The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-05-18
A COrlMENDABLE MOVEMENT.

A call has been issued for a con-
vention to be held in Minneapolis on
| the 23d of this month, which will
have an important bearing upon the
industrial interests of the northwest.
The purpose for whichthis convention
is called is to take steps whereby the
producers and consumers of the north
west can be brought more closely to-
gether, and seek means by which the
manufactured products of the north
west may be brought more particu-
larly to the attention of the people
in general, and so more generally
used, in preference to those from
abroad The call is signed by repre-
sentative business men of the north
west, among whom we find that OF
Mr.. j. A. Willard of this city. Among
the reasons put forth in the call for
such a convention is the following:
AS conditions now exist great
part of the goods consumed in the
northwest are manufactured in east
|
them very rarely returns in any large
quantity to us from whom it came.
| Whereas, if this same money had
been paid to northwestern working
men, they would in turn become con-
sumers of northwestern products, and
! the money which the consumer pays
for supplies would remain in this part
of the country and return to him Ill
timately in the regular course of
trade. The work of the association
will be to induce consumers, price and
quality being equal, to purchase
goods manufactured as near home as
possible. 1t would seem that a move
meme of this kind would be as greatly
| to the interest of the retailer as the
manufacturer or jObber. for with the
mills and factories paying wages to
workingmen near home these work
| ing men will have the means to pur
! chase goods from that retailer.
From reports published on the Min
neapolis Journal the idea seems to be
very generally approved throughout
! the northwest. 1t should be remember
ed that it is not scheme to shut the
northwest off by itself in the matter
of trade, but simply move to encour-
age the use of home products where
quality and price will compare favor
ably with those from abroad. In COM
menting upon this movement editor
tally the Minneapolis Journal among
other things says:
1t should be clearly understood that
this movement cOntemplates no unjust
discrimination against outside pro-
ducers and dealers. 1t is not contem-
plated that the home producer shall
| have any unfair or special privileges
accorded to him beyond those which
his situation entities him to: but that
he should have all the privileges and
preferences to which he is entitled.
| 1t is because he has not had such pref
erences and privileges as he is entitled
| to that this movement has been in
augurated. 1t is lamentable fact,
and one which certainly explains in
large part the local business depres-
sion, that local industrial producers
have not been accorded that recogni
tiOn and support to which they are en-
titled. Numerous and specific in
| stances could be cited, if it were neces-
Sary or desirable, in which goods of
local manufacture have been placed
upon the market under the representa-
tiOn that they were manufactured
elsewhere. Numerous instances have
occurred and are constantly occurring
where the employers of labor are de-
prived of the opportunity of compet
ing with outside rivals solely because
of an absurd and miSchievOuS notion
that because an article is manufacture
ed in the northwest it cannot there
fore be as good as if it were produced
in some more remote locality.
A conspicuous instance is that of
the state institutions of Minnesota,
supported by the taxes levied upon the
people Of this state, and yet supplied,
through the carelesSness or prejudice
of their managers, with goods manu-
featured outside of the state, when
they could just as we'll be supplied
with articles Of home production.
That is to say, the money is taken
from the tax paying producer or manu-
facturer, while he is at the same time
deprived of even the opportunity to
sell his product to the state, and his
money is sent out of the state and out
of this section to producers of the
same articles in some remote locality.
This is a specific example of a too
common practice, not only as applied
to the public institutions, but as fol-
lowed by private individuals, which it
is proposed to correct.
Men who doubtless have the inter-
est of this section at heart, and who
certainly have interests of their own
to be affected, lament the lack of
prosperity and progress in industrial
and commercial affairs, and yet de-
prive their home industries of their
own patronage. This affects not
only the quantity of trade, but
the quality of the articles produced.
A growing and prosperous industry is
always in position not only to modi-
fly it's prices but to improve the quail
ty of it's product.
1t will be noticed from the call that
this convention is not to be held in
the interest of any particular city of
the northwest, but that this general
locality, whose interests are mutual
and interdependent, is to be represent
ed and to be taken into account at
large in whatever course of action is
to be adopted.