The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-04-08
BEET GROWERS
DEFY COMPANIES

Racine and Kenosha county beet
growers in session at Sorners ON Nom
day night, turned down the defy to
the sugar companies when by unani-
NOUS vote the growers voted to nullify
contracts made with the company and
return thea and announced their in-
tention 10 grow no beets during the
coming season unless the beet sugar
companies agreed to price Of twelve
dollars ton for the beets at the time
of the harvest with a bonus of $1.40
for beets provided the price Of sugar
went over the nine cent price agreed
to. The bonus to be $1.40 ton for
each one cent increase In the price Of
sugar at seaboard, The bonus is to
be based on the seaboard price Of
sugar for the months of October, No
verabers December and January,
The action is the most radical action
ever taken by the beet growers Of the
two counties and 1t threatens to di~
vert from the growing OF sugar beets
all Of the vast acreage in the two
counties which has been given over
to this crop in recent years.
Meeting Representative
| The meeting at Somers was thor
oughly representative of the beet
growers of tho two counties, more
than two hundred and fifty farmers
being present. Before the decisive
step was taken the leaders Of the ia
dustry gave reports of efforts which
had been made to lay bare all facts
in regard to the payment Of the bonus
to the farmers during the year just
closed and showed that the sugar com
paniss had been unwilling to open the
books and show on just what basis the
payments Of bonuses were made.
Growers showed the Increasing costs
of growing beets and it was conclu-
sjvely shown that the profit would be
taken out of the Industry unless the
farmers could receive u fair return
for their labor and for the use of the
lands Hundreds of the farmers of the
two counties have already signed con
tracts with the companies for the year
bat under the agreement made all of
these contracts will be returned at once
and the lands viii be diverted to other
crops unless the companies show a will
ingness to pay the price demanded.
Based on Nine Cent Sugar
The twelve dollar a ton demand Of
the growers of the two counties is
l hnu nd vi
of sugar and the understanding is that
the bonus shall be paid for all ad-
vances over this price. The contract
for the past year was ten dollars a
ton and this was the amount which
had been offered for this new season.
The company had also offered to pay a
bonus on the tonnage, but there could
be no agreement reached that the
growers would be given full facts in re-
gard to how this bonus was figured out.
"This is the biggest declaration of
independence that the beet growers
have ever written" declared August
/ Piper, president of the Inter-Countv
organization this morning. 81 am con-
WINGED that the men interested will
stand by the guns and stick to this
agreement and the sugar companies
must meet it or we will quit raising
beets. We must make fair profit
out Of this crop or quit and that is Just
what is provided for in the plan
adopted. The action viii affect humid
reds Of growers in the two counties
and believe that these growers will
stand by the agreement to a man.
A great meeting Of the growers of
the two counties has been called to be
held at the village of Somers at eight
o'clock on Saturday evening at which
time the matter of contracts will be
\ further considered. If the sugar com
panies want to meet the demands Of
the growers there will be chance for
them to be heard. They will be shown
every courtesy and be given chance
! to show their side Of the argument,