The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1948-12-17

| imported.
Moreover, the Secretary of State
is given the power to step in at any
time and withhold or lower the quota
assigned to any foreign country and
the Secretary of Agriculture can,
after holding hearing, change the
ALLEGATION of an importer or domestic
handler.
There are the usual bans on child
labor which have never been en-
forced and also authority to fix min
imum wage standards for farm work
ers but no provisions to see that
these conditions are actually carried
out.
Although the law does everything
possible to help the big refiners in
fixing their prices, it makes no at
tempt to provide any price support
to the beet or cane growers. The
Sugar act provides for a processing
tax of half cent per pound out of
which payments are to be made to
growers. This small payment GER
tainly does not make the growing of
sugar beets very attractive to small
farmers.
In spite of the government cod
ding and subsidies paid out of the
public purse, the sugar trust has
continued to pay substandard rates
to farm workers and farmers. 1t
has sought to justify the handouts
it gets on the ground that domestic
sugar industry is needed in case of
war.
Small Growers Plight Ignored
1t has been stated by the sugar re-
fineries that a domestic source was
necessary in case of war but facts
do not bear out this contention.
During World War II, for example,
our output of beet sugar dropped to
nearly half the pre-war level and
similar pattern occurred in World
War l.
Neither the sharecroppers who
raise sugar cane in the south nor the
small beet growers who are victims
IF contract system have any real
control over their acreage.
Because F.D.R., and Henry Wal |
ace criticized the Sugar Trust they |
we're viciously attacked by the sugar
interests.
While the sugar trust tries to
maintain the fiction, that the gov
subsidies are for the bene-
it of the growers, it is quite appar-
mt that the profits of the refiners
ire all-important in determining pol
cy and the plight of the small grow
rs, like that of the agricultural
is ignored.
The only purpose of the govern
nent payments to the growers is to
make it possible for the refiners to
let an ample supply with the gov
rnment paying part of the cost of
he refiners raw materials. The
armers get no more than they might
rom other crops.
| understand the beet growers will
ct approximately $25 less per acre
or their beets this year, than last.
his amounted to a loss for one .
armer of $4,000. A million dollars ,
ess for the Billings area.
Babe Yost of Billings informs me
hat $25 per acre less income for the
eet farmer over last year is very
He estimates it as
luch higher.
Danger To Small Farmer
The small farmer is increasingly 4
l danger from the big operator r
specially since the mechanization of j,
eet harvesting is advancing. Here .
gain the small farmer bumps into 7
nother great monopoly-farm ma :
1inery. In fact; practically every 7
ling the farmer buys is controlled n
the source, by great monopolies =
I'd the officers and directors of one T
usually hold important :
aces on the boards of nearly all
her corporations and large banks. c
hey are tightly organized and today :,
ey are more powerful than the
nited States government. :,
The usual line, that it is the de- 4
and for higher prices by the grow :,
s and labor is the reason for the r,
Sc in sugar prices, is untrue!
The SIloar rafinerS in their efforts