The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-02-24
HIGH COST Of LIVING
IS BLAMED ON OTHERS
STATE GRoCERS DECLARE THEY
ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE.
Charge Increase to Autos, Arships
and a Varied Assortment of
luxuries; Dead Beat Put Down
as Worse Than Highwayman;
Minnesota Association Is in Ses-
sion at ST. Paul.

opera, automobiles, aerOpianes and
some one back of the retail gro
Ger and general merchant of the
state were blamed for the high cost
of living by H. w. Kingsbury, presi-
dent of the Retail Grocers' and Gen
eral Merchants association, in his
address before the fifteenth annual
convention which opened at the Ar
mory with the largest attendance in
the history of the association.
The parcels post was denounced
as the most selfish movement ever
sprung on the business enterprises of
the country"
Dead beats were branded as worse
than highwaymen," by J. J. Ryan,
secretary.
The convention opened with a
large attendance T. B. Sullivan of
Chicago, national president; John w.
Lux of ST. Paul, national vice presi-
dent; p. G. Hanson of Minneapolis,
former national president; Mrs. A.
Winger of Herman, Mimi, the only
woman delegate, and Simon Clark
of Duluth, the oldest member of the
association, were present.
welcome to Our City"
Fine delegates were welcomed to
the city by John Lynch, president
of the st. Paul Retail Grocers' as
ISOLATION Rev. David Morgan gave
the invocation and Mayor Keller well
coined the delegates on behalf of the
city. Warren L. Seeley, extended
the welcome of the Commercial club,
and invited the delegates freely TO
use the club rooms. Formal re-
sponses were given by George IL.
Fibert of Minneapolis and George
IL. Schulenburg of Duluth.
Scored the Parcels Post.
President w. Kingsbury scored the
parcels post. He said the farmer
favors it because he always had
been pctted and humored and had
reached that point where he thought
the government should open up its
purse strings and drop the contents
into his mp even though the estab-
lishment of a parcels post meant the
expenditure of millions" He spoke in
favor Of a national net weight law,
an amendment to the punishment
law which would protect the mer-
chant in his credits and stronger
credit organization among the mer-
chants.
-,
of laws that would put the peddler
where it would be possible for the
legitimate merchant to compete with
him. He said also that the mer-
chant is at the mercy of the man
who does not pay his debts
$3.50 in the Treasury.
The treasurer's report given by A.
C. Ekelund of Minneapolis showed
that the association had on hand
$3.50.
Late in the day reports were
given by the committees on legisla-
ton, finance, arbitration, pure food
and organization. Addresses were
given on the Cost of Doing Bust
ness and Profits" by Thomas Gun
ness of GAINESVILLE; Dealers and
Leaders," by Curtis NJ. Johnson of
Rush City; Credits and Collections, 4"
by J. c. Doncaster, secretary ST.
Paul Retail Grocers' association, and
George M. Peterson, secretary of
the Duluth Retail Grocers associa-
ton; Craftsmanship" by j. S. Tay-
lor, secretary of the Minneapolis
Retail Grocers' association, and
Cash Business" by William Bailey
of Belle PLANE.
The delegates were entertained
last evening at the Armory by the
United Commercial Travellers ASST
ciaticn.
Visiting women were entertained
in the afternoon.
The following committees were
named:
Bylaws and CONSTITUTIONS, G..
Hanson, Minneapolis; Simon Clark,
Duluth, and j. w. Lux, st. Paul
Rules and Order-E. F. Kelly,
Faribault; Fred Otto, Mankato, and
Thomas Thurston, Albert Lea.
Credentials-Frank Gravelle, Du-
luth; e. C. Ekelund, Minneapolis,
and John Taylor, Minneapolis.
Resolutions-Ge Filbert, Min
neapOlis; e. o. Holland, Rochester;
Henry Hess, Winona; III. E. Agen-
son, Redwing; r. J. Anderson, Bel
grade; John Lynch, st. Paul; Thomas
Guinness, GAINESVILLE; Fred Larson,
Madison, and James Lent, Duluth.