Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-07-13
MANY IMPROVEMENTS
The Alma Plant Of the Sugar CON-
pany Receiving Attention
LARGE GANG OF MEN At WORK
Increased Facilities for Manufacturing Sugar
From the Beet

The Alma plant of the Michigan
Sugar Company is undergoing eX-
tensive improvements this summer
in contemplation Of an increased
business this coming season. While
the plant is practically idle all sum-
mer long as far as the actual produc-
ton of sugar is concerned, on the
other hand it forms a great industry
in itself every year in the repairs and
improvements which it makes each
summer during the off season. From
fifty to eighty men are employed reg
ularly by the company in and about
the plant, and this year is no eXcep-
tion to the rule except that the
changes are on a greater scale than
usual.
The increasing of the capacity Of
the plant at Alma is in unison with
the increase of the beet industry
throughout the state. Michigan is
known as one Of the greatest beet
produsing countries in the world and
the heart of Michigan, Gratiot coun-
~, is the peer OF them all when it
comes to production of beet sugar.
The Alma plant of the Michigan Su
gar company and the St. Louis plant,
an independent company, are both
large producers OF sugar and hun
dreds Of acres inthe county are given
up yearly TO the raising of the tubers
for this industry. To the stranger
passing through Gratiot county in
the fall, one Of its chief sights is the
great number Of cars loaded to the
top with the rival of the sugar-cane.
That raising beets is profitable is
generally understood, but that it is
more profitable than almost any
other crop appears evident only
when the growth of the industry is
noted. Sugar men say that the
amount of sugar produced in Michi-
gan, for instance, does not depend on
the market for sugar, but rather upon
the amount Of acreage that can be Sc
cured for beets. With this in mind
the following statements will be in
teresting. They were made before
the house of representatives special
investigating committee appointed to
look into the affairs of the sugor COM
bine. They were given by Charles
B. Warren, President of the Michi-
gan sugar company, and are report
ed as follows by the Grand Rapids
Herald
"Mr Warren submitted statements
from the companies books showing
that in the year 1906, when the Mich
igan Sugar company was organized,
it paid to the farmers of Michigan,
S1,65s,000 while in the year 1910, due
to the growth of the company, it
paid $3,110,0oO for beets. Statements
were submitted showing that in 1906
the compang manufactured 100000
pounds of sugar, while in 1910, due
to the growth of the company, it
manufactured 125,00O,OO0 pounds.
This practically doubling the output
was due to the reason that farmers
are growing more beets, to improved
quality of beets and to improved
methods used in the plants. Mr..
Warren stated that there are ten
other plants manufacturing beet SUI
gar in Michigan besides the six plants
of the Michigan Sugar company, and
he added that these ten plants have
also grown, as have the Michigan
companies plants, showing great de-
velopment in the beet sugar business
in Michigan.
II will be noticed that the practi-
cal doubling of the sugar output in
four years is ascribed to "the reason
that the farmers are growing more
beets, to improved quality of beets
and to improved methods used in the
plants" However that may be- the
fact that farmers are growing them
in preference to other crops is ample
evidence that beet raising is more
profitable than the productio of
other crops. Which means, further,
ever increasing prosperity for the
counties which raise beets, as the
more money the farmer makes the
better for the counties, and the more
beets he sends to the sugar compan-
les the more labor will be employed.
Gratiot county may consider itself
fortunate in that it has the proper
factors TO make it one OF the greatest
sugar counties in the state. And it
may view with pleasure the increase
in the capacity of the local plant
both for its future, good and the pre-
sent labor which is employed there.
The capacity of the beet sheds east
of the main plant will be almost dou-
a. Al. 4.
tions and alterations now being made
are completed The beets formerly
have been hauled into the sheds in