New-York tribune., 1920-08-27
James Wilson,
Ex-Agricultllre
Secretary, Dies
Man Who Held Cabinet Of
flee for Fifteen Years
Passes Away at Iowa
Home in Both Year
Was Friend of Farmer
Introduced New Crops and
Developed Forests; Long
a Cood-Roads Advocate

TRAER, Iowa, Aug. 26.-James Will
son, former Secretary of Agriculture,
died to-day at his home here Funeral
services will be held tomorrow after
noon at two O'Clock in the United
Presbyterian Church.
"Tama Jim" Wilson, as he was
familarly known, held the record for
length of tenure in Cabinet office
He served under three presidents of
diverse Compartments Mckinley,
Roosevelt and Taft-and in the fifteen
years of his incumbency as Secretary
of Agriculture a phenomenal agricult-
ural development in this country took
place. He, more than any other man
Of his time, contributed to this re-
markable progress.
introduced New Crops
Secretary Wilson introduced into the
United States a number of valuable
crops which hitherto had been sue
cessful only in other countries. Among
these was Durum wheat, which came to
yield nearly S5O,O0O,0OO a year to the
farmers of the Northwest. He thus
extended the possibilities of wheat
growing far beyond the former climat-
ic limits.
Under his administration, the beet
sugar industry also was fostcred, a
serum for hog cholera was discovered
the whole country was aroused on the
subject of tuberculosis in cattle and
the care and handling of milk and 9th
food products was systematized and
improved. Sample sections of good
roads were built in almost every state
and communities received instruction
as to how to build good roads with
LEGAL material.
The forests were studied and great
advances made toward the conservation
of them, also in the re planting of de-
forested areas Official agricultural
literature was developed to the end
that departmental bulletins became of
great value among the farmers, pres
ented as they were in simple language
along practical lines.
Mr.. Wilson was born in Ayrshire,
Scotland, August 16, 1885, the son of
John and Jean (McCosh) Wilson. In
1852 the Wilson's came to America and
settled in Connecticut. In 1855 they
proceeded west to Tama County, Iowa,
where the family entered into the
farm life of the Middle West "Tama
jim received his schooling in the
public schools Of Iowa and at Iowa
State College. He married Esther Will
bur, of Iowa, and in 1861 engaged in
farming on his own responsibility.
Three Terms in Congress
He served in the Iowa Legislature,
was Speaker during one term, was at
various times regent of the State
University of Iowa, member of the
Forty third, Foryt-fourth and Forty
eighth congresses, director OF the
Agricultural Experiment Station and
professor OF agriculture in Iowa Agri-
cultural College. His application Of
science to agricultural practice brought
him to such national prominence that
President Mckinley appointed him Sec
rotary Of Agriculture March 4. 1897
When Mr.. Wilson took office the ag-
ricultural development of the country
was already remarkable, but in the
years during which he was at the helm
this development was increased far be-
yond the boundaries Of natural promise
which mere land and work afforded.
The increasing helpfulness which the
Federal government exercised in this
development is Indicated to some eX-
tent by tn fact that when Mr.. Wilson
became Secretary Of Agriculture there
were 2,A44 employees in the depart
ment, and that when he left it there
were approximately 10000
This increase, involving a.togeth er
larger and larger appropriations, Mr..
Wilson obtained on the merits Of one
achievement after another, until it be-
came universal belief among the
farmers that the Department Of Agri-
culture was working with a single
minded purpose for their benefit
Opposed Daylight Bill
At eighty years of age Mr.. Wilson
was still erect and vigorous, a man six
feet tall, all bone and muscle. OF the
Presbyterian faith he was, as a boy,
made familiar with the old metrical
version of the Psalme, from which he
frequently quoted in a quaint way with
remarkable effect.
No formalitics ever fledged about
him, and the plainest farmer who Wis
tied his office in Washington received
the same grasp of the hand and the
same courteous attention that he gave
his associates in official life.
The former Secretary issued a sta te-
ment to farmers in September, 1916,
foretelling the consequences of the
Adamson eight-hour bill. The bill, he
sought to show, was simply authorizing
increased pay for the railroad men, and
the farmers and shippers were warned
that they would have to pay the in
creased wages because OF the Presi-