The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-11-28

along the Grand Trunk and the Michi-
gan Central can shipa as conveniently to
Lansing as they could ship to Owosso
and therefore that there is no advant-
age to them in getting the new factory
in this county. This would be partly
true if it were not for another thing
which in the last two years has proved
no small annoyance to the farmers who
have shipped to the Lansing factory.
This difficulty arises from the fact that
the beets shipped over these roads to
the Lansing factory have to be haul
ed by the Pere Marquette after they
arrive at Lansing and by the terms OF
their contract the cars may be held a
month before being turned over to the
roads which provided them. AT time
when there is shortage of cars the
other roads are little chary about let
ting their cars go into the hands of an
other road for month at time, when
they might be earning them good
freights. The Michigan Central for in
stance would much rather keep its cars
on its own line handling Saginaw or st.
! Charles coal than to be forced to lend
them for almost nothing to the Pere
Marquette for month. The Grand
! Trunk too has other uses for its cars
than loaning them month to the same
road as a result of sending them to Lam
sing with sugar beets. The result has
| been therefore, a decided difficulty at
times in getting cars for beets to be
shipped to the Lansing factory by Shia-
wassee farmers. This difficulty will
not exist for those shipping to the
Owosso factory Both the Michigan
Central and the Ann Arbor will have
tracks directly into the grounds of the
factory and the terms of the con-
tract between these roads and the
Grand Trunk are such that an
almost nominal switching rate is
given the latter and the Grand Trunk
cars will be returned to that road as
promptly as those of the roads having
direct access to the factory grounds.
Any one who has experienced such de-
lays in getting cars handled promptly
at the factory will therefore see the adj
vantage which it will be to them to
ship their beets to the Owosso factory.
The freight rate will be the same for
every man within the county or within
forty five miles of the factory.
In summing up the advantages they
may be considered either. from per-
sonal standpoint, in which case every
taxpayer and resident of the county
would be benefited directly or indirect
ly, or they may be considered from the
benefit to the county as an organization.
In this case again every taxpayer of the
county is benefited since the building of
this factory adds to the assessed valua-
ton an equivalent of another township
which will have to pay its share in the
county and state tax and will thus
tighten the burden of every township in
comfy in the payment of those items.
To offset this the entire cost to>the tax
payers will be fraction less than sixty
cents for each thousand dollars of assess
ed valuation or less than sixty-fv cents
including all interest if extended over a
period of four years-sixteen and a quar-
ter cents per thousand for each year, an
amount which will be paid back many
added value of his property and produce,
and to the county in the added amount,
far greater than that appropriated,
which will be paid back in taxes.
But there is still another argument
which the voters of the county should
consider. Owosso has already agreed to
pay ten thousand dollars besides stand
ing ready to pay her share of the ten
thousand which the county is now ask
ed to vote Her share in this ten thous
and is the big end of the load as refer
ence to the estimated tax prepared by
County Treasurer Kay, will show Now
considering the fact, which experience
has proved in every county where there
is beet sugar factory, that the entire
county receives quite as much benefit
from the establishment of the industry
as does the city in which the factory is
located, is it fair, is it in any way just
or in any way reasonable for the rest of
the county to ask Owosso to pay for the
entire cost of securing this advantage
for all? Owosso business men have stood
up and made themselves responsible for
the carrying out of the agreements with
the company but they did it with con-
fident reliance on the love of fair play
and justice which exists in the minds of
other Shiawassee county residents of the
farms and villages. The cost is small
divided up and to the outlying townships
is far smaller in proportion to the bene-
fits to be received than the cost to
Owosso even with the appropriation
asked for. 1t is not intended to make
this demand that the townships pay
their share. 1t is only a fraction ofwhat |