The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-12-05
shIawassee for Prosps rlty.


who believe in prosperity even If they
have to help pay for it than there are
who do not. That matter was def
nitely settled Monday. The proposition
tha4the county assist in the matter of
getting the sugar beet industry on a
> firm footing in Shiawassee county was
carried by a majority of ninety-five
The proposition naturally was fought
vigorously by many and for variety
Of reasons, none of which it seems to
The TIMES should have carried any
weight in a matter Of so vital import
ance to the entire county. But the
proposition was carried, and if the ma
iority of the voters of the county are to
be allowed to rule, the county has gone
on record for the biggest share of pros
perity which has ever been cut out
for it.
In this connection it may not be amiss
to say that it is sincerely to be hoped
that those who have opposed the meas
ure will not go further in the matter
but will abide by the result of the bal
lot of Monday. The majority have ex-
pressed their wish that the county do a
part toward the securing of the acreage
pledged by Owossos business men in
behalf of the entire county. The ma
jority has endorsed the action of the
Owosso committee in guaranteeing the
acreage in behalf of the county. The
majority of the voters Of this county
have laid aside whatever scruples they
have had as to the method of letting the
county bear share in this expense and
have voted for the issuing of the ten
thousand dollars in bonds by the county. |
They have stood back Of the men who
had the courage to strike out in the in
terests of all. They have voted to stand
by the men who had the nerve to stand |
by them Then, now that the majority |
have clearly expressed themselves in !
this way, cannot the others who wished
quite as much for themselves and the
entire county as did the others but who
differed so radically in their views as to
the wisdom of adopting this method,
rest their case and devote their energies
to helping bring still greater prosperity
to the county rather than to obstructing
its entrance here? Let the expressed
wish of the majority stand without
further attempts to thwart it. And
more work than the mere letting alone
of what has already done is greatly
needed at the present time.
A million dollar sugar factory cannot
be much of a success or bring much
prosperity to county unless the farm
ers of the county take hold in a vigorous
sort Of way to raise beets for it. Now
everybody who has watched the raising
of beets knows that those who have
raised them have made far greater prof
Its than from almost any other crop,
So profitable has the beet growing in
dustry shown itself that in different
parts Of the country big companies have
been organized for the growing Of beets
alone. One of the sugar companies in a
western state has an option now on tract
Of several thousand acres which it pro-
poses to put into beets itself Moreover
It expects that the beet ranch will do
,ven more than its full share in making
,he profits on the entire investment of
he company That company in fact
expects that the balance sheet of its l
arm will show even greater per cent G
If profit than the balance sheet of its G
actory. But if company organized
or the manufacture of sugar can make 1
money raising beets what can be said e
or the farmer who already has the I
and, the teams, the tools and part at &
east of the help needed to take care of 0
he cropg Surely the farmers of Shia- :
vassee after all the agitation which has I
'een made for the growth of this profit
bile crop are not going to let all the
'rofts of the growing of beets slip o
through their fingers. To be sure every r
armer will be benefited through the v
'etter prices which other crops in gen. s
raj will bring because land that was Z
ormerly devoted to them is now devot- o
d to beets, but why should not every a
armer have share in the greater profits Il
vhich the beets themselves bringa The c
armer should not let the opportunity p
lip by. The farmer needs the greater n
rofits of the beet crop. The factory n
eeds contracts from the farmers at once a
, enable it to make plans for the G.
ears campaign. It seems difficult to .
npress the farmers with the necessity G
contracting for as large an acreage as
ossible at once. They seem to reason a
lat the factory is to be built anyway IL
nd that they will get the full price for G.
ne beets whether they contract for k
lem or not. They do not seem to con- al
der the advantages Of raising crop O.
" which they will get stated price no L
latter what the fluctuations may be in n
le market. They do not seem to real Sc
q the annoyance which their holding "
7 causes the men who have had the L
,urage to invest million dollars in c.
Il L ~