The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-06-05
Michigan Beet Sugar industry's
Future.

The amalgamationc of the Michigan
sugar companies continues. The Pitts.
burg Glass company which is erecting q
large sugar factory at Owosso and
which is said to be affiliated with the
American Sugar Refining Company, has
purchased the lansing Sugar factory,
getting the stock at sixty cents on the
dollar. This factory has never paid a
dividend and it is knownito have been
on the market for some time. 1t is said
that it is to be operated under the same
management as the Owosso plant and il
is expected that material saving will
bes effected in the cost of operation.
l. The Bay City and Michigan factories
in both of which the AmericanaSuga
Refining trust secured an interest were
recently consolidated under one manage
ment and it is said now that the Michi.
gan plant is not to be / operated this
season. The trust has acquired a halt
interest in the Sehewaius--plant, has
control of the Saginaw Co: plant, the
Caro- plant, the new East TaSas plant,
has a half interest inathe Alma and
San &C. plants, and appears to have
TAX id nearly everything except the
Val by plant in Carrollton, and the Kali
amazoo plant. st Us ep)rted that the
latter plant has ny paiQEa dividend and
that the stock is on the market at 30
cents on the dollar.
The future of the Michigan beet SUI
gar industry in the light of these de-
velopments, is a. fruitful subject for
speculation. The trust repreae ntatives
have repeatedly given out that the
plants are to be operated, the trust only
seeking representation in the manage
ment and only one-half in the stock,
but it has control practically of three or
four factories already, and no one is able
to state how long it will be before it
has every factory in Michigan in its
grasp. Of course. the trust, having
control of the market, can fix the price
of sugar without interference, and thus
be able to produce the commodity at a
profit, but it is not difficult to reach the
conclusion that the industry has reach
ed its limit in this state so far as de-
velopment is concerned and it is ex-
tremely improbable that another factory
other than those in operation will be
erected in the near futruHo Moreover,
the amalgamation process has disposed
of the opposition to Cuban reciprocity,
and those who tried to keep inf the up
building of an industry calculated in
the future to supply the American peo-
pie with sugar, havefhad theft under
pinning knocked outiby the act$of those
very interests they We're making a de-
termined effort to save from injbry.
SO far as Michigan is interested it is
apparent that through the action of the
American sugar trust of New York in
absorbing industries in this state opposi-
ton to reduction in the Cuban sugar
duties is stifled. The trustythr6ugh the
expenditure of large sunsref. money and
other influences, has been able td change
the policy of the republican party as
enunciated in the platform declaration
so far as it relates to sugar. No one has
heard the party committing itself to re-
ciprocity in steel rails, structural iron,
tin plate, and other industrieg which
were fostered and built upiby the policy
of protection. But the sugar tHlst was
able to change the sentiment of congress
and of leading newspaper representa-
tivss l. ;a,a'aiial-. sentiment, and by
securing an interestincAmerican plants
to accomplish its object, despite the
well understood fact, that the PROPOSE
ton to let it at lower rates of duty than
those necessary to develop new indus
try any per centum of a foreign Compel
ing product, onthe theory that there is
room for it and'for all that we produce
as well, is as pernicious as it is unsound,
and revolutionary in the republican pro-
tective principles.
In some uniformed quarters surprise
has been expressed at the fact that the
trust should spend so much money to
control the Michigan factories. There
need be none, when the situation is
made clear, based on the prospective re-
duction of the duty ON Cuban sugar.
Twenty per cent off would be triae
more than 1874 ton. There were
$780, 900 tons of sugar made in Cuba last
year, all Of which comes to the United
States. This year the output will be at
least 1000, 900 tons The saving to the
sugar trust in oiies year alone would be
at least $500, OO01a hinge sum. And
the trust could buy the control of all
the Michigan beet sugar. factories for
that figure or lessA Thussby doing SO it
can stife the opposition 10 the Cuban
reciprocity treaty, and in one year get
back in the reduced duty the price the
operation costs, and still have left it's in
terest in the beet sugar factories.
There can no longer be ghy Faufef why
the trust is making its great invest
terests in 1.-THE sugar manufacturing in.
dustrv in Micb;oov,-eVN. - - n