The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-10-19
CONSENSUS OF OPINION AT JOINT MEETING
OF CLUBS LAST EVENING.
Subject, "What Shall Commercial Organization
D0?" Discussed at Length; Paper Read by
DR.. l. d. Webster gass esa4s <est

SHOULD be attained The farms should
be quartered and the population quad
rupled Even the twin cities with theii
half million of population are agitating
the subject of extensive farming, that
there may be more people to pay trib-
ute to their greatness. By comparison
extensive farming would mean much
more to Mankato. Let us then take
into partnership, in this business of
building up Mankato, not only our citi-
zens. but all those who should look to
Mankato as their commercial center.
Let us get, in closer touch with them.
Let us bring them to Mankato to hear
good lectures on the subjects which
they should be interested in, and let us
see to it that they come here over the
best roads in the state. By further de-
velopment of our surrounding country
we would be building up goOdly num-
Der of thriving towns about us, of which,
Mankato would be the commercial
center.
Mankato Has Some Advantages.
AIankato has another great advan-
tage, that of distributing point. Not
only in this territory of which we have
been speaking, but reaching far beyond
in many lines of business. 1t would be
almost impertinent of me to tell you
off hand what we should undertake in
the jobbing line. But this should be a
large jobbing center, and | will venture
this much, that at the present time
there is crying need for wholesale
shoe house and hardware house.
Perhaps you are wondering why |
have not preached the subject of fac
tories. 1t is not because l do not think
them of the greatest Importance, nor
that do think they would not succeed
here, but because I have reserved their
mention to speak of them in connection
with the great subject of freight
rates.
Did it ever occur to you that there
are only two cities in this large and
wealthy state of Minnesota? One in
st. Paul and Minneapolis, for to all in
tents and purposes, they are one town,
and Duluth is the other. These towns
are ION the eastern border of the state,
and a line drawn north and south just
west of the twin cities leaves a large
and populous state without a city in
it. The same does not hold true
, in our neighbor south of us, in fact, the
converse is true, namely there is not a
large city in Iowa but many very pros
porous towns much larger than Man
kato. Is it reasonable to suppose that
all the brains and business ability of
this state are confined to the little
strip along its eastern border, or do you
think there must be some potent factor
to cause this incogruous development
How do you travel if you want to start
! for North Dakota tomorrow morning,
or how do you travel if you want to go
to Bemidji, almost straight north of us ?
You 90 over to the little eastern strip,
because we can't get north or north
west in this state without going to the
twin cities to get start, and when we
consider this condition from the other
way, it is still worse, for the people
! coming from the north and north west
couldn't get to Mankato if they tried
without paying tribute to the twin
cities. This is bad. But it is as moth
ing compared with the discrimination
against us in freight rates.
| Question of Freignl Rates.
| In Iowa freight rates are much more
equitable than they are in Minnesota,
and as result all small towns have
their jObbing houses, and many have
flourishing factories. In Minnesota the
railroad interests have been unusually
strong, and they have not seen fit to
| give us IA square deal, and if this dis
elimination is allowed to continue no
amount of push, energy or capital can
succeed here. 1t isn't for me to 90 into
this rate question. There are others
more able. But to quote rate or two
to illustrate: st. Paul pays per cent
on 100 pounds of lumber from Duluth
We pay per cent from st. Paul. ST.
Paul has its lumber hauled, more than
twice as far, for two-thirds of what it
costs us. We pay more than twice as
1 much as st. Paul on hard coal. St
! Paul pays just half as much freight as
we do on grain for distance more than
1 twice as great In other words, the
freight rate on grain between Mankato
and st. Paul is more than four times
as much per mile as it is between St
Paul and Duluth. Our cheapest steam
ing coal, which is probably the coal we
must depend on to turn the wheels of
our factories, comes from Iowa. The
freight on it is $3.50. This same coal
is hauled through Mankato to the twin
cities, nearly hundred miles further
from the coal fields than we are, with
4 out one cent extra charge. Can you
imagine the railroads so considerable of