Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1913-01-09
Alma. Mich. Dec oS. 1912.


There is a great deal of uncallcd
for bad talk and sentiment against
beet sugar factories and the men who
have risked their money in building
and operating them. | know whereof
] speak for | have been with the in
dustry since its birth in the State OF
Michigan and spent fourteen years OF
the best part of my life energetically
trying o build up and elevate it in
the state to the position which it de-
mands and should occupy amongst
our agricultural resources.
Because we have had a few years
when some of the factories did well
and paid good dividends TO their
stockholders, now there seems to
arise sentiment and hatred against
the business, the men who control it
and who have riskcd enormous sums
of money in its development and OPP
Grafton. Methinks can hear you
say these men knew they were not
risking anything when they went into
the business. Hold on, my dear
reader, if you have lived in the State
of Michigan long and are acquainted
with the industry, you will know they
did take great risks and some of them
lost thousands of dollars trying to
foster and establish the business on a
paying basis. | will make this asser-
ton, which / believe cannot be truth
fully disputed, that for every dollar
of actual dividends paid to the stock
holders of Michigan Sugar Beet fact
cries, two dollars have been lost by
stockholders trying to establish and
build up the business in the state.
Now, wait moment. don't call me 4
wild liar I have not been i'll the
business fourteen years without know
ing something about what | am say
ing.
You have all heard Of Benton Har-
Dor, in the southwestern part Of the
state. A few years ago some capital
lists took it into their heads to build
a beet sugar factory there. What
was the result? Run it year or two
made complete failure and lost their
money | think some of you have
heard OF Kalamazoo, III the southern
part of the state Once upon time
it had a large beet sugar factory,
which some of its wealthy men built,
and operated for two or three years.
They lost large amount Of money
every year they operated it and final
ly dismantled it and lost nearly all OF
their money which t-cost to build it
and buy their machinery.
Still another. Some OF you have
heard of Rochester, nice little town
in pretty good country i'll the south
eastern part of the state. AT one
time it had good beet sugar factory,
but it hasn't any such thing today,
not even the building is left TO mark
The place where it stood, and its stock
holders lost large sums of money try
ing to operate it for three or four
years, besides finally losing their
plant.
Well, now lets 60 down to Saginaw
the place | know you have all heard
about in the eastern part OF our state.
IL contains some very wealthy men,
it also ha two beet sugar factories
once upon time, but it has only one
factory at present. Ii you should
chance to interview some of these
wealthy men on the subject they
would tell you that the trying to build
up the manufacturing of beet sugar
in Saginaw at one time made big
hole in their pocket book which has
never been filed from the beet sugar
business. and at the present time, with
the present outlook OF the manufac-
turing end Of the business, you
couldn't induce them TO put dollar
in the building of beet sugar fac
tory.
Now suppose you go with me up to