The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-17
MAYOR PRATT'S QUIET LITTLE
JOKE ON THE GROCERS AND
MERCHANTS.
HANSON is MADE PRESIDENT.
THE WAR BETWEEN THE MUNICH
PAL LEAGUE AND LIQUOR
DEALERS.
NO MONEY FOR CARNIVAL
From the Servers of Liquid Refresh
ments Until the League Gets on
Its Back.

There was a splendid attendance at
the opening session of the Minnesota
Grocers and Merchants ASSOCIATION at
the Masonic Temple yesterday morn
ing. Fully 125 delegates from country
towns were present, in addition to
many from the local associations in
Minneapolis, st. Paul and Duluth. A
temporary organization was formed at
the close Of the session by the lection
of P. G. Hanson as president and
George L. Dingman as secretary. Pre-
vious to this the preliminary delipera-
lions were presided over by President
Dahn, of the local association. The
principal speakers of the morning We're
Mayor Pratt, H. ]. Dahn, George l..
Dingman, Charles w. Meneilley and
J. G. Robb. All the country delegates
were given free tickets to the banquet
at the West hotel. 1t was also decided
to invite the members of the senate
department store investigation commit
tee to be present at the banquet.
At the opening of the afternoon ses-
sion committees on resolutions, consti-
tuition and legislation were appointed.
Honest and Dishonest Competition,
from the Standpoint of a City Sales
man." was the subject Of paper read
by w. S. Coe, of Minneapolis. The most
remarkable feature Of this paper was
the declaration that the department
stores and farmers supply houses were
fair types of dishonest competition.
Fred Lorenz, treasurer of the Ma
tional Grocers' association, read a
bristling paper on the evils Of the de-
partment stores and farmers supply
houses and their remedies. He en-
larged on the detrimental effects of
these institutions on various classes Of
business and professions and the public
in general. He said that 1872 children
under sixteen years were employed in
the Minneapolis department stores
alone. The paper was full of startling
accusations against these institutions.
It opened up a red-hot discussion for
three-quarters of an hour 1t was rather
one-sided, however, and all very much
anti-department store. The organi-
cation Of the proposed state society
would be the most powerful weapon
that the retailers can Wield-that was
the general sentiment.
A resolution was presented by N. H.
Johnson commencing the investigation
by the senate of the department stores
and indorsing the principle involved.
The following committee was ap-
pointed to meet with the senate de-
partment store investigating commit
tee: Fred Lorenz, Minneapolis; A. H.
Anderson, Lamberton; G. H. Colby,
Benson; George Gray, Duluth; ]. 7.
Robb. Winona; H. p Mcbride, Austin;
Wy q a
Johnson, Elbow Lake; G. J. Edgerton,
Anoka; o. B. Patterson, Marshall.
An interesting paper on 1.-THE Com
mercial Press" was read by Milton o.
Nelson, of the Commercial Bulletin
and Northwest Trade. He called at
tention to the difference between trade
thirty years ago and today. The trade
paper was a necessary result of evo-
luton and was now an absolute neces-
sity and aid to the lines Of business
which it represented.
The paper was terse and to the point,
and at it's conclusion a motion to make
the Commercial Bulletin the official
paper of the organization was unani-
mously adopted.
The last number on the programme
was very entertaining paper by John
S. Taylor, of Minneapolis, On the re-
lations between the grocers and the
travelling statesmen. He gave the deal
ers some excellent advice in this con-
nection and was heartily applauded.
The convention then adjourned until
945 this morning, and a large party OF
the delegates paid visit to Regain s
bakery, which was thoroughly inspect
ed.