94 The Sugar-Beet in America 



No single contract includes everything. In one region 

 one item is important and is mentioned ; in another region 

 this item may never cause disagreement and would, 

 therefore, probably not need to be mentioned. 



TYPES or CONTRACTS 



Most beet contracts are similar in their wording and 

 in the points they include but vary in such details as the 

 price paid for beets, the time of performing the different 

 kinds of work, and rates for sliding scales, and profit 

 sharing. The flat rate contract, wherein the farmer re- 

 ceives a definite price for a ton of beets regardless of 

 their sugar-content or the price of sugar, is popular in 

 many districts because of its simplicity and because no 

 laboratory tests and complex systems of accounting are 

 involved. 



The flat rate contract, however, is not likely to be so 

 fair to all concerned as either the sliding scale, based on 

 sugar-content of beets, or the profit-sharing plan, based 

 on the price of sugar or the net profits from the manu- 

 facturing of it. Although these systems of setting the 

 price of beets are rather difficult to handle, they make it 

 possible for the sugar company to pay more on the aver- 

 age for beets, because the farmer takes part of the risk. 

 Why should not both parties share the hazards of the 

 business and also share in its profits ? 



Most companies also have a labor contract by the 

 provisions of which they assist the farmer to secure the 

 hand labor required in thinning, hoeing, and digging. 

 The sugar company is able to get in touch with this 



