The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-05
MANKATO FREE PRESS

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clubs of each county and also of
commercial clubs, and farmers clubs
OF each county, SO as to get back
to the beginning Of things, for these
are the foundation stones of prog
ress. We have organized farmers
clubs, taking in the different dis
tricts and localities which have been
brought together.
Basis of Representation.
Each farmers club has a dele
gate to the county club and the
same thing may be said of the com
mercial clubs. The work of this
club is to consider everything for
the northern part of the state, farm
ing, manufacturing, etc.-everything
but politics, and this, let me say,
we let severely alone We don't
care whether a man is a democrat
or republican, SO long as he's a
booster, he is a good man for the
association.
1--WE never consider anything per-
tinent to our part of the state with
out also considering what effect it
would have on the entire state, thus
we are loyal to the state of Min
nesota and have tried in every way
to wipe out the idea that Northern
Minnesota is apart from Southern
Minnesota.
How Finances Are Handled.
Mr.. Arnold then touched upon the
way finances are handled in the as
sociation. Each member Of the coun-
try or farmers club is charged 81
year and in the larger clubs each
member is charged more, so that in
Duluth which has the largest mem
bership, the highest fees are charg-
ed. These . are graduated to the
cities like Hibbing, Virginia, ETC.,
the smaller cities and towns paying
according to the size Of their clubs
The association has built up sound
financial structure.
The organization carried out the
committee representation which had
been found to be very successful for
it gave everyone a fair show. Every
one does his own share of the work,
thus giving harmony to the entire
organization. While many thought
! that they had differences with 9TH
ers, they found that most of them
had the same needs or worked I'M
der the same conditions.
Now the idea was to get the
Northern Minnesota Development as
sociation and the association of
Southern Minnesota to work togeth-
er. and cooperate in every way.
Mr.. Arnold explained that in Min
neapolis land show had been
opened which would show to Wis
itors in the twin cities the true re.
sources of Northern Minnesota and
that a committee of eight or nine
members and with a separate fund
of $4,000 or $4,000 were used for
immigration purposes.
What Southern Minnesota needed
in this association was an organ
ization of strong and active business
men, men who stood together and
who would boost above all things.
In closing he used this sentence:
I'VE are not for Northern Minnesota
and not for Southern Minnesota, but
just for Minnesota
MaxfieId on Organizations.
H. J. Maxfield, state immigration
commissioner, was called on for a
few remarks. He gave some infor-
nation about the West Central Min
nesota Development association which
is a newer organization. Their plan
is a little different from the league
organized in the northern part of the
state. The unit of representation is
commercial clubs and farmers clubs.
81 think the idea of the western
organization is uniting of CONNER
cial clubs. 1t will help us to work
in unit This development asso-
! citation will not build up Southern
, Minnesota but also the commercial
} clubs"
Mr. Maxfield said that Southern
Minnesota had many things to con-
tend with which were different from
those of Northern Minnesota. In
Southern Minnesota the chief con-
tention was the development of its
agricultural resources, while in the
northern part of the state immigra-
ton was the chief source of conten-
ton. Hence there they have organ
lied an immigration commission. OF
course, Southern Minnesota has to
take up the question of re-populat'
ing it's districts and farms because
even here they need more people.
According to the last census Blue
Earth county had lost some of its
| population.
| The speaker took up the question
of good roads, social conditions, CO.
operation between city and county
and said that if the commercial clubs
put their heads together they would
make a bowling success of develop
ing Southern Minnesota.
Message From Duluth.
B. P. Neff of Duluth, vice presi
dent of st. Louis County club, pres
ent as a personal delegate from the
Commercial club of ,uluth, and he
assured those present from Southern
Minnesota that the northern part
of the state was in hearty sympathy
with what is being done in this part