The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-01-12
BUILDERS OF CITIES
GATHER At BANQUET
st. Paul Exchange Members
and Guests Spend Social
Evening

dnnual banquet OF the Builders -ex-
change, of st. Paul, and invitations
had been sent out to all the similar
organizations in the state and the in
vitation was generally accepted.
There were delegations from Mime
apolis headed by Vice President J. w.
Elliott, of that exchange, Duluth, Fart
bault, Mankato and several other out
of town points. 1t was Strictly in
formal affair, and while the speakers
were of a class that usually commands
formality on account of the weight Of
their views last night the toasts took
on the character of plain talks as man
to man.
The big dining room of the hotel ac-
commodated just as many as it would
hold without crowding and the tables
We're decorated in red, white and green.
with flowers and ferns. After the din
ner, which was of seven courses and
without wine of any kind, the long pro-
gramme of speeches was taken up.
J. J. Dwyer was delegated to act as
| POSTMASTER and had something pun
gent to say as he introduced each
| speaker. He first introduced ]. F. Nc
CURE, president Of the exchange. who
babe the guests and members a hearty
| welcome. In the course of his remarks
President Mcclure explained the pur-
pose of the organization.
Purpose of Organization
cit is a body of It's firms and has
about 800 members. 1t holds on it's
rolls the men who build and the men
who make and sell the material with
which to build. In a sense 1t is local.,
| but it is also true that the members
of the exchange build in nearly every
city of the Northwest.
'In doing this artisans of st. Paul
are employed at profitable wages and
| thus outside the city the exchange
| furthers the commercial welfare of st.
| Paul. r7aeoss-1
aThe material prepared for use in
/ this city is used from Honolulu to New
/ York and from Nome to Texas, all of
which does st. Paul no harm
when any one asks us who we are,
/ I always say: We are the largest bust
ness organization in the Northwest and
| the best in the country"
Gov. Johnson was next on the list
] of speakers, but he was detained in
Minneapolis, and his place was taken
by Mayor Robert A. Smith.
Mayor Smith said that he was phys
l la
l,toast, 'sThe City of ST. Paul" but in
spite of his recent illness he recounted
some of the history of the building of
the city.
~ was secretary to the governor
when the bill Incorporating ST. Paul as
| city was passed and sent to the gov
| ernor for his signature. I had the
4 pleasure sof bearing the completed bill
! signed by Gov, Ramsey bach to the
/ legislature.
1Thus feel In peculiar sense as If
! / was one of the builders of the city.
| To the high civic mark set by the early
mayors of st. Paul I attribute in large
| measure the fact that the integrity Of
the city government has never been
seriously called in question.
St Paul never has been a boodling
city. / know of no politicians who
have enriched themselves at the ex-
pense of and to. the detriment of the
city. I know of no contractors who
/ have done so and no officers of the city
| government who have prostituted their
! trusts - n'era e''tsS
! He told of the engineering difficulties
that lay in the way of the builders of
| the city and then begged to. be excused
! from talking further.
Mr.. Buffers Ambition
Pierce Butler, of the. Omaha road,
| was next called upon. Mr.. Butler said
| that he would rather be builder, a
! constructor of great works than follow
any other pursuit. He considered that
| class of work to be of the highest use
and utility to humanity. He made an
| amusing reference to Mayor, Smith in
| closing that reused round of ap-
plauSe. vs-s - r7fyp7sts
Forty years ago." said he, accord
ing to an article that appeared in the
| press of those days, the Comprehend
| n a cd Pn1 7, for r.,
treasurer of Ramsey county. The
article I refer to commented on the
nomination by saying Isn't 1t about
time that Bob Smith is retired from
| public office?
"Ten years after this they began to
forget their words-in twenty they
were forgotten, and today they are try
| ing to invent some means to persuade
Bob Smith to stay in officens-1 1880
/ j. w. Elliott, of Minneapolis, follow
ed briefly, and L. G. Hoffman,, presi-
| dent of the Commercial club, was CALI
! ed upon to speak for the club
After complimenting the building
crafts and claiming fellowship in one
of them, as he was a master builder
in the cabinetmaking trade in his
| young manhood, Mr. Hoffman, ex-
planned the purposes of the CONNER
,cial club as builder of st. Paul:
Commercial Clubs Work
The club he said, Sin a united
movement is more powerful locally
than the ballot box. It does not be-
/ lieve in legislating anybody into wealth
or position. 1t does not tolerate denla
gogues or fireworks, for it is controlled
by conservative men who have fought
for and WON riches or are in the midst
of the struggle to that end at present.
Its mission is to unity theeai1ils of the
city SO that the interests Of the city
f7fa1 md f,.--s< 49, =.
sense 1t breaches the gospel of liberty
4 equality and fraternity
1t recognizes no class distinctions
politics or creed, but 1t stands for
catholieity Of brains and thought. s..On
behalf of the Commercial club, I extend
a hearty welcome to the members of
the Builders exchange to become mem
bers of the club, which has for its sole
purpose the city's prosperity and equity
as between man and man.
Louis Betz. r. w. Rundlett, Thomas
Cochran and several others spoke.