Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-02-17
The Alm0 Record
SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY.

During The past ten years farm values
have increased from twenty five to forty
percent N Gratiot county. What Is
the cause: ANY farmer or real estate
dealer conversant with the situetion
will tell you that a major portion of this
increase can be directly traced to the adj
vent Of the sugar factories in Alma and
st. Louis These two factories have
done more to enhance the value of era
tiot county real estate and at the same
time make the farmer financially indie
pendent than any other one factor in
the history Of the community. The 81.
Louis and Alma factories have been com
petitors in this field for sugar beet acre
age and if grower, for any reason, has
had occasion to become dissatisfied with
one factory the other stands ready to
adjust the difference and take the grow
er's acreage. Acreage has been hustled
for continuously from the closing OF
uJlants at the close Of the 'ason run to
the time for seeding in the spring. The
competition has been healthy and has
without doubt been productive of good
10 all concerned. The beets grown i'll
the county have been manufactured into
sugar and the wages paid for labor re-
quired at the mills during the run has
been paid in ST. Louis and Alma, where
1t has gone in circulation passing into
the hands of the grocer, the butcher and
other merchants and in the course OF
time again reaching the farmer in ex-
change for the other products of the
farm. That the mills have proved ben
eft to both farmer and citizen cannot be
gainsaid, and now when all has been
running smoothly third party appears
in the shape of the Owosso Sugar COM
pany, Ga corporation said to be owned
end controlled by one of the big trust
mOEOpolies of the east) and tries to con
tract the Gratiot county acreage from
the men who have developed the in
dustry in the county and who have al
ways been credited with giving the
,.essrwer a square deal.
The farmers are being told all kinds
of weird tales, they can buy their sugar
at wholesale, they can select their
own beets for testing, they can have
this. do that or the other thing, in fact
have practically their own way II they
will only contract acreage. The saving
to the farmers or anyone else i'll buying
sugar at wholesale is to ridiculous
statement to use as an argument with
any sane person. February 3, 1910,
granuated sugar at wholesale was
quoted at 1922 per 100 pounds in barrel
lots. The same day Alma grocer would
furnish the same sugar rolled into a
farmers wagon or delivered in the city
at S525 per 100 pounds. An average
barrel holds from $40 to $50 pounds or
q saving of 10 TO II cents per barrel.
Certainly not large saving when one
consider the investment of $1,000 or
more The Alma and St. Louis sugar
factories need the Gratiot county acre
age. As in the past the farmer is
assured square deal, honest weights
and honest tests and when the beets are
grouned to sugar the labor is paid for
with money put in circulation in his own
county where he has a chance to come
into possession of same in the sale OF
other products. The Record is pleased
to know that the local factory is getting
a good acreage for 1910 and that the
farmers of this vicinity are not disposed
10 kill the fowl that laid the golden egg