The Yale expositor., 1920-03-18
w. III. WALLACE DENIES
CLAIMS OF BEET MEN
Continued from Page u

field. No criticism was offered.
Someone makes the statement that
millions are made in specializing.
This does not apply to our COM
pany, and / do not believe it APP
plies to any other company in
Michigan. We are manufacturers
and do not feel authorized to
speculate with the stockholders
money.
Cost of Production
"Mr. Ketcham in compiling his
statement covering the manufac-
turing Of sugar, says he takes his
figures from reports submitted by
manufacturer seeking a protec-
tive tariff on sugar for the season
of 1918-1919. AS a fact, the ques-
ton of tariff on sugar has not
been before congress for several
years and was not under discus
sion during the 1913-1919 session.
The statement was also made that
at the time of the last federal
trade investigation and report the
cost of beets was 72 per cent. of
the cost of manufacturing sugar,
and that that item has stood still
This last report by the federal
trade commission was made for
the years 1917-1918. For that year
we paid $8.17 per ton for beets.
This year we have paid $3.50. A
further statement is made that
there has been no increase in man
ufacturing since that time. Every
business man and every farmer
knows that this is absolutely UNI
true. All kinds of services as we'll
as the various materials entering
into the manufacture of sugar
have advanced very materially.
Another eXtravagant statement
is the cost of producing an acre
of beets, which is so apparent to
every grower that l will not at
tempt to discuss it, except to say
that since the building of the first
beet sugar factory in Michigan,
and long before l had any idea
that | would be interested in the
manufacture of beet sugar, have
grown beets on my own farm, be-
ginning at $500 per ton and re-
ceiving $3.50 per ton this year.
Further that | kept books and /
know exactly what l am doing,
and the average indicates this is
the best paying crop l have ever
raised.
Governor Called Meeting
They tell us the growers, the So
called leaders, who make the
statement themselves that thew
have been compared to a running
brook that the price of beets has
never been advanced except on &C.
count OF the Growers association.
or threat of forming an associa-
ton. This statement is absolutely
untrue. AS l have already stated
the price has advanced from $500
to $3.50 per ton, and none of this
advance is on account of the as
sociation. In fact, we never heard
OF the association until a few
years ago.
Just after the European war
started, we had some discussion
between a fixed price and a sliding
scale. Governor Sleeper, on his
own initiative, called a meeting
between the growers and the man
utacturers, and after some discus
sion and the earnest solicitation
on the part of the governor, pre-
dieting that the country would
need all the sugar it could produce
the sliding scale was agreed to-
with an $500 guarantee based
on $500 sugar. Between that time
and the present year, there has
been no agitation and no talk
of an association that have heard
of, and the price has advanced
from guarantee of Sc to a guar.
antee of $40 per ton, and $12.5C
actually paid this year, without
the help or assistance of any kline
of an association.
Only One Meeting
"There has never been but one
meeting between the association
and the manufacturers. This was
called in order to see if some kline
Of a compromise could not be eff
fected. The meeting was opened
by the secretary of the Saginaw
association openly announcing
that a certain price, much in ex
cess of what we could afford tt
pay, must be paid for the beets OF
there would be nothing doing
Nothing else will CO. he said
The meeting was not at all har
monious and no definite conclus
ion was arrived at.
"We consider the contract w,
are offering this year a very fail
one for the growers. Speaking
for myself, and on my own farm
and especially considering the de
cline in all other farm produc
prices, / am satisfied / can max,
more money out Of growing beeti