The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-02-01
Two Views of the Beet Sugar Dispute


Bialy, Secretary, Treasurer and Man.
ager of the West Bay City Sugar Co.,
To Mr.. Prescott, following the Saginaw
Conference.)
regret very much it is not possible
for us, as a manufacturer, to accept
the arbitrary terms submitted by the
Sugar Beet Growers Committee in
relation to the price of beets for the
coming season. Their demands to us
for a price of $1,000 per ton fiat abso-
lutely, without any consideration Of
any concession on their part whatever,
went beyond our ability to see our way
clear to pay same, based upon the
price of sugar as intimated by the US.
Food Administrators for the season in
which the crop now in consideration
geing grown would produce the sugar.
We desire to thank you particularly
for your kindness and.the very honor
able manner in which you submitted
the matter to all present and the part
relative to the growth of the crop and
the production of the sugar; under the
existing abnormal condition of the
present year and also to particularly
thank you for your kindly suggestion
for compromise between the price
offered by us (under our present con-
tract) of $500 per ton and their price
Gas demanded by them) of $1,000 per
ton. With your suggestion that the
same should be compromised upon a
basis of $500 per ton and after con-
sideration of the matter by the men,
bers representing the manufacturers
of sugar and the growers of beets, the
manufacturers agreed to accept your
suggestion, notwithstanding the fact
that We consider the price beyond our
ability to pay, but as matter of fair
ness and if permitted to use the term
patriotism, we agree to make use Of
this figure and endeavor to procure
enough acreage under our contract for
the coming season upon this basis not
withstanding the fact that the farm
ers' committee absolutely refuse to ac-
cept the suggestion you have made.
/ have every faith to believe that
the farmers will be satisfied as to the
contract, as it will be changed to 5000
and the Food Administration Of the
United States, under whose authority
we are working, with your supervision,
and the good ideas you have expressed
in matters of this kind will result in
procuring supply Of acreage, which
with a good season for the growth of
the beets will result in satisfactory
production of sugar to the benefit of
all concerned.
Excerpts of letter Food Admins
traitor G. A. Prescott sent to Herbert
Hoover, Washington, following the
Saginaw conference.) :;
On receipt of your telegram in re-
gard to the meeting with the sugar
manufacturers and the beet growers
of MichiganrI sent out }ettersFequest-
ing to meet them. They had arranged
fors AZ meeting n sSSgino~s Tuesday
night, January 22nd, and asked me to
attend.
The meeting was held and l regret
very much to say that there was abso-
lutely nothing accomplished. During
the afternoon preceding the meeting l
had conference with Mr.. Cook of
the beet growers committee and hoped
that some good results could be OBJ
Gained. y The beet growers
committee insisted on $1,000 fiat rate,
also wanted to insert a clause in every
contract that one cent per ton should
be deducted from all growers of beets
and placed in the fund for the assoc
alton work. Inasmuch as only small
number of the growers are members
of the association, the manufacturers
thought this unfair and absolutely re-
fused to comply with the request.
The manufacturers also thought
that they could not pay $1,000 per
ton for the beets on a fiat rate. The
chairman insisted the growers would
not take 5000; they would not change
their position in the least and if they
did not receive this, would grow no
beets, and also stated that they would
advise the members of their associa-
ton not to do so. This last statement
was very foolish and did not tend to
harmonic matters to any great ex-
tent.
After l found that they could not
get together I advised compromise
and asked the manufacturers to agree
to flat rate of $500 ton with the
understanding that if the price of
sugar was increased above &c that the
growers should have their proportion
of the increase. After conference
the manufacturers agreed to accept
this compromise but the growers COM
mittee refused absolutely to make any
change. / told them that I did not
want to insist on their doing so but
did appeal to their patriotism and
tried as best / could to get both sides
to try to get together. Just before
the meeting was called, representa-
tive from the Wisconsin Grange ap-
peared and stated that he understood
that Mr.. Mccormick, representing one
Of the sugar factories in the upper Pc
ninsula of Michigan, had agreed to pay
$1,000 fiat to his growers for the COM
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