Industrial It is one of the marked features of American industrial life that the people as a mass have always shown a readiness to forego immediate benefits, and, even at considerable expense to themselves, to encourage industrial development. As a result this country has made a record among the nations of the earth unparalleled in rapid de velopment, accumulation of wealth and hold on the trade of the world.
One of the chief items of cost in the pro duction of anything is labor. In this country it is contended that the laborer is not only en titled to earn a living, but to live comfortably, to be able to educate his family and to acquire a comfortable home. There is no position in life, social, financial or political, to which the laboring man may not aspire. While this means much for the citizen, it adds materially to the cost of production. This country to-day is the concern of the nations of the earth in being able to maintain a balance of trade in its favor through its agricultural and industrial produc tions, and this balance is constantly increasing. The sugar industry is supported by American enterprise and spirit, and under this American policy it is rapidly assuming a prominent posi tion in the long list of successful industries.
There are two sides to the proposition of establishing a sugar factory in any particular community: (1) That of the farmer, involving agricultural conditions; and (2) that of the manufacturer or those financially interested in the enterprise.
Problems the The leading difficulties of the farmer may first be noticed. To begin with, he is unacquainted with the methods of cultivating the sugar-beet plant, and his first experience usually proves unsatisfac tory. He is accustomed to certain methods in farming. As a rule he is conservative, and thinks, from his long experience in farming, that he knows how to farm. He undertakes to apply methods successful in the cultivation and production of other crops. He is not in clined to listen to those who are informed in methods applicable to the new crop. Eventu ally he finds out his mistake. He finds that in growing sugar-beets he must apply principles, in many cases, the reverse of those necessary to other crops. For instance, he has been ac customed to growing large ears of corn, large hogs and large steers; but in the case of sugar beets he finds that the first question is not one of size, but of quality. He must grow beets of a certain size, purity and sugar content. In order to accomplish this he must give careful attention to the work of preparing the land, planting the seed, bunching, thinning and culti vating. He finds that attention to details counts
in results at the harvest in the profits on the crop. He learns that the whole process is a very laborious and expensive one, entirely unlike anything he has attempted before. To be suc cessful he must apply the methods of the gardener to a field crop. He must have a rich soil, and the proper rain conditions at the proper time. These facts can only be learned through experience.
The Question of The labor prob lem is important in the cultivation of sugar beets. At certain stages of their growth they require a considerable amount of labor. This labor is very tiresome. As a rule, the farmer, if he grows beets to any extent, does not have on his farm sufficient labor to do the work of thinning and bunching, hoeing and harvesting the sugar-beets; nor does any farming com munity possess to any considerable extent the labor necessary to grow the beets that a factory will require in a campaign. It will cost about $30 an acre in sections where sugar-beets are grown under rainy conditions, and about $40 to $45 an acre in sections where beets are grown by. irrigation, to cover the cost of seed, prep aration of seed-bed, bunching and thinning, hoeing, cultivating, harvesting and delivering. to the factory. These estimates apply to growing sugar-beets when it is properly done. In the farming communities of foreign countries, as a rule, a large amount of suitable labor can be secured in the neighborhood, because these neighborhoods are more thickly settled; the whole population is willing to do the laborious, tedious work required, and whole families work at it, including the father, mother and children. In this country, as a rule, the farmer, his older sons and hired hands must attend to the out door work. It has been found necessary for sugar-beet growers to resort to the cities and towns for extra labor required. In the cities live many foreigners from Holland, Russia, Sweden and other places, who are thoroughly familiar with this kind of work. These people are willing to move out into the fields and hve in tents; they make contracts at so much per acre for bunching and thinning, hoeing, weeding and harvesting. Since the agitation and start ing of the beet-sugar industry in this country, foreigners are coming with a view to securing employment of this kind. While the labor question is a serious one, it is one capable of solution by careful and detailed attention.