The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-10-30
VISITORS IN THE TOWN
GATHER At FINE FEAST
From Fridays Daily.

hotel rendered to the visiting cit,
officials by the city of Mankato, thu
second annual convention Of tn,
League Of Minnesota Municipalitie,
came to a close last evening. Al
though many OF the delegates had
gone home, about hundred in al
were in attendance at the final gath
ering, including guests and hosts.
Judge Lorin Cray was POSTMASTER
He cordially welcomed the visitors
to the closing session of what had
been a most successful convention
in every way. The judge said one OF
the main purposes OF such gather
ings was to evolve a system of mu
nicipal government that would place
the responsibility for what went
wrong in municipal affairs. He spoke
of the time, few years ago. when
the city Of Mankato suffered a fright.
full epidemic of typhoid fever on
account of the contamination of its
water supply with sewage II was
found absolutely impossible to fix
the responsibility for that disaster
where IT belonged Every city official
said, at wasn't me-" The speaker
remarked. however, that the worst
system Of city government in the
world with the people wide awake
and taking part was better than the
best system with the people careless
and Indifferent about the running of
their city affairs.
Situation on Range.
S. c. Scott, city attorney of Hib-
bling. responded to the toast,
The Range Municipal Association
Its Organization and Program"
The. speaker noticed that Frank F.
Ellsworth was seated at the ban
Quet board. and in his opening re-
marks called to mind that Mr. Ellis
worth and himself were members
Of the same law class at the state
university. He spoke of Mr.. Ellis
worth as the man who was about
TO be elected to congress. The speak
er dwelt at some length on the
question OF the taxation of the ore
lands. He said the development OF
the ore lands was retarded when the
tonnage tax was being agitated. He
said that northern Minnesota, in lieu
Of the tonnage tax, was willing to
hand its ore lands taxed as other
real estate was taxed, and that Il
would be a good idea to have state
funds given out to help I'm road
building in all parts OF the state.
The valuable ore lands would thus
be taxed for good roads in all parts
OF Minnesota. This would be a fair
and just substitute for the proposed
tonnage tax, which Governor Johnson
vetoed.
On Good Roads.
George NJ. Palmer on an address
on The Interest OF Municipalities in
the Good Road Movement opened
by recalling that twenty to twenty.
1--WE years ago, he suggested to the
Mankato Board of Trade that the
city was losing a great deal OF bust
ness on account of the bad condition
of the roads around the city. II
seemed that the board thought that
was not a subject in which II should
take any interest. On another occa-
sion he spoke Of the condition of the
bad roads around Mankato in a
communication to the county board,
and one of the men asked him what
that was to him. But things had
greatly changed since that time. In
these days the community that was
good roads throughout its neighbor-
hood was behind the times.
Mr.. Palmer spoke of the lure OF
city life, that was taking so many of
the young people of the farms into
the cities. Something ought to be
done TO make farm life more attrac-
tive, and one Of the best things that
could be done to make young people
satisfied TO stay on the farm was to
improve the roads. Travel should be
made easy and quick and the dull
ness OF farm life would be largely
eliminated. -
J. E. jerks, city attorney of st.
Cloud. the newly reelected president
OF the league, was next called upon
to address the gathering. Mr.. jerks
urgently requested that the delegates
carry home TO their cities this
thought, that when any of the league
cities contemplated making an i'm.
provement, ii was his wish that be-
fore and after photographs be taken
OF the place improved, that these
pictures might be shown at the con-
vention at Virginia a year hence.
Another thought he sought to i'm
press on the hearers was the desir-
ability Of getting Pine county NUM-
cipalities into the league. The prin-
cipal reason for this was the wretch
ed condition OF the roads in Pine
county. The speaker told of an ex.
perience he had In motoring over
Pine county roads, and he spoke
particularly of his troubles between
Pine City and Hinckley. II took him
all day to travel twenty-five miles I'm
Pine county. He contrasted the
frightful state OF roads In that county
with the roads in Carleton and st.
Louis counties. 81. .
Mayer Meyer Responded.
Mayor A. @. Meyer OF Mankato, in
response to calls for a speech, said
he hoped the delegates, on going
back to their homes. would have good
words to say for Mankato. He said
this would have the effect of bring.
ing two thousand more people to
Mankato In the next two years. II
was true enough that the city did
not have enough houses now for. all
who wished to come, but more houses
could be built. and IL necessary
mechanics could be imported. On
behalf OF Arthur Erickson, manager
of the pastime theatre, the mayor ex-
tended to the gathering an invita-
tion TO come over to the theatre at
J0.Q0 aiclnrE xwhan roculor xor