The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-18
CROGERS MEET
AT MANKAT0
Four Hundred From Twin
Cities Attend Annual
Convention.

Retail grocers to the number of about
four hundred went from the Twin Cit
les to Mankato yesterday to attend
the annual convention of their state
association.
The party left the union depot in
this city at 8 o'clock over the Great
western roads on a special train Of
tour cars, accompanied by band.
Ihere We're on the train about two
hundred members from each of the
Twin Cities.
The ST. Paul party includes John w
Lax, president of the st. Paul organiza-
ton; Fred Mason, national secretary
and the only candidate before this pres
ent convention for the Office of state
secretary; John J. Ryan, secretary of
the st. Paul organization, and Charles
f. Rape, secretary of the state asso-
citation. In the Minneapolis party are
T. G. Hanson, president of the state
association; John Powell, president Of
the Minneapolis organization; John G.
Taylor, secretary, and Herman Dohm
who is prominent candidate for prest-
dent Of the state association.
The special train arrived at Man.
kato about noon, and the association
convened at 2 p. m. The afternoon ses-
sion was chiefly devoted to the reports
of officers, appointment Of committees
and other formal business.
Last night the visiting delegates were
entertained at the theater, the local
association having bought out the en-
tire house for the OCCASION, and thrown
it open to their guests.
Tonight there has been arranged a
smoke social, which promises to be q
most enjoyable affair. Gov. Van SAINT
and a number of other invited guests
of prominence are expected to attend.
The convention will continue until
Thursday evening.
The proceedings We're begun by adj
dresses of welcome by Mayor Mic Pc
terson and eX-Mayor F. M. Cuerrier.
The response was made 1by w. H.
Kingsbury, of Winona.
President p. G. Hanson called the
convention to order and delivered his
annual address. The annual reports Of
Fred Mason and Treasurer c.. Rappe
were also read.
There is a contest for president be-
tween Mr. Hanson, the incumbent, and
Herman j. Dahn, who is also of Min
neapoliS. sio~aa0 ~--s
President Hanson, in his annual adj
dress, said:
81 believe we have passed our ex-
perimental point and can march on
with success marked on our banner. In
my opinion there is no state in the
Union as we'll organized, and organized
on such practical basis, as the Min
HeSOId Tetau SrOcerS ana general mer-
chants are organized. The Retail Mer-
chants Mutual Fire Insurance COM
pany, one Of our state association pro-
Jects, has been a great success, and
has paid to It's members a 20 per cent
dividend in the past two years,
amounting to a little over $4,000. 1t
will also pay the same dividend this
year, only the amount will be much
larger. Our business has grown, and
the increase in 1902 over 1901 is nearly
$1,000,000.
Your legislative committee and Off
GERS have been at work on legislative
matters the past few weeks, and 1 be-
lieve We shall be able to obtain good
results this year. We have before the
legislature two bills on garnishment
and one pertaining to all gift schemes,
trading stamps,zetc and believe we
shall succeed in passing, them ALL for
the labor organizations are with us
and have Endorsed our measures. While
our revenue did not come up to what
we had expectedit would, still we have
had enough to pay the expenses of the
association and our treasury will show
a very good balance on the right side
This is and has been a wonderful sat-
fsfaction to your officers, for we could
go right ahead with the work knowing
that we had the funds to carry it for
ward. We did not have to get together
with the finance committee to see if
We could afford this or that, as we had
done in former years. Neither have we
had to go out soliciting funds. or any
kind OF ads to secure funds, as we have
had to do in the past