Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1914-03-04
EIGHTH..ANNUAL
CLUB BANQUET
OF WARREN COMMERCIAL CLUB
WAS FULL OF OPTIMISM AND
THE "GET TOGETHER" SPIRIT.
SELFISHNESS AND LACK OF
CIVIC PRIDE A HlNDRANcE TO
ANY cITYS GROWTH.

Good Speeches and an Excellent Menu
w. r. Powell Presides as Toast.
master with His Usual Dignity and
Grace.
The eighth annual banquet of the
Warren Commercial Club held at the
Masonic Hall ON Thursday evening Of
last week was one of the most pleas
ant and successful affairs of the kind
in the history of the organization.
The banquet was served in the spa
cious dining room of the Masonic
hall and had been prepared by the la
dies of the Eastern Star. To the
credit of these ladies it must be said
that the menu was most delicious and
appetizing and served in manner
worthy of the highest praise. After
the wants of the elmer man" had
been so we'll satisfied, the members
repaired to the cozily appointed lodge
room where in due time the speaking
took place. w. F. Powell presided
as toastmaster with his usual grace
and dignity. He made apt remarks
when introducing the various speak
ers and kept the audience In good
cheer by his sallies of wit and humor.
He alluded to the banquets OF the
club as a sort of public forum, where
each member has the privilege Of
speaking his mind freely upon any
question affecting the city's welfare
and he urged the speakers to do so
this evening.
w. O. Braggans was the first speak
er of the evening and he made the
most wholesome address that the
club has ever had the privilege to lis
ten to. His subject was Get Togeth-
err and without mincing words he
pointed out some of the l1indrances to
the city's growth. One great obstacle
to progress is petty strife on the part
of the citizens and unreasonable and
malicious knocking OF enterprises and
institutions that have been establish
ed for the city's good. No individual
or group of individuals have the right
to place profits dollars and cents)
above life, health, education and pub
lie morals. Mr.. Braggans called at
tention to the need Of a new city char
ter drawn so as to enable the city to
make necessary public improvements
and procure funds for same by the is
sue of bonds Under the present
charter, all public improvements to
be made in the future will have to be
paid for out of money raised by taxa
tion, and means constantly increasing
taxes. We pay 35 per cent more
taxes today than we did three years
ago. The city must improve its sew
er system and enlarge its electric
light plant and if the city is prevent
ed from borrowing funds it must re-
sort to taxation-there is no other
way. He urged everybody to vote
and work for the new charter. IN
closing he made an eloquent appeal
to ALL citizens to forget all petty diff
ferences that do not encrOach upon
the domain of conscience, and not to
let their conscience or judgment be
warped by dollars and cents. North
Star College, he said, is an institution
of which we are proud and he urged
everybody to rally ITO it's support and
to the support of everything that is
good, noble and uplifting in our city
Selfishness and lethargy must cease
if we are to progress as a city. We
must do things.
L. Lamberson followed with an ex.
haustive discussion of the question OF
a county agent. He showed the
great benefits that the farming inter
ests will derive from county agent
provided he lis the right kind of a
man. A county agent is supposed to
travel about the county, visit the in
dividual farms, meet the farmers, dis
cuss with them their needs, and sug'
gest to them improved methods CT
farming whereby they may increase
their profits, and to assist them In
organizing farmers clubs, breeding
associations and other activities fol
their betterment The plan of a
county agent is not an experiment, but
has been tried out in many counties
even in our own state, with marked
success. "A good man can probably
be had for $500 to $4,000 per year
and his travelling expenses would be
about $500. The state contributes
$1,000 toward the salary Of q county
agent and it is customary for counties
to contribute a like amount, making
$4,000. That would leave about $500
to be raised by Individual effort. Mr.
Lamberson was quite sure that the
county board would appropriate $1,000
to the cause, and he was convinced
It would be a good investment for the
county.
O. Neraal gave an excellent speech
On f1ha allhiact of Agriculture in ON