Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1915-05-14
AUTO CLUB FORMED HERE
ORGANIZATION PERFECTED ON
TUESDAY EVENING-WANT
$50 MEMBERS

by Little Falls automobile owners.
About twenty men were present and
the Little Falls Automobile club was
formed and committees appointed to
get members. It is expected to get
LOO to $50 automobile owners from
Little Falls and vicinity to join the
club. The chief aim of the club is to
work for good roads.
w. H. K. Meyer, president of the
old Morrison County Automobile club,
called the meeting to order. He stat
ed that an auto club is needed here
and that 100 to $50 members could be
secured in this vicinity. The club
should affiliate with the state automo-
bile association AMI support that or
ganization, which does much to help
the auto owner. The old county club
has been inactive for the past two
years but enough memberships have
been sent in to the state club to keep
the affliation with that organization.
DR.. Meyer suggested lowering the
membership fee in the local club. say
ing that in his opinion equally as much
if not more could be done by a club
Of $50 members with a small fee as
could be done by an organization OF
50 members at the old rate of IS per
year.
The value of membership in the
state organization, for which the fee
is 81, was outlined by DR.. Meyer as
follows: The payment OIL the fee Of
81 entities the member to a card which
admits the holder to the large club
houses near the twin cities and gives
him the full benefit of the club houses
as though he were member of them.
The card will also be accepted IS bail
by any officer in the twin cities or
Duluth or other large cities in the
state, in case Of accidents. The men,
ber also gets two monthly magazines,
one Of which is known as the Ameri-
can Motorist, one Of the best autom o.
bile magazines published. Other val
liable material, such as maps Of laid
out trips in the state, are sent from
time to time. Mr.. Meyer Informed
the meeting that J. K. Martin Of this
city is treasurer Of the state club, hav-
ing held that office for the past four
years.
w. H. Loomis favored a membership
fee of at least SIS in the local club. He
said that if the money thus received
would be spent to improve the roads it
would save the auto owner at least $25
on tires.
R. B. Millard, secretary of the old
county auto club, informed the meet
ing that a balance Of $121.30 still re-
mained in the treasury. He said that
no money had been received for two
years and a great deal was spent on
good roads in 1914, thus the amount in
the treasury was greatly reduced
r. George .Kiewel suggested that the
local club Join the state organization
in a body and that the fees 1or men,
ership in the stace organization be
paid out of the treasury. J. K. Mar
tin then suggested that the member
ship fee in the local club be made So,
81 to 90 to the state association.
This suggestion was later adopted.
The question as to the amount Of the
fee was discussed at length, some fav-
oring retaining the old fee of $6 and
others favoring the So fee. DR.. Meyer
stated that the club could not get
enough money into the treasury from
memberships to do any amount of
road building, but by getting the men,
bers interested in good roads. they
would interest the town officers and
they would fix up the roads.
After some discussion the name of
the organization was changed to the
Little Falls Auto club.
DR.. Meyer called the attention of
the men to the agreement made with
D. Ward King to offer prizes for the
best dragged roads leading out of this
city on the rural routes. It was
agreed that the Automobile club take
the matter off the hands of the Com
mercial club. The president and the
secretary Of the club were elected as
a general committee to arrange for au-
vertising the offer, appointing judges,
raising the prize money, etc. They
were authorized to appoint sub-com-
mittecs to assist in the work.
Delphise Rocheleau, a member of the
board Of county commissioners, was
present and told of the work that is
to be done by the county this summer.
He stated that the county expects to
grade and turnpike the main road run
ming north from this city to Brainerd,
the entire distance from the city linn
its of Little Falls to the Crow Wing
county line. A contract has been made
with a gas traction company whereby
they furnish the county with a tractor
to do the work, at $35 per day. The
company guarantees that with the use
Of the tractor one mile Of road can be
built each day. They furnish the fuel
for the engine as we'll as an expert
road builder. Mr.. Rocheleau urged the
automobile owners and others to visit
the scene Of the work when it is under
way so that they might know the value
Of the tractor. If the machine is
found satisfactory the county may
purchase it, and get credit for $50
out of every $35 spent while the ma
chine is being hired by the day.
A resolution of thanks was extended
to the county commissioners for their
interest in improving the roads in the
county.
John Vertin called the clubs atten-
tion to the fact that the old road al
the end Of First street southeast has
been closed, as it is private property,
and urged that something be done to-
ward getting a new one opened up.
Mr.. Vertin was appointed as COM
mi IN 81 <h1 o1,,ro1l IN 1n41r offo-