The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-24
KRANTz RAPED HARD
ANT|-SAL0ON LEAGUE
President of Swedish Lutheran
Conference in Address.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
ST. Peter, Mimi, May 2O.-Crit
icism of the Minnesota Anti-Saloon
league for it's failure to make an
account of it's activities and dis
paraging comment on the spectacular
methods employed by the Men and
Religion Forward Movement were
the salient features of the annual
address of Rev. j. A. Krantz OF
West Duluth, president of the Swed
ish Lutheran conference of Mime
sofa. 1t was delivered to the dele
gates to the fifty-fourth meeting Of
the conference, at their first bust
ness session, in this city last week
The proceedings opened with the
address of President KrantZ. He
stated that religious work was pro
crossing satisfactorily in all of the
twenty mission districts embraced
within the conference. There are now
$50 congregations, which are served
by ia ordained ministers. Fifteer
ministers entered the conference
during the year, and even were
transferred to other conferences. New
clergymen to the number of seven
teen were ordained, and eight lay
men have been licensed to serve
congregations. More ministers are
needed, and Mr.. Krantz made a per
sonal appeal to the young men tt
enter the work of the church, a
the same time admonishing con
crease the small salaries now beins
paid
Raped Forward Movement.
The speaker intimated that hi
was not favorably impressed will
the Men and Religion Forward Move
ment.. Speaking of it, he said: 81
would appear that an effort is bein;
made to force religion on the masses
To my mind it is better to go slowly
and to inculcate the principles o.
religion thoroughly
"The conference" said Mr.. Krantz
Endorses the work of the Anti-Sa
loon league; but it would be well to
have a report from them. We con
slider that we are entitled to know
something of their work, and a re
port would be of benefit, not only
to the conference, but to the league
Mr.. Krantz went on record as
opposed to the proposed division Of
the conference. He contended that
if the conference proceeded to a
division, it would force several diff
ficult problems upon itself. Chiei
Of these is it's mission work, which
would be sadly crippled. He ad
mitted that division must come in
time, but counseled postponement
for the present, arguing that the
conference is not prepared for it al
this time. 81. EE.
His report was referred to com
mittee composed of one delegate
from each mission district, and then
the executive committee reviewed
it's work. Effective mission work is
being done in North Dakota and
western Canada, where there has
been a steady stream of Swedish i'm
migration, although it has been ham
pered to some extent by crop fail
ures. A plea was made for more
help and support, particularly in the
Black Hills region.
id for
admission to the conference. 1t was
reported that all had complied with
the provision to incorporate, and
they were admitted, but rule was
adopted requiring congregations
making application in the future to
set forth the number of commune
cant members, as well as the total
membership.
Reelection of Mr.. krantz.
When the election of officers was
taken up, four candidates, Rev. J. A.
Krantz, DR.. p A. Mattson of Cannon
Falls, Rev. F. M. Eckman of Center
City and Rev. E. J. Inner of Litch
field, were placed in nomination for
the presidency Mr.. Krantz was re.
elected and the other officers chosen
were: Rev. Theo. Kjellgren, Scandal,
vice president; Rev. S. A. Lindholm,
Lafayette, secretary, and DIR. G.
Rast, Minneapolis, treasurer.
At the afternoon session Rev. F.
A. Edquist of Winnipeg was elected
as delegate-at-large to the meeting
of the Augustana synod, to be held
in Chicago. Three ministers and
three lay delegates were also elect.
ed from each mission district.
Rev. L. P. Bergstrom, superin-
tendent of mission work in Canada,
the most important field of the
Three ministers have just accepted
mission charges and during the
summer months will have the assis-
lance of eight students from Gus
tavus Adolphus college and two
from Augustana college. At present
their energies are being directed
toward the establishment of pre-
paratory school. A total of $500