The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-01-19

MICHIGAN LEADS IN
THE AUTO INDUSTRY.


recent years. II never made th'
splurge or cut the figure that SONS
OF its sister states did. They seemed
TO regard IL as a sort OF playground
rather than a section OF commercial
activity. Cut in two by the greatest
inland bodies of water in the world
u Is practically two states. known as
the lower and upper peninsulas. Tuck
led away among the Great Lakes ad-
jacent to Canada, il contains over o.
900 inland lakes, has over 100 navig-
able rivers. and numerous smaller
streams. Its forests are plentiful, with
the greatest possible variety of tim
Der. II embraces about $4,000. 900
acres OF farmland, with over 100000
farms.
In many respects Michigan leads the
world i'm its products 1t produces
fully so per cent of the worlds copper
supply. Its furniture goes into every
quarter of the globe and it furnishes
more of that commodity than many
states combined. III ranks first in the
value of farm products generally. The
Michigan apple, peach. potato, beet
and wheat have long been in demand,
and still supply innumerable markets.
one state only exceeds it in the rails
ing of beet sugar
1t has some 1000 square miles of
coal lands with a monthly output Of
over $4,000 tons. In lumber. iron, ore,
charcoal iron, salt, cement, hardwood.
forests, gypsum. seeds, paints. varnish-
es, manufacturing and industrials, the
state of Michigan either takes the
foremost place or closely follows her
superlors in the matter of production
The more recent industry of automo-
bile or motor car manufacture, has
plased IT at the head Of that particular
line of industries throughout the world.
This, in short. is the Michigan of the
twentieth century.
The western part of the state, known
as Western Michigan" is now in the
midst of an immigration movement.
its agricultural advantages are receiv-
ing "A revived interest and a decided
impetus.
The entire state is experiencing a
spirit of Improvement in it's highways,
known as the good roads movement"
IT is considered one of the most i'm
portant projects ever presented. Dur
ing the campaign just ended the mat
ter of good roads became political
issue. The citizens Of Wayne county
started the movement by voting in
favor of improved roads. Their action
will, in the immediate future. give it's
people about 200 miles of better high
ways, and the other counties are pre-
pairing to follow the example. The
state has about 10000 miles of road
ways, and singular as it may seem, it
is estimated that only about per cent
permit of traffic without serious inter-
ruption under unfavorable conditions.
The cities and towns generally
throughout the state have contributed
their respective quotas TO the pros
perity of the commonwealth. Grand
Rapids. lansing, Saginaw. Bay City,
Flint. Battle Creek, jackson and Kala-
mazoo indicate marked progress. 1t
remained for Detroit, however, to
stand out more prominently and the
result is simply phenomenal. In 1900
it's population was 2S5,7O4. The fig
ures for the last census, taken this
year, showed 465. 1855 an increase of SO
per cent. This places Detroit ninth in
rank of population of cities i'm the
United States. 1t places it first in
line as to increase in the number of
inhabitants. II stands forty-ffth i'm
population Of cities i'm the world.
That Detroit is the logical place for
the worlds automobile center can be
better understood after considering
the following points: For years it has
Cutclassed it's competitors i'm the man
ufacture of gas and gasoline engines:
in the manufacture of radiators; i'm
the building of cars; i'm turning out
bodies for carriages and wagons; i'm
the building of boats and water craft
of all kinds; i'm sheet brass and copper
products; in paints and varnishes; IL
had at command all the finer and de-
sirable woods.
i<NNi 'iiiiib tit liIlt Oh neCcSSl-
ties or requirements in connection with
the new industry was in abundance.
and at its very doors. 1t was simply
step i'm line of advancement.
and the city of diversified industries
was equal to the emergency. So that
when the matter of assembling an au-
tomobile presented itself for practical
purposes in the present as well as the
future, Detroit was found to possess
superior advantages over all it's sister
cities. And today 1t manufactures fully
60 per cent of the national output of
automobiles.
The first automobile factory i'm De-
troit was established in 1899 and the
second in 1901. A year later the third
appeared; then two more in 1902 and
In 1904 there were IL companies in
operation. At that time they employ
ed 1884 wage earners, had a capital of |
S2,9S2,949, and the value of their pro-
duct amounted to $5,3S2,212. Today |
this industry has grown to mammoth
proportions and excels every other in
dustry in the city. There are 46 auto
mobile and motor car companies do
ing business In Detroit % of which
are manufacturers. They employ 40
600 wage earners. The capital invest