The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1879-07-17
THE COMMERCIAL LEAGUE.

THE COMMERCIAL LEAGUE,
Important Address Of the Executive Commit.
tee to the People Of the Northwest.
The executive committee appointed to
devise the way to establish commercial
league, met in St. Paul, July o, and
adopted the following circular letter:
To the People Of the State Of Minnesota:
On the 7th day of June, 1879, the follow
ing resolutions were introduced into the
st. Paul chamber of commerce:
WHEREAS, The commercial interests of Min
nesota and the new Northwest, and the pros
perity and happiness of their people require
that they shall have some control Of the nat
ural and artificial lines of transportation on
which the prices Of all exports and imports de-
pend: and
WHEREAS, By the combination of wealthy
| such control may be lost, and this State and
its neighbors Of the Northwest be reduced to
the conditi' of appendages and tributary
provinces of outside corporations and cities;
and
WHEREAS, The Mississippi river and the
lakes, which project lar into our territory, are
natural highways of commerce, which need
only to be improved and utilized to form the
basis of an independent system of TRANSPORTS
tion, now, therefore, be it
Resolced, By the chamber of commerce of
the city Of St. Paul, that the suspicious be-
ginning already inaugurated by this chamber,
looking to the improvement of these great ar
teries Of commerce. should be persistently fol-
lowed up from Year to year until complete sue
cess shall crown our efforts.
Resolvea further, That the new Northwest has
the natural advantages, the wealth, the popu-
iation and the credit which make it both feas-
IDLE and desirable to inaugurate an independ-
ent system of transportation, the bases of
which shall be the Mississippi river and ada
cent lakes; and to bring about a consumma-
ton SO vital to our interests We recommend
the formation of a commercial league consist
ing Of the various cities of Minnesota
and Dakota, the cities of Buffalo, Detroit,
Montreal and others East, together with the
cities of the Mississippi river from New
Orleans to minneapolis, and such transporGa-
ton companies as may be interested in the
purposes of the league.
ResolUea, That in order to carry out the or
ganization of such a league and perfect the
details of the most judicious ways and means
of accomplishing the ends in view, q commit
tee of ten citizens of St. Paul shall be ap-
pointed by this chamber to confer with like
committees from other localities in the State
and the Northwest, and that they meet in this
chamber at 10 o'clock on the--day of july.
These resolutions were recommended for
adoption by the committee on commerce on
the Both of June and the 7th of july ap-
pointed as the day for which the conference
called for.
Such conference was held on the 18th of
July, IN which representatives from the lead
ing cities of the State, from the st. Paul &,
Sioux City railroad, and the st. Paul, Mime
apolis d Manitoba railroad, were present.
After full interchange of sentiments, show
ing the dangers which threaten our
entire new Northwest, and the absolute ne
cesslty for combination to meet combination,
there was but one opinion as to our ability
to avert the threatened dangers if the entire
State and the people interested will arouse
to realizing sense of the situation and
stand shoulder to shoulder in defense of
their independence. 10 bring about this
result, you were invited to meet at st. Paul
on the 22nd of July, by the adoption of the
following resolution:
Resolyed, That the commercial league con-
templated by this conference Is not for the
benefit of any city or locality in the State, but
for the protection of all the cities of the State
and the agricultural and commercial interests
of the people Of the State, which are threat
ened by the combinations of powerful outside
corporations which discriminate against our
interests; and the press of the entire State are
respectfully requested to call the attention of
their readers to the Importance to every inter-
est of the State of establishing an indepen-
dent sys EN- Of transportation based upon the
mississippi river and the adjacent lakes as ont.
lets, so that there may be competing lines and
choice of markets for our products. Be it
further
Resolued. That at the adjourned meeting of
thls conference: to be held on Tuesday, July
n n he d., oLo
commerce rooms, general invitation is hereby
extended without further notice to every town
and the boards of trade and chambers Of com.
merce in the State to send delegates, and to
citizens of every county who feel an interest,
to meet with us and participate in the confer
ence.
An executive committee consisting of j,
w. McClung and w. L. Banning, of St.
Paul: Richard Chute, of Minneapolis; ]. B.
Culver, of Duluth; L. F. Hubbard, of II ed
Wing, and Gordon E. Cole, of Faribault,
were appointed to propose ways and means
for carrying out the objects of this confer
ence and to issue an address to the people of
the State.
We're it not for the apathy which has here
tofore existed upon this subject which has
caused us to sleep soundly while the combi-
nation of railroad companies have already
wrested from us nearly every railroad line
which was built by the munlfcent land grants
of the general government and the local
bounties for which our cities and counties
are mortgaged for taxation for years to come,
it might not be necessary to add another
word to urge upon you the Importance of
giving list ening ear to this appeal.
The policy o. Chicago is that all roads
must lead to Rome. The policy of the rail
roads is consolidated to bring about this
end. The policy of both is that the splendid
empire that stretches from the head waters
of the Mississippi and the lakes to the Paci-
fic ocean, endowed with the natural capaci-
ties to make it the granary of tie world,
must be conquered and made to pay tribute
to Cesar. The edict that :iCarthage must be
destroyed" was not more settled policy
than this. We are to be compelled to carry
our exports and our imports by Chicago,
about 400 miles out of the direct way, at
cost of over $10,O0O,0 900 annually, to be lev
led upon our farmers first, and Indirectly
upon every other interest, and wrung from
our hard earnings by the exaction of such
rates of freight as junta of railroad officers
in an Eastern city may choose to dictate.
The very fact that last summer wheat far out
on the Red river frontier, and finding mar
ket via Lake Superior, brought 10 cents
bushel more than that which depended upon
Chicago as an outlet, shows what we are to
lose if the Lake Michigan system of trans
portation is to swallow up all our lines of
transportation, shut us out from Lake Su-
perior and the Mississippi river and deprive
US of all competing lines. To say nothing
of the future, if the crop of Dakota and Min
nesota should be 5O,OOO,OOO bushels this
year, 10 cents difference in the price