The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-05
ST. PAUL RETAILERS EXPRESS
THEMSELVES ON THE DEPART
MENT STORE QUESTION.
THE UNION MET LAST MIGHT
AND ADOPTED A SET OF REsOT.U.
TIoNs TO GO TO THE LEGIs-
LATURE.
STREET CAR MATTERS DISCUSSED
Needs of Merriam and st. AntI,onv
Parks Referred to by the Alder
men of These Districts.

The special meeting of the st. Paul
retailers union, held at the Ryan last
night, for the purpose of taking action
concerning the department stores, was
we'll attended. There were some forty
retailers present.
within fifteen minutes after Presi.
dent Bowlby called the meeting to or.
uer, the union adopted a preamble
ana resolution requesting the legis-
lature to pass a law that will restrict
department stores by providing for an
occupation tax or a graduated scale Of
license, to be paid by retail merchants
upon the various lines of merchandise
sold by them.
Prior to the adoption of the resoIu.
ton, Emil Geist suggested that q corn.
m1ttee from the retailers union be an.
POINTED TO investigate the bill now be-
fore the legislature regarding the de-
PaF'rlent stores. I. B. Myers read
some hgures regarding the effect of de.
partment stores on the retail trade. The
ngures showed marked decrease in
those lines Of trade coming into conn
peutlon with the department stores.
Wn1le the reports of the various lines
not coming in such competition showed
a large increase.
PRESIDENT Bowlby then put the oues-
lon .ton On MT. Ge1sts motion to adopt
the preamble and resolution. The mo-
ton prevailed by almost a unaninoosys
Note' the only member voting in tia
negative being Jacob Manufacturer Tha
preamble and resolution, which are
addressed to the legislature, read "a
Gentlemen: At meeting If the 81 PAM
bo4a
Z: 1897, the following preamble and resolu.
uohs were adopted and o committee appoint.
6odiO ~ present the same to your honorable
ate and house: - 'Ae sen
Whereas, It is desirable, in the interests 4,
oouI eitrzensnIp, that in every community the
people may engage in the various Industries
on Lnelr own responsibility and
whereas, anything which tends To central.
re re, ana place under the domination and con.
trol or the few the business of the merchant
the snopkeeper and the tradesman and re.
9uce them from employers to EMPLOYEES Is
ue1riLnehtaI to the interests of the people, and
, whereas, the tendency of the age Is toward
the Capitalization of various lines Of trad
under one management thereby reducing ths
possiointes OF Industrious tradesmen and
concentrated capital and 800
whereas department stores have become
grave menace to the business and real pros.
perry interests OF the state and have re-
tarded the development and general weIfars
u the communities wherein they exist and
nave destroyed to dangerous degree the in
dlvldual occupations of the citizens and thai,
ABILITY to earn a livelihood and
whereas, such stores have centralized M.
merous INES OF business under one manage
n Ia IN such way as to lessen, and, in
some case, to entirely drive out of business
the small dealers and vacate large amount
OF business property. Therefore be II
Resolved, That the legislature Of the state
OF Minnesota now assembled enact laws
conterring on the municipal governments NJ
Sne state power to restrict department stores
Dy providing for an occupation tax. or
graduated scale of license, to be paid nv re
TALL merchants upon their various lines N
merchandise, vended, and for preventing
fraud and deceit In advertising or describing
goods offered for sale.
Secretary Morrow then read the de-
partment store bill introduced by Sen
ator Theden. At the conclusion of the
reading, Mr.. Myers offered the follow
ing resolution, which was at once
adopted:
Resolved. That committee consisting ol
as many members there are Individual
lines OF trade represented in the membershir
OF the st. Paul Retailers union, be appointed
by the president to confer with the nroneS
senate committee for the purpose or reviewina
and revising the classification Of Schedules
IN the Dill before the legislature entitled
an act authorizing cities to tax certain &C.
equations and privileges"
In accordance with the resolution
president Bowlby appointed the fol-
lowing committee: w. J. Dyer. Emil
Geist, Frank Pinska, Percy Mash, r.
A.. Lanpher. Geo. Lennon. G. B. Bowl
by, Charles Treadwell. F. w. Sturte-
want, Charles F. Pusch, J. Strong. s.
Q. Greer, A. T. Hall, John Tenvoorde,
j. G. Noting, Allen Black, r. L. Winch
and Max M. Herman.
Aid. Shepard and Aid. Allard attend
ed the meeting for the purpose Of call
ing the attention Of the union to the
urgent need of improved street car
n FRO, I,a
trict
Aid. Shepard said that the citizens OF
Merriam Park were badly handicapped
in not having proper street car service
and facilities between that district and
the central business portion Of the city.
In consequence Of the absence of these
facilities, Aid. Shepard assured the re-
tailers' that much of the trade that
came from the midway district was go
Ing to Minneapolis instead Of St Paul
Aid. Allard speaking for the Hamline
and st. Anthony Park districts. con-
firmed Aid. Shepard's statements. He
also informed the union that the Ham
line people proposed to secure street
railway connection with the interurban
line at Prior avenue, and when that
was accomplished still more trade
would probably be diverted to Mime
apolis.
Some discussion followed DURING
which the desirability Of Union depot
loop was also touched upon. Finally
the union adopted resolution offered
by Mr.. Myers. directing the chairman
to appoint q committee to confer with
the common council regarding the
measures now before that body for the
establishment Of a Union depot Io0r
and for improved street railway faoilI-
ties between the center Of the city and
the midway district The committee
appointed comprises c. B. BowIby
Frank Pinska and c. w Hall. The
committee will receive the support of
the entire organization.
The union then adjourned to meet q
week from next Monday night.
The committee appointed to confer
with the senate committee on Senator
Theden's bill will meet this afternoon
at the Ryan.