The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-11-21

profits Of one can be and are kept in the
hands of few, while the other dis
tributes money TO the entire commun-
ity. In fact l think there is no pro-
duct we consume, that we can SO well
afford to vote small tax upon our
selves, to encourage and assist in the
location and erection of plant in our
midst as that of the beet sugar. / have
visited and examined the large cement
plant at Linden. lido not find the FARM
ers receiving any benefits from it, and
the employees largely live at the plant or
near by which is situated far from the
town; while it affords to labor and
money very busy field, it is not in
comparison as divider Of wealth with
the beet sugar industry. An investment
of 5000, 600 in the cement business would
put to work about $50 men, the same
amount invested in the sugar plant
would set to work for portion OF the
year, at least, some 5000 people, besides
other improvements that naturally
come with it. Then the drawbacks
connected with cement making, viz:
small deposits of mari necessitates IT.
regular working and much transporta-
ton of material and the investment of
money is not so warranted. On the
other hand, we will always have the
material for sugar production at hand,
viz: labor and land. Then again, the
imports of sugar in relation to that pro-
duced here seems to make it very safe
investment for many years. 1t is COM
puted that we are now employing about
1000 men making sugar, factory
help" and if we were to make all we
consume, it would require the employ
ment of some $1,000 men at the fac
tories. An estimated pay roll is now
paid to the factories of $4, 500, 900, and
to the farmers of little more than S12
000,0 600 for the present production in
this country, and if we produced all we
consumed, the factory pay roll would
amount to some $24,000,000 and the
farmers would be paid something over
S65, 900, 000 grand total of nearly
500, 600, 600, and this would leave many
millions of dollars in this country that
is now sent abroad for sugar. / find
that the value of the salt produced in
this country in 1899 was $685., ,467, and
that which was imported into the
country was of the value of $490, 491,
and the value of the cement for thu
same year was $s,074371, with very
small export, and the value of the i'm
ports were a little more than $3 600, 900,
and the coal value was 1856, or, 434
with So, 1859, 354 imported and the value
of $15, ,613,6 ,610 exported. Crude petrol
cum produced value $64, SOB, 904 and
the exported value of $S, ,344, 375. While
in 1901 the importation of sugar into
our country was valued at near $780,
2)6, ,750, and l presume that produced
was not more than one-sixth of this
value. Therefore, my impressions of
the value of the beet sugar industry to
community are very much in favor of
such an industry, not as stockholder
or raiser of beets, but as citizen who
favors American productions and
progress for American benefits, and to
aid and assist and foster those indus
tries that make of their employees
joint partners in the business, by pay
ing them, not just a living wage, but
an accumulating wage. l cannot
think that on December 1st, when
it is left to our citizens to decide by
their ballot if we shall assist the invest
ors of the great amount required to
erect and equip a first class modern
beet sugar plant in our county to the
extent of $4,000, that any one will vote
against the proposition if he will
give the same careful consideration.
feel sure that we can afford to
say that we will join them to that ex
tent, and encourage them to become
joint partners in such useful enter
prise as the plant bids fair to be.
Yours truly,
G. A. BYERLY.