The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-05-02
MANKATO MUST RAISE
$4,000 FOR WOODMEN
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
John L. Sunbeam of Minneapolis,
The leader of the Woodmen insur-
gents, was in the city last night and
met with the advisory board of the
Commercial club and a special COM
mittee which had been appointed TO
help secure the Woodman head.
quarters for Mankato. The confer
ence was held AT the Commercial
club rooms.
Mr.. Sunbeam said that il would be
necessary for Mankato to raise So
500 and that Minneapolis would
raise a similar amount to carry on
the membership campaign for the
new organization. The law which
was just passed requires that the or.
der must have $4,000 members be-
fore organizing and the time for Sc
curing these members is limited to
two years If Mankato raised that
amount of money the city would be
assured of becoming the headquar-
tiers for the order. Mr.. Sunbeam
predicted that there would be more
than 100000 members in the order
before the end of two years. He
said that if Mankato raises that
amount of money and secures the
headquarters building as large as
the Elks building will probably be
needed. He was unable to say how
many residents to the city the head
quarters would bring but said that
all meetings of officers and direct
orS would be held and that the head
quarters would bring a great many
visitors 10 the city
Much Valuable Advertising.
He also stated that Mankato would
secure a good deal of valuable adj
vertising through having the head
quarters here and that all of the or
der's printing would be done in the
city and would mean an expenditure
of considerable money each year.
The gentlemen at the conference
last night decided that it was mat
ter which should be brought before
meeting of citizens of the city ratl-
er than before any organization such
as the Commercial club and conse-
quentiy general meeting of the citi-
zens of the city will be called at
eight o'clock Wednesday evening at
the council chamber of the city
hall. All business men, members of
the WOodman lodge and others in
In,
attend the meeting Mr. Sunbeam
and one of two other Minneapolis
men will attend the meeting and will
present the plan for organization.
Steps will be taken Immediately to
raise money required if the meeting
endorse 1theJf plan e
The matter must be acted upon
quickly because the time in which
to complete the organization is linn
tied.
Discussed. Raise in Rates.
Mr. Sunbeam during the discus
sion last evening gave an account of
the raise in rates made by the pres
ent Woodman lodge He said that
tHt lIlCIedSt lldut the rates. ZuU per
cent higher than was UNSUITABLE and
would give the organization a sur
plus of $25,0G0,000 a year Under the
law recently enacted the new order
was required to have a minimum
rate of fifty per cent more than the |
old order, and Mr.. Sunbeam believes |
that the fifty per cent increase is suf.
fcient to guarantee the success of the
order.
He also outlined a plan by which !
the new order should be organized
and should be kept in the hands !
of the members more carefully. He
claims that the new order will be in |
ADVANCE of any of the present lodge /
in this regard and be-
iieves that others will follow the |
plan.
He explained that one reason why |
he considered the fifty per cent in
crease in rates sufficient was that |
the health conditions in the north. I
west are so much better than the
in the country as whole |