The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-09-09
WILL SOLICIT FUNDS
Committee Is Named to Assist
Building of Elevator.
New Organization of Farmers
Will Go Ahead.
Thomas Hodson Chosen Presi-
dent of the Body.
Prospect of Grain House Being
Located in MankatO.
From Thursdays Daily.

Yesterday afternoons meeting of the
Mankato Business Mems association,
held in the council chamber of the city
hall building for the exclusive purpose
of furthering the project of establishing
cooperative elevator in Mankato, did
not get very far along in the work at
that session. There was goodly attend
anee of farmers, yet they did not APP
pear to take as much interest as had
been hoped. Louis p. Miller, chairman of
the Walters movement, was there and
remarked that there was no reason for
discouragement. If at the first meeting
the farmers can be gotten to attend and
listen, that was about all that could
be expected. At the first meeting call
ed to further the Walters elevator prop
osition, there had been the same trouble
in getting the farmers to take hold.
The meeting got as far as the election
of a president of the new organization
that is to be perfected, choosing Thomas
Hodson of Nicollet county, who was not
present, but who has displayed a great
deal of enthusiasm over getting an ele-
vator located at Mankato, owned and
operated by the farmers. President
Richards of the Business Mems associa-
ton was authorized to appoint COM
mittee to solicit subscriptions to stock.
This, committee will consist of as many
as the president secs fit. J. 1t was gener-
ally believed that seven would be the
proper number. These committeeman
will solicit among both the farmers OF
the surrounding country and the people
of the city itself. The committee will
report progress at the next meeting OF
the association. This may not be held
until the regular meeting time, two
weeks from last night. All the farmers
interested are urged to attend this meet
ing, and take part in the proceedings,
in so far as they relate to the matter
of the cooperative elevator.
An account of the early part of this
meeting of yesterday afternoon was pub
Iished i'm The Free Press last night ).
S. Mcdonald of Minneapolis, secretary OF
the Minnesota Farmers" Exchange, talk
ed to the assemblage at considerable
length. He urged the farmers to CO.
operate in defiance of the money power.
He held up New Zealand as a country
where the masses had successfully done
this. He declared that the farmer is
Systematically beaten out OF his Just
dues by the improper grading of wheat.
The wheat of the farmer that is class
ed as rejected will often sell for num-
Der two wheat after it has gone through
little cleaning and mixing process The
cooperative exchange gives the farmer
the actual value of his wheat and all his
other products. No middle man gains
great profit than by little drying,
cleaning and mixing.
Mr.. Mcdonald said he was once asked
why he was so much interested in the
welfare of the farmers. He replied that
it was because he was himself farmer.
He was looking out for number one. He
urged all the farmers also to look out
for number one, assuring them that II
they did so. the welfare of the commu-
nitv would be well taken care of.
Secretary Ogle said the Mankato
business men are very anxious to have
cooperative elevator located in Man
kato. They did not care, however, to
see elevators erected all through the
surrounding country to draw away from
Mankato the farmers that have been ac-
customed to come to the city and are
expected to continue to do so.
Louis Miller spoke of the Waters Sid
ing meeting of the night before. He
said that at that meeting the sentiment
seemed to be Almost unanimous for the
location of an elevator at Waters, and
against the proposition of changing the
site to Mankato, or turning over the sub
scription list to the Mankato pro-
iectors. There were many farmers who
would find it much more to their in
terest to make a short haul to Waters
Siding than a long haul to Mankato.
There were some farmers in that same
neighborhood, living a little nearer to
Mankato, who would prefer to haul their
grain to that city, rather than take it to
Waters, because the roads in the vi
cinity of Mankato are better. He argu-
ed, however, that even if a cooperative
elevator should be located at Waters