The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-12-07
From Tuesdays Daily.

eaten suckers naQ Deen HSnlnS Ill
Mankato with some luck of late was
brought out at last nights meeting OF
the Commercial club, held in the base
ment of the Mankato State bank build
ing. 1t was made plain that if people
would only ask all kinds of solicitors
for the white card of the Mankato
Commercial club, before talking with
4 them at all, such things could not
happen.
! D. G. Willard called attention to
the fact that from time to time
There were outsiders in the. city ask
ing the people to buy bonds and
stocks He spoke particularly of one
concern that had been operating in
Rochester Mankato and other small
towns in Southern Minnesota, and he
declared that concern to be a fake, out
and out. That concern would offer to
| furnish man a certain sum of mon
ey, after a certain number of months,
if he would send the company so
much per month until the whole
period of time had expired If a man
simply added together the sums that
he paid from month to month, and
compared that sum with the total
| that he was to get at the end of that
period, it seemed that he was to get
big profit, but if he considered the
interest that his money would draw
during all of that long period, he
could see that he was getting the
worst of the deal and that the con-
| tract was not worth having. While
under the spell of the agent, a man
would sign a contract, thinking he
was getting quite bargain, but after
| the agent was gone, the man taking
the contract would at later date look
better into it and see what fraud it
was. The result was, as rule, that
he would forfeit the money he had
paid down, and the company was that
much ahead. Mr.. Willard said dozen
or fifteen people in Mankato had thus
been victimized, paying Sc to $3.50
each. He said the firm also had an
other. scheme for lending money on
| real estate mortgages at what seemed
to be five per cent, but when the in
itial premium paid by the borrower
! was taken into consideration, the in
terest was seen to be very high. A
man would get $1,000 and pay on the
basis of a principal and interest of
$4,000
| Mr.. Pass said he had been con-
fronted by the agent of this same con-
Germ He gave the man roast and
told him out and out that his PROPOSE
tion was a fake. Mr.. Pass remarked
that there were many people who
needed guardians.
What Commercial Club Does.
! Mr.. Soaring stated that the Com
mercial club had passed on every
proposition of that kind that had
come before it, but it was up to the
people to ask such solicitors if they
had the white card of the club, Civ
| ing approval to the solicitation. 1t
was very difficult for any agent of any
outside company soliciting in the city
| to get the white card. Mr. Soaring
said he understood those agents to
whom Mr.. Willard and Mr. Pass re-
ferred came to Mankato before the
blue sky law was passed. If the people
would not ask for the white card, the
club officers and committee could do
nothing.
| Mr.. Pass declared that he himself
was ready to give $25 to help nail the
rascals. Mr.. Willard told of the state
authorities taking these practices in
charge.
| County Seed Association.
Robert A. Haedt Of Decoria adj
[ dressed the meeting on behalf Of the
Blue Earth County Seed association.
He remarked that the association had
had seed shows for the last four years,
and the shows were getting better ev-
cry year. He said the association
wished to know whether the club and
| the Mankato business men were
anxious to have the show this season
and were willing to help produce it..
If the Mankato business men did not
care for it, the association would
simply postpone it..
Mr. Haedt said the seed show was
a benefit both to the city and to the
surrounding country. Last year the
club donated 500 and the Retail Bust
ness Mems association furnished the
hall. The farmers and clubs donated
| 500 more. Mr.. Palmer donated SIS
and this year he would do the same
or better. The association collected
from the bankers and land men and
others who had farms. Implement
dealers gave machinery that was as
good as so much cash, amounting to
about $500. The club was expected
again to give 500 and the business
men to give free hall for the show.
John Nyquist stated that the seed
4 shows were a good thing for the city
and for the country around. The in
terests of all were the same and all
should work together. The sum of $100
ought to be given by the club.
! Mr.. Haedt remarked that last year
J the association went to the politici-
ans and asked them for money, but
living cost had gone up in the mean
time and the salaries of the officers
had not increased, so no money
would be asked of them this time.
The proposition seemed to meet
with general approval, though no
formal action was taken for the pres
ent.
! Connection of Telephone Systems.
The secretary brought up the mat
!. ter Of the resolution presented by
DR.. J. w. Andrews and passed at a
previous meeting, demanding physical
connection of the two telephone sys-
TENS. The secretary said he had car
,ried out the provisions of the resolu-
tion and made a formal demand on