The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-18
A DAY OF REPORTS
Financial and Other Affairs Of State
Grocers Association in Good
d . s Shape.
Cutting Prices the Greatest Abuse
Of the Trade Busy Day at
Mankato.
snacial "a The Journal.

Special to The Journal. 4.SSs s7 ~
Mankato. Nina, Feb, s-The Retail
.Grocers' and General Merchants associa-
ton Of Minnesota put In a busy forenoon.
Fred Lorentz presented the report Of the
finance committee, showing the affairs OF
the association to be in excellent shape,
due largely to the cooperation or the
jobbers of the state.
j. F. Main presented the report OF the
committee on legislation. He said 1t had
been deemed unwise to Introduce a bill
at the present session Of the. sleglsla ture
sto require the board Of control sto pur-
chase all grocery supplies Of Minnesota
iobbers, as it is doing SO largely now.
Members of thesassociation were asked to
write the members of the legislature In
the interest Of two punishment bills and
a trading stanaps bill. 81
w. E. Davis read the report of the com
mittee on arbitration, showing that the
trading stamp case from Minneapolis was
the only one before it the past year. Ar
brtration was approved. a
George, l.. Dinglnan. assistant dairy and
food commissioner, presented the report
of the committee on. pure food, consisting
OF a review Of the departme work.
Some Trade Abuses.
John ]. Thomssen read the most inter
esting report Of the day on trade, abuses.
The report declared that the most injuri-
sumner is never greatly benefited as the
tendency is to sell inferior goods Mis-
| leading advertising fssaIse a. fragrant form
of trade abuse, although legitimate ad-
! vertising is Of the geratest value. The
| system Of advertising in vogue demands
xigilants censorship. The short weight
package is "a contemplate trade abuse. a
! species Of robbery that is intolerable. The
| trading stamp craze Els a costly abuse
| that cannot be too severely condemned
Every merchant should oppose the parcels
post bill,sSas itsis in the interest Of the
monopolies of the4bigS cities.
| The committee on resolutions pre-
l&49H9s9 9azszGzS!2sZ g!k*ksiSs71 ssEsA -
Wholesale gTocers Of the state for their
assistance in financing the affairs Of the
organization. The state board Of contro
was commended. for giving so large 8
share of business to- the wholesale grocers
Of Minnesota in past years. 81
The auditing committees report was
presented by John w. Lux. Eugene S
| LaFrance presented the report Of the
delegates to thes national retail grocers
convention at Kansas City last month
which commended the good work there o.
the states secretary, Fred Mason, wht
was elected national secretary.
1 J. II. Tenvoorde, secretary Of the Min
nesota Retail Merchants Mutual Fire In
surance company, reported that it Is rlr
economically in the Interest Of the mem
bers. The expense ratio Is only 26 q;
and the assets; are Las per cent of thu
insurance. Since organizing it has pail
/ $21,995 in fire losses and has over twt
4 millions insurance in force. =
Reports sof OFFICERS. IS
! Secretary Fred Mason Of St. Paul gay,
a report on his work as an organizsl
He. spoke Of the friendly relations betweel
the wholesale groeers Of Minnesota, an,
1.-THE associations and urged the merchant
Ito patronize home jobbers whenever pos
sible. IL s@.-, 5ssssx 2zTrs. b
Treasurer Charles F. Rape Of st. Pan
reported this total renAptsi for the yea
! $4,7 O705; .expenditusRa;m$ 377.21. &
kilograms of gfseting were receives
from the president Of the NATIONAL Re
tall Qrocafg association ana the dian
State Retail Merchants association. snoy
Bin session at Lafayette. An invitatio
twas received from Mayor Hitchcock q
|Croekstoil to hold the next meeting thers
I The delegates attended the theater las
Eevening as the guests of the local asso
citation and heard Macbeth &c
While Crookston wants the next cor
vention, there Is ksome talk of Mime
apolissor st. Paul as, being. more centra
Fergus Falls also desires the next meet
ing.
: "A. o. Alvin of New Ulm gave an addres
on equality and Price, urging that mel
chants do not make the mistake Of sacr
ficing the former for, the latter. When
consumer buys an article that proves
; be inferior the merchant is blamed. tt
:, consumer is after quality and must nj
be disappointed. s
Reports Of committees and address.
, will be In order this afternoon.