Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-01-24
n. v. BUSINESS FEDERATION.
ORGANIZED IN MINNEAPOLIS
ON JAN. 18TH BY DELE
GATES FROM %
BOARDS OF
TRADE.
WEBSTER REPRESENTED BY
L. G. LEVOY.-AN INTER-
ESTING SESSION.
RESUME OF THE
WORK.

A*DNAA "a 49, 80 -~~NH ~
the various Boards of Trade, Corr
mercial Clubs and other orgarlza-
tons of a like nature, situated IN the
Northwest, composed Of the states
of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and
South Dakota, Iowa aad Montana,
for a convention TO meet ia Minneap-
oils on January 10th. 1895, for the
purpose of taking steps to consolidate
these various business organizations
into one great organization or Board
of Trade, the Webster Board of
Trade, at a called meeting, believing
that it's interests would be conserved
by being represented at this conven-
ton, selected three delegates, Messrs
Small, Norton and Levoy, to attend
this convention and represent their
interests. The undersigned attended
the convention in the capacity of del
egate and makes the following report
On assembling at the rooms of the
Board of Trade, we found about fifty
gentlemen present representing TWEEN
ty-three organizations from the vari-
Gus states interested.
The convention was called to or
der by A. L. Croker, President of
the Minneapolis Board of Trade, who
in we'll chosen words introduced the
subject matter that caused the con-
vention, and then presented Mayor
Pratt. who extended a cordial well
come to the delegates on behalf of
the city. The mayor in his remarks
suggested the wonderful results that
would ensue to the Northwest from
a consolidated and energetic organi-
zation composed as it would be of
the various business organizations of
the states interested.
President Croker then, on behalf
of the Commercial Club, extended
the surtesies of that body to the del
egates during their ~sojourn in the
city.
Horace b. Hudson, the secretary
o. the committee, and who has been
i~ndefatigable in the interests of this
great move, was then introduced and
gave a complete history of the move
ment and of the interest manifested
and cooperation promised by organi-
cations in Iowa, Montana and the
Dakotas.
At this time, a temporary organi-
zation was perfected with A. l..
Croker as President and III. B. Hud-
o as Secretary. Mr.. Crocker, in
accepting the position, addressed tho
convention, ami, among other things,
said: "The growth of the North west
was so sudden that the people were
not yet alive to what was yet to be
done-that the United States was
dominated by the West aud the West
by the Northwest because of it's
vast possibilities and resources, and
that with the proposed deep water
way canal as an outlet to the Atlantic
seaboard, a great rush of commerce
would ensue, and an energetic North
western Board of Trade would be a
great factor in securing the same"
The President then called upon
ex-senator +. w. Durant, Of Still
water, who addressed the convention
regarding the benefits of the proposed
deep water canal, and urged every
commercial body in the Northwest
to make a universal demand for this
outlet to trade. He said: ''The out
let Of the lakes in Minnesota points
as an index to the whole traffic OF
the West, and / hope to see formed
an organization which will central
ize the commercial energy of the
whole North west, and, though the
beginning is small yet / feel it
is but the nucleus from which will
spring a mighty power in trade and
commerce."
The next speaker was Hon. Thos.
Barto, of Ashland, Wis, who dwelt
upon the immense amount of traffic
and the shipments from his city, over
100000 tons, mostly ore, had been