The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-02-19
WHY NOT MANKATO?
A Northwest Dairy Board of Trade
Being Agitated.
This City is the Center of the Great
est Circuit of Creameries in the
State.

An agitation is going on through
the Northwest for the formation of
butter board of trade, and St. Paul is
trying to get it, although maDifestly
not well located for it. The market
is now at Elgin, Ill.,, and the produc-
ers of the Northwest sell their dairy
products there to eastern commission
men, who name the price and charge
a commission. If new board of
trade can be started in this state,
with the patronage of Minnesota and
the Dakotas,. the Northwest will have
virtually declared its independence of
Elgin and the east. Rochester is
striving for the honor and business
which one of these boards of trade
will give, and has already estab lished
one in small way, but as that town
has but one railroad il can never be-
come an important market. St. Paul
is north of the main dairy section of
the state. North of st. Paul are the
pine woods and the few creameries
that are to be found there do not
operate in the winter.
Mankato is in the very midst of the
finest dairy country in the world
Taking this city as the center, and
drawing circle with radius of sixty
miles, $50 creameries will come within
the circle. No other city in the state
can be the center of a similar circle
that will include as many creameries.
This city is also the hub of four rail-
road systems, reaching out in every
direction, making it unsurpassed as a
shipping point. Everything seems to
conspire in favor of Mankato, and if
the commercial organizations and
business men will take forward step,
this city can have the distinc ton
which Elgin now enjoys. Some years
ago dairy board Of trade was started
here, but the conditions were not
nearly so favorable as now, nor the
dairy interests Of this section so ad-
vanced.
The need of Northwest dairy
board Of trade has been appar-
emit for several years, but it is only
since the recent dairy convention at
Albert Lea that the matter has been
seriously taken up. 1t is the general
opinion that such an institution
would be very beneficial to the dairy
interests of the state, as the price of
the butter output has already been
too long ruled by the Elgin board, and
the manner Of it's marketing in the
control Of the commission men of New
York, Chicago, Boston, and other
eastern centers.
Minnesota has 500 creameries, near
ly all cooperative. of which almost
One-half have been established in the
past two years. The output last year
was over As, 100000 pounds of bntter,
worth $S,000,000. Minnesota cream
cries make an article of butter super
ior in many ways to the products of
the famous EIgin district, yet it's
grade and price are determined by
the inferior butter of that district.
The dairy board of trade could be
open one day in the week. On that
day the creamery manager, through
his broker in Mankato, could meet
the buyers of the eastern and export
markets. Sales would be made by
sample. and the shipments follow
promptly. The only expense of the
transaction would be a small broker
age charge. Now the creamery man.
ayers pay the eastern commission
cents pound amounts to one cent a
pound. This is deemed excessive In
some instances, the commission for
marketing amounts to 81, 500 year on
the product of single creamery, but
by the new plan it is expected that
very nearly the whole of this amount
will be saved. With this and the
increased price of butter, due to sell
ing under its own grade and on it's
own superior merits, it is thought pos
sible to save Sl,O00,O00 year to the
Northwest. The board OF trade could
also effect large and more direct eX-
port trade.
Rochester has raised few hundred
dollars IN the interests OF dairy
board of trade, and the citizens are
pushing the scheme with energy.
During the national convention of
butter makers at OwatODnna next
week, a special train will take the
entire convention to Rochester to in
vestigate its claims as to location,
etc. ST. Paul is also pushing
energetically for it. What is Man
kato going to do about it? Here is an
oppor unity that should not he allow
ed 10 pass.