The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1917-09-14

Beet Grow rs MUST 90 wen 70
(Coutinued from page one)
believed the government could regu-
late the price of foreign imported raw
sugar and the refined sugar made
therefrom at a time when the do
nestle sugar is off the market, for
that is the time of the, year when su-
gar prices are boosted and some re-
lief is most needed. / gave the re-
porter such information as had come
to the committee on Ways and Means
in my presence regarding the cost
of production of raw sugar in Cuba
during normal times, that is, prior to
the great war in Europe. said that
testimony had been furnished to the
effect that SO degree, or raw sugar,
could be produced in Cuba, in normal
times, at from one, to two cents per
pound. / explained that the duty was
approximately one cent a pound and
gave the cost of transportation from
Cuba to the United States and told
him of some information that had
come to the committee in regard to
the cost of refining imported raw SUI
gar. called his attention to the fact
that foreign raw sugar, laid down in
New York, duty paid, was now quoted
at IN cents per pound, which undoubt-
eddy yielded the Cuban producer a
very large profit, and that as far as
the actual cost of this foreign raw
sugar was concerned, l believed the
people of the United States should
be purchasing sugar in the markets
of the United States at a price of
six cents per pound or less. England
and the United States are practically
the sole purchasers of Cuban raw su-
gar, and if representatives of the two
countries were to get together, I'M
der the direction of the Food Com
mission, the head of which is Herbert
C. Hoover, said believed they could
fix price to be paid for foreign raw
sugar that would yield the Cubans a
fair profit. They the Food Conmis-
sion could establish a price for gran
ulated sugar made from imported
raws that would yield the refiners a
fair profit on theiy investment.
In the interview l said that be-
tween 100000 and 100000 tons of re-
fined beet sugar would be manufactur-
ed in the United States this year and
that from $4,000 to 100000 of raw
cane sugar would be produced in
Louisiana, which would be refined in
the sea-board refineries. These two
items Of domestic production would
furnish about % per cent of the to-
tai sugar consumed in the United
States. From the time this domestic
sugar comes onto the market until it
is all sold, about six months elapse,
and during that six months the do
nestle sugar supplies at least one
half our total consumption. While
the domestic sugar is on the market,
for several years past, the sea-board
refiners, without exception, have re-
weed eMe pricaSf rsRhed suSar, am
during the reWaining SIX months of.
the veal, swi1efThe domestic Sugar fs'
off the market, the seaboard re-
refiners raise their prices and make
large profits, sufficient to yield them
handsome returns on their capital in
vested for the entire twelve months.
My interview was largely to the effect
that when our domestic sugar is on
the market, the refiners of imported
raws often sell their sugar at the
cost of production in order to embar-
rass the domestic industry.
/ stated, that in my opinion, the
Food Commission should fix the mar
gin between the price at which the sea-
board refiners purchase their raw
sugar and the price at which they Of
fer the refined sugar for sale, and es-
pecially at the time when there is no
domestic sugar on the market and /
gave it as my opinion that the margin
should not exceed " cents per pound
that such margin for refining, with
a reasonable price for raw sugar
would mean sugar to the consumer
at about six cents per pound.
Now as to the statement in the
press in regard to what / said as to
the cost Of growing beets. The arti-
Gle is so full of misunderstanding
and misstatements of fact that it
wholly misrepresents me in what I
said to the reporter. called his at
tention to the fact that where con-
tract labor was employed in the Mi
chigan beet fields, that in addition to
the price paid to such labor, which in
normal times was about twenty dol
lars an acre, the farmer had many
incidental costs, such as interet on
money invested in his land, his team
work, his investment in farm ma
chinery and the cost of hauling beets
to the market which must be paid by
the farmer in addition to the cost of
hand labor.
l did not attempt to give the re-
porter the cost of beet raising today,
with abdominal conditions prevailing
all over the world for 7 ON not 20 i.