
100000 harvested 2Oi 1000 tons OF
beets from $4,000 acres and manu-
factured 100000 bags of sugar.
Secoud-If we divide 100000 by
2O1, 900 we have $744 as average
price paid for beets. This is mislead-
ing, we think, $3.50 is much nearer
the average. If we multiply 1000
by $3.50 we have Sl,0S8, ,480 as the
actual maount received. Now let us
see what it costs the farmers to get
this $1,O6S.48O. The figures which
we shall use in computing the cost
of beets per acre to raise and mar
ket are those arrived at by the con-
vention held at Denver, Dec. 5, 1914.
Delegates from the states of Mon
rado were present and they discussed
every item of expense carefully, TAX
ing the sworn statement of the
Longmont factory, which belongs to
the Great Western Sugar CO., as
basis for comparison, and the report
of the committee was $70.40 as the
cost per acre of production. Hon. I.
NJ Robinson, chief of the federal de-
partment of commerce, was present
at the reading of the report. He
had come from Washington with
many records on beet culture and
the cost of production especially to
attend this convention. He COM
pared his data with that OF the farm
ers and was agreeably surprised to
find that they tailed so closely with
~. T., h.
We have the schedule in full.
Now ii we multiply the m0O0 0OO
acres by 5000 we have Sl,l96, 800
as the cost to the farmer to get ST.
Oo8, ,4SO, an actual loss of Sl28,320 to
the farmer This kind of hnancier-
ing will impoverish any community.
In order to be fair let us figure the
factories gain or loss. We are told
in the newspaper publication that
they manufactured 100000 bags of
sugar. Our merchants are now pay
ing S565 per bag for sugar, but to be
conservative let us figure the price
at S525 per bag Multiply 100000
by this and we have S2y625,0O0 for
the sale of sugar. Now to this we
desire to add some other items: We
were told at the factory that 53 per
cent of the weight OF the beet re-
turned in pulp. SO that 50 per cent
of, 2Ol,6 900 is l06,84S tons OF pulp:
This pulp is sold at Is. so and Is
cents per ton and taking the aver
age of 50 cents this pulp is worth
S53,428 We find in the Congress
sional Record. in Hon. Charles S:
Thomas speech made in the United
States senate Sept Is, 1913. on the
beet sugar industry and the tariff.
that five per cent OF the syrup OF ev-
cry ton of beets is sold by the COM
panies for feeding purposes and at
the local factory it is sold for S1l
per ton. Five per cent of 2Ol, 900
tons is lO,OS0 tons and at Sll per ton
is S1l0,SSO and adding the value OF
these by-products together we have
Sl64 ,308 which added to the sale OF
sugar gives S2,789.308 as the total
income to'the company. not to men
ton the brown sugar they still have
on hand.
Now let us figure the sugar COM
panies expense: The 20l. 900 tons
of bcets at $3.50 is Sl,068, ,4S0 paid
to the farmer. In the Congressional
Record referred to, on page 10. we
find that $3.50 covered the actual ex-
pense of manufacturing a ton OF
beets into sugar and that they ex-
pected to reduce this cost to 81 or
lower and we find that S3 will pay
every item of expense-manufactur
ing, freight. carriage, etc, according
to this Record and from other infor-
nation which we have at hand we
| think it is very conservative. Now.
| If we multiply the 20l, 600 tons OF
| beets by three we have S604,800 as
the cost OF manufacturing the beets
into sugar and il we add this to the
nSS 400 r.a;I th. far have
| the sugar companies total cost.
which is S1.673,280 as the total cost
to the company. Now il we subtract
| this amount from the total income
we have Sl,116,028, which looks like
good income from million dol
lar investment.
| In view of the above conditions
and the probable advanced, price OF
sugar for next year on account OF
the European war the beet growers
OF Otero county and the Arkansas
valley have organized and have ask
| ed from the sugar companies an ad-
vance in price to So per ton for all
| beets testing from IL to 10 per cent
and SO l-3 cents per ton increase Tor
, every l per cent or fraction thereof
above that and 20 per cent of the
pulp to the weight of the beets de-
livered.
So far we have had no reply from
the representatives OF the local fac
tory. They seem to be inclined to
ignore our organization and are
sending their field men out to the
growers to try and persuade them
to sign contracts. In view OF the
present pricesof wheat and the pos
sibility of further advance on ac-
count of the conflict in Europe many
of our growers are contemplating