The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-03-19
Burton Farmers Club.

Burton Farmers Club.
On Thursday. March 4th. 1897, occurred
the two events of the year, freighted with
the greatest interest and importance to our
country-the inauguration of President Me-
Kinley and Vice-president Hobart at Wash
ington and the meeting of the Burton
Farmers Club at the residence of Rep. f.
M. Shepard, of Owosso township. All the
seventy millions (more or less) of the in
habitants of these United States who were
not in Washington on that day were at the
aforesaid residence of Rep. Shepard or some
wnere else iri this broad land, and the club
reporter hopes that all the last mentioned
contingent were as happy as the favored
few who were able to be in Washington or
at the Burton Farmers Club.
The morning hours, after the devotional
exercises. were spent in social intercourse.
Mr.. Shepard was home from Lansing, and
gave his guests cordial welcome and Mrs.
Shepard treated them to one of her re-
nowned dinners and good cheer was the Or
der of the day.
The afternoon exercises were opened with
song by Phillip Shepard, assisted by his
sister, Bertha, and Mrs. Myrtle Merrill
The sentiment Of the song vas that there
were no cattle like the Galloway cattle, of
which our host has o fine'large herd.
The topic tor the ladies, ."Should Women
Become Members of the School Board?"
created quite discussion. Mrs. Rose was
in favor of women becoming members of the
school board; she thought they would take
more interest in the schools. No one was
or should be more interested in the schools
than the mothers She did not wish to dis
na~1 90 she qle 'fe't'"ns of the men, but
onc ,aJusnt wvlnoH ~ote oatter adapted to
/ fiji the position than men. ilIs. Deven-
dorf believes that WON ~ snould have the
privilege of becoming members of the school
for the office. though there was great need
that mothers should take more interest in
.he school. There was just hint from
some of the ladies that .he pretty school
man and the masculine school board, one
or the other, or both, do sometimes, under
the present system, need a little looking
after.
"Are Trusts and Monopolles Beneficial OF
Ii furious TO Our Country" was next dis
cussed. II G. Shepard believes they are
injurious to our country. He spoke of the
Standard Oil trust, the salt trust and othe
trusts. He referred especially to the sal
and oil trusts, and the immense wealth
amassed in the manufacture and sale o
these commodities. He thinks they coult
be furnished to the consumer at far les'
cost and still the manufacturer make suffi
cient profit. Mr.. Dewitt followed in th'
same line of argument but went stei
farther, he thinks unless they are curtailet
the laboring men will be ground into th
earth and the country would be ruined
Messrs. Rose, Geo. Il. Mason, r. M. Shep
ard, j. w. Hbbard and others regard then
as beneficial to the country. They assume
that large investments are used in cheaper
ing the cost of production and small profit
to the producer, give to the consumer pro
ducts at correspondingly low rates. Mr.
Rose said the first gallon of oil brough
into their house cost them one dollar.
Rep. Shepard said there was very lttl
profit In the manufacture of salt; so litt
that it was continued only in connection
with some other business. In Saginaw
there are hundreds of old buildings and der
fioks standing deserted where the work
have gone TO ruin.
Geo. T. Mason, in '62, was engaged In th
salt industry. At that time they boiled tn
brine in kettles OF which, in his department
there were over two hundred, and the sal
thus produced sold for So 90 per barrel. L
view of the facility and little expense tina
articles under combines can be manufac
) ured, he thinks man with large capital Ell
I gagged in business is a public benefac,or.
: Mr.. Bowles would not go back on all con
bnes; farmers combine for the benefit {
agriculture and to enhance the price OF farI
, products. Mr.. Stanlake had been oppose
, to trusts, but thought he would 20 with II
majority Mr.. HibLard spoke OF the Arm
our trust and tue result OF the examinatio
:. Go &C r7r-ts.,tfruzyrrr-