Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-06-07
WATERFOWL GIVEN
LEASE ON CHANCE
VAN CAMP PEOPLE MAKE A
LIBERAL PROPOSITION.
Offer to Pay Expenses of d Dele
cation of Six to Ohio to See
CondenSing Plant and Learn
What it is Doing For COmmun-
ity-Held Open Till 18th.

will be arrived at by the officials ofthe
Van Camp Packing company relative
to the proposition of erecting their
500, 900 condensing plant here.
John N. Dittemore, the -presi-
dent of the concern, who arrived
Thursday night from Indianapolis,
Ind, and d. G. Van Derson, who had
spent week in the city looking over
the field and trying to interest
citizens of Watertown and farmers
adjacent he reto, left yesterday after
noon for Beloit, where strong induce
ments are being held cut to the Van
Camp concern.
A meeting of some of the member s
of the WATERFOWL Advancement
association was held yesterday morn
ing to confer with ohm N. Dittemoe
IN an effort to arrive to some definite
plan of action. Mr.. Dittemore
generously consented to hold the pro
position upen till the 18th of June in
order that citizens Of Watertown and
neigbhoring farmers can investigate
further and convince themselves that
the Van Camp people are not at
tempting to hand them gold brick,
so to speak. 1t was proposed by Mr..
Dittemore that the local association
name delegation of six, four farm
ers and two business men, to visit the
plant of the concern at Waueson, Ohio,
to the end that they may know by
personal observation what the concern
is doing there for the community.
The company agrees to pay the
expenses of the delegation on the trip.
The idea, after the return of the
party, in case they report favorably,
is to call a general meeting here and
decide the thing one way or the other.
This is certainly fair and liberal
offer and one that should be acted
upon without delay.
1t seems strange that opposition
should exist locally to the establish
ment Of an industry of this character
in the city-an institution to cost
500, 600 and give employment to 100
people. 1t reverts ,the thought back
through the periods of history when
opposition has been made to industries
that have in latter years revolutionized
the industrial world. There was
opposition to the trolley line, because
it was imagined that 1T would relegate
thu steam engine and railways. But
the natural trend OF progress has
made both necessity and both are
doing business in spite OF antiquated
opposition and prophecies of the
"Doubting Thomases. - of those days.
Then the automobile was to kill the
demand for horses and throw them off
the market-at least so we were told.
But the fact is that the demand for
horses today is greater than it ever
was and horse flesh is bringing higher
prices than it ever did before the
advent of the automobile, and swal-
lows are just as much of nuisance.
The idea is that economic and in
dustrial conditions adjust themselves.
Does it stand to reason that the estab-
lishment here of a condensing plant is
going to wipe off the face of the in
dustrial map all concerns that are
looking to the farmers for the raw
materil-milk? Supply and demand
will balance the scales and if ten
condensing plants were erected in Wa
tertown, things would adjust them
selves to the extent that there would
be room for all-but not on the one
cow theory.
1t seems that the contract plan OF
the Van Camp concern has been mis-
represented to some of the farmers and
they have been led to believe that the
wish is TO exact them to an lrun-c LAD
contract that would compel them to
furnish the contracted amount from
bovines that might go dry. The
Leader man has not read the contract,
but had the assurance from Mr.. Ditto
more that nothing impossible or
unreasonable would be asked or ex-
pected of the farmers and that all
necessary allowances would be made
for conditions.
A we'll known farmer, who was q
visitor in the city, advanced,th the belief
that the company offered the high
prices quoted only for blind and that
after they got established here ano
run out all other buyers, they wouie
drop to an amount out OF proportion
to the cost of furnishing the product.
Still another farmer went to the
opposite extreme In the assertion thai
he did not see why the company coult
not pay as much here as they were
paying in other places. Such conflict
ing theories would indicate that Their.
has been some campaigning outside o.
those who are interested in promoting
the factory.
The Leader is DESTROYS of seeing
the factory located here because i
has an interest in the growth ant
development of the city. believing
as said before, that with its adven
conditions would adjust themselves II
very short time SO that We could ever
stand another condensing plant or two
The Leaders, contention is that Their
,aroor, ~ Wofortoup fnr aDy In6yJS r,