The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-08-16

composed of Benjamin Taylor, GINS T.
Monsoon and the late Judge Plymat.
He would like to have the matter
brought to a focus and report made
at the next meeting, anyway.
President Brett appointed d. c..
Willard in the place of the late Judge
Plymat.
Report on Duluth Meeting.
Secretary Spencer presented report
of the convention of the Minnesota
Municipal league. The Duluth Com
mercial club had afforded the delegates
a, good time. Good roads and milk in
spection were prominent subjects dis
. cussed. There was talk of Mankato
Rochester and Austin uniting to get
DR.. Murray, the Duluth health Off
Ger, to visit those cities and talk on
the subject. Duluth offers no induce
ment to factories to locate there aside
from its natural advantages. The club
rooms hold the Commercial club to-
gether. for although it has member
ship of 1000 and the quorum is but
twenty five, no meeting has been held
in eighteen months, yet the work of
the club goes on actively just the
same. Sooner or later the Mankato
club would have to adopt the plan
of doing its business through commit
tees, and hold annual meetings only.
, Other cities than Duluth fail to get
quorum at Commercial club meet
ings.
State Labor Commissioners Figures.
President Brett referred to the re-
port of the state commissioner of la
Dor, published in Mondays Free Press,
and commented on the showing made
that NIankato did not have as many
laboring men in 1906 as in 1905. He
thought that this was due to the
stone uuarries not employing as many
men as formerly More factories would
be the only salvation for Mankato
| Money inducements would have to be
offered to make up for those that
Duluth and the Twin Cities have. Mr..
Brett commended an editorial on the
subject in Mondays Free Press.
Mr.. HiXon suggested that the secre-
tary procure from the state labor COM
missioner lists of the laborinS men
employed in Mankato the past two
wears. so that comparison can be
made, to show just where the fall
inc off is. He did not think that
there was any falling off in Mankato
proper. The Widell- Finley company had
formerly employed as high as thou
sand men on its various contracts
around the country, and most of these
were doubtless credited to Mankato.
Mr.. Spencer also thought that the
apparent falling off was due to TINS.
Drinking Fountains Asked For.
! Mr.. Spencer brought up the matter
| of public drinking fountains. He sad
that the club ought to see the councii
and request it to put in something
permanent. He asked that the club
take action on the matter.
President Brett said that he would
| like to have a committee see the coun-
oil and see whether it will not put
in three or more drinking fountains.
| Mr.. Sherk thought that 1t would
be difficult to put them in where there
is no pavement.
The matter was talked over, and
Mr. Hiyon was asked what kind OF
fountains are in use at Ia Crosse.
Wis. He replied that they are OF
moulded iron. and not expensive. Ihey
could be made here. They are placed
on street corners and in public squares
one in eachl ward or section of the
city. :,
Mr.. Spencer moved that the council
be requested to put up suitable
number of drinking fountains, and TINS
was carried.
Fast Auto Riding Criticised.
President Brett said that there was
| considerable complaint about fast au-
tomobile driving in the country. IL
was a matter that the automobile club
ought to take up, and the Commercial
club ought to 90 on record against IT.,
for it is hurting the cause of good
roads more than anything else Most
of the drivers are careful, but there
have been complaints from go9d
many farmers lately. They say that
they are not going to drag the roads
any more if they are to be used Tor
fast driving. Probably not over two
or three of the drivers do this.
Mr. Spencer said that lot of good
work has been done at Minneopa and
he would try to have the chairman
of the committee present a report on
! if at the next meeting.