Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1919-09-25
WHOLESALERS
WERE IN ALMA
Members of Detroit Association
Visited in This City
Yesterday.
BANQUET At THE REPUBLIC
Service, Transportation and Good
Reads Were Matters Taken for
the Discussions.

On Wednesday of this week a large
number of representatives Of the De-
troit Wholesalers Association were in
this city with view of promoting
better business relations with Alma
business houses, and to take up mat
ters Of vital interests, common TO
both the wholesalers and the local
men, among the most important Of
which was better transportation serv-
ice.
During the earlier part Of the day
the Detroit wholesalers called upon
their Alma patrons, during which
time informal discussions regarding
the trade were taken up between
them.
Shortly after noon banquet was
rendered to the wholesalers at the
Republic cafeteria, to which the Wis
tors to the city and the local busi-
ness men did full justice.
Following the banquet, Mr.. Chas
G. Rhodes, secretary of the Repub-
lie Motor Truck Company, Inc, act
ed as postmaster. Mr. Rhodes made
the visitors welcome in behalf of the
big Alma factory, after which the
Hon. Charles r. Murphy. mayor, ex-
tended welcome in behalf of the
city.
A. H. Nichols of Buhl & Sons of
Detroit was called upon by Mr.
Rhodes for few remarks, in which
he spoke of the warmth of the re-
ception which the Alma business men
had extended to the visitors, and of
the warm feeling which the Detroit
wholesalers had for Alma The
matter of freight service was taken
up by Mr.. Nichols. who spoke of the
efforts which were being made TO
better the service between Detroit
and Alma, and he stated that during
the past seven days every car OF
freight shipped to Alma from De-
troit had reached its destination
within two days. After speak
ing Of the splendid growth of
Alma during the past few years Mr.
Nichols called attention to the
growth of Detroit, and how it had
jumped from fourteenth place in the
list of the largest cities of the coun-
try, to fourth place in a period of
ten years. He spoke of the great
manufacturing institutions which
were in Detroit, particularly the
Ford and Packard plants. He stated
that last year 1927 800 pleasure cars
were manufactured in Detroit and
that 10000 trucks were also made
during that period. In closing he
asked for a closer cooperation be-
tween the smaller cities and Detroit
for their mutual betterment.
Mr.. Rhodes followed up the re-
marks Of Mr.. Nichols with a short
sketch of the obligation of Detroit
to the smaller towns, speaking of the
lack of a good automobile association
and the lack of good trunk lines
things which Detroit should take the
lead in. He also spoke of the great
need that Detroit, the auto city, has
for an automobile hall.
VI. II. lIeDIe OF Lee U OdOy, the
next speaker, told of the trip which
the Detroiters had made. He men
toned the nice appearance of Ithaca.
the boom that was on in Mt. Pleas
ant, and the fine progress which Al
ma was making. Taking up the mat
ter of transportation he stated tina.
1t had for sometime been a sore spo.
but that every effort was being MADE
to better the service.
Edgar A. Guest of the Detroit Free
Press was then called upon by Mr..
Rhodes and he brought the program
to a close by entertaining the bar
queters with some Of his poetry.
which made them forget dull business
cares for the moment and follow him
through the maze in which was pict-
ured German kultur, the man who
would do good deeds when he got
rich, and other word pictures equally
as interesting and entertaining.