Evening star., 1923-12-22
SUGAR BEET MEN
PLAN EXPANSION
Enormous Increases In Next
Years Acreage Likely.
Cuban Mills Start.
By j. C. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK, December 22.-Now
that the Colorado sugar beet growers
have agreed with representatives Of
the Great Western Sugar Company on
their contracts for 1924. the planning
and preparation of additional acreage
is progressing rapidly in the west
The new contract guarantees the
grower a minimum of $3.50 a ton for
his beets and a sliding scale based on
the price at which the factories dis
pose of the sugar manufactured from
them will give him from so cents to
81 so a ton more from the next price
received by the company for the sugar
than in 1928
Nebraska growers are expected to
agree to u like contract and the set
tlement undoubtedly will have
stimulating effect all through the in
ter-mountain region. The stimulation
toward planting additional acreage
has been intensified by the successful
invasion of the eastern markets by
beet sugar manufacturers this year
although this move tended to keep
p ~ refined sugar down to rea-
soHable limits rather than to boost
hitherto closed to the beet sugar pro-
duCers and stabilized the industry TO
no little degree.
Big Yields Predicted.
1t is estimated that the increased
acreage in Colorado alone next year
will yield 100000 tons of beets ana
that under the new contract growers
will receive from sl.000.000 to sl,oOo,-
600 more than they were paid THIS
year, If present price levels are main
tained and the sugar content is ap-
proximately the same.
Under the system employed at re-
cent conferences, the growers for the
first time had a direct hand in shap-
ing the 1924 contracts. These are
based on the average net price ana
the average sugar content realized oy
the company over the last ten years.
and make IL possible under certain
conditions for the grower TO realize
IS per cent of the proceeds from
q, ton OF sugar.
Methods in Michigan.
The Michigan factories, which turn
ed out about 10000 tons Of sugar
this year. alno are expected 10 n nave We
handle IN 1924. Contracts In that
state in most cases are on the So
called ffty-ffty basis. That Is. grow
ers are paid for their beets on scale
according TO what the manufacturers
production sells for during the Oc-
tober-January period
So far in this period this year
prices have been about two cents
higher than in 1922. This means that
growers and manufacturers each will
benefit to the extent of one cent
pound. In that section the increased
production this year was handled
with but a slight increase in labor.
hauling. handling and overhead costs
over 1929.
Acreage will be planted and culti-
waited in 1924 which has never been
utilized before, because OF the success
growers have had in transporting
their crops to the factories in light
the increase is expected TO be be-
tween so and 10 per cent. Colorado
growers were given payments on
their 1928 contracts, amounting TO ap-
proximately s2,500.6o0, just before
Christmas.
Cane Crop Harvested.
The harvesting of the Louisiana
the yield is estimated at more than
25n 600 900 pounds less than that of
1922 by state agents of the bureau OF
crop estimates. They place the yleid
at only 333.OGR. 600 pounds. a few
months ago it was estimated at s22.-
600 900 pounds. Last years produc-
ton was al2.o00.000 pounds. The
price received for raw Louisiana SUI
gar has dropned since the opening OF
The season from 7.25 cents pound to
lated from s15 to $50 cents. About
SIS per cent of the crop has been mar
keted and most of this amount
brought above cents a pound. as
compared with SIG cents last year.
Large sugar growers in Cuba have
been given permission to import thou
sands CT workers from the West In
dies TO fill n shortage OF labor for
handling the new crop. which mills
have just started to grind.