Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1903-12-04
The Members Of the Party Visit
ing the Beet Sugar Districts
Of Michigan so Ex-
pressed il.
WILSON, BURROWS AND
BLISS ADDRESSED FARMER
The Party Dined at the Sanitarium and
Visited Michigan's Cleanest and
Best Managed Factory.

Those who were fortunate enough 70
be present in Alma Thursday afternoon
to listen to the addresses by members of
the party accompanying Secretary James
Il. Wilson, of the United States depart
ment of agriculture, on his tour of the
factories of the state to look into the
scope and volume of the sugar beet in
terests, could not help but be impressed
with the fact that the industry had GER
tainly been given an impetus in Gratiot
county at least by the visit TO this place
When the party reached Alma it was
made up of the secretary, Mr.. Wilson :;
Truman q. Palmer, secretary of the
American Beet Sugar association, ac-
companying him; Senator Burrows,
John w. Perkins, secretary to Gen.
Alger; Congressman a. b. Darragh and
Henry McMorran, and Gov. A. 7. Bliss
as the official members, while those
representing the active beet sugar inter
ests were: Watts 8. Humphrey, G. B.
Morley, Thos. E. Harvey, ID. w. Briggs,
w. T. Knowlton, Gilbert M. Starke, of
Saginaw; Oapt. Ben Boutell, Bay City /;
VIM. Wallace, Sebewaing; Chas. b.
Warren, Detroit, representing the Have
meyer interests in Michigan. Besides
these gentlemen, Gen. Supt. Smith and
District Agent Britton, of the Pere
Marquette G. W. Gum, staff CORES
pondent of the Free Press; and w. j.
Herald, were in the party when the
special train over the Pere Marquette
pulled into Alma at noon from st. Louis,
where visit was made in the morning.
The visitors were driven directly to
the sanitarium where n specially pre-
pared dinner was partaken Of and then
an adjournment to the opera house was
made for the purpose Of addressing the
farmers and others who are interested
in agriculture and especially in growing
sugar beets. The opera house was
crowded, about 600 people being present,
the largest attendance met with so far
during the.junket.
Secretary Wilson's address was along
general lines of agriculture, but he es-
pecially sought to impress upon his
listeners the value of consuming the
larger portion of the product at home
instead of shipping it abroad as is done
In the case Of the dried beet pulp, the
foreign countries affordiDg a ready
mar ket for the food so valuable for feed
ing OF live stock. In Mr.. Wilson's opin-
ion there is no crop so valuable to the
Michigan farmer as the sugar beet, but
in order TO make il more 80 it must be
cultivatedj sufficiently to increase the
tonnage. In the course OF his remarks
he stated that the farmers need have no
apprehension Of interference With the in
dustry on the part of the federal govern
ment as there are men OF sufficient
stamina in congress TO combat any such
move on the part of the sugar trust.
In closing his remarks the secretary
paid high compliment to Congressman
A. b. Darragh, Of this district, and
stated that his constituents could well
be proud of his stand and fight for their
interests against Cuban reciprocity. In
fact he complimented the whole Mich
igan delegation for their determined