The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-02-17

of Cloquet.
/ Immediately after the arrival of
the Duluth and iron range delega-
tons, a telegram was dispatched TO
F. E. House, president of the D. &
I. railroad, urging him to come to
Bemidji this afternoon in company
with Hon. G. G. Hartley, one of
Duluth's foremost citizens.
On the NJ. & I. train which
arrived this morning there were
attached two private cars.
The N. P. Railway company's
business car No. e was brought
through from St. Paul and contained
a delegation of state officials and
others.
Occupying No. 6 were Curtis L.
Mosher, secretary of the State FEEDER
alton of Commercial clubs; George
Ralph, state drainage engineer;
George Welsh, state immigration
commissioner; D. O. Mitchell, N. P.
assistant general passenger agent;
J. o. Dalzell, N. P. assistant land
commissioner.
The NJ. & I. private car. 80"
was occupied by w. H. Gemmell,
general manager of the M. & I.
Railway company; and G. H, War;
ner, trainmastef of the M. 81
A delegation from the local com,
mercial club escorted the Duluth
arrivals to the Hotel Markham,
where they partook of breakfast and
afterwards mingled with the crowd.
The lobby of the Hotel Markham
resembled the Merchants Hotel at
St. Paul during a session of the
legislature. + =
Present and extending the , glad
hand" were, not only the delegates
to the convention, but quite a
number of politicians, candidates
for state offices who are we'll known
in Minnesota.
The delegates mingled together
until 10 o'clock when with one
accord, the crowd went to the City
Opera house to open the convention
and begin the deliberations that will
mean so much for the development
of northern Minnesota.
Before the opening of the conven-
ton it was noted that many promin-
ent people, who should be heard
during the convention, were present
and it was the general desire to get
a number who were not already on
the program an opportunity to speak,
50 that the program as published
would be deviated from considerably
before the meeting is over.
The convention was called to
order by w. r. Mackenzie, with
very few words, desiring to be brief
and to get down to business.
Rev. S. E. P. White, pastor of the
local Presbyterian church, delivered
the invocation.
P. J. Russell delivered an address
of welcome and spoke in part as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Russell began by stating that
the sight of such splendid gather
ing of representative men was indeed
an inspiration to infuse the heart of
any citizen. He was intensely graft
fed to be chosen as the one to
extend to those present a most cor
dial welcome and the freedom of the
city.
This convention was called for
the purpose of considering ways and
means of lettering existing condi-
tons in Northern Minnesota and
endeavoring to find a remedy for
some of the present evils. Among
the things to be considered would be
drainage, good roads and new land
laws. 1t was a fact that in some
parts of Northern Minnesota the
population was less today than it
was five years ago, and the reason
for this condition should also be
considered. ...-
State lands should be made to
bear their just share of the burden
of taxation. Under the present
system purchasers of state lands
could only get them after the timber
had been sold and the mineral rights
were reserved by the state; the
consequence was that purchasers
we're rather scarce.