The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-04-18
DO|NCS ON THE Fourth
FOLLOWS BY NATIONAL GUARD
DRILL FIFTH OF July
HELP FOR FIRE FIGHTERS
Needed Equipment Favored BY
Commercial Club: FroWn
On St. Paul Critics

Mankato will, in all probability,
have one of the biggest and most
successful celebrations in the history
Of the city or the county this year on
July 4. At the meeting of the Com
mercial club last eeVning, George NJ.
Palmer, chairman of the committee
on arrangements for a reception for
the returned mer from the service, re-
ported that il hal at first been planned
10 have the reception on May /, then
later in May but that the roads will
be far from in good condition by that
time and due To other obstacles the
committee. recommended that re-
ception for the men be held about
July 1.
Mr. Palmer explained that if any
other celebrations were planned for
the Fourth this idea would of course
have 10 be abarfoned. He said that
by that time there would probably be
many more men back from the serv-
ice. and it could be made a big af-
fair. Several other members of the
club expressed the same opinion. Mr..
Palmer said that he had conferred
with the pageant committee on the
matter and that it had been agreed TO
act together for the event.
Mayor Z. V. Waters was called
uDon TO speak on plans he had made
for the Fourth The mayor remarked
that he had in mind a big celebration
of some sort but that inasmuch as the
committee for the returned soldiers
and the pageant committee already
had plans under way he thought it
proper everyone should boost their
plan. He promised all the SUPPORT
and assistance possible from the city
Mayor Waters moved that the rec
CONCENTRATIONS of the committee be
adopted and that ..eyeryone in Man
kato get behira the thing and push
il throughito the firish." The motion
was unanimously carried
Suggestion of Events.
J. N Tompkins stated that il had
been suggested to him that three days
be given over for this event He sug-
eested July for big pageant. July
1 for reception for the returned men
with speeches and fine program and
on July 5. h" said. IL had boon Suo-
gested that the national guards. OF
which there are five units in Mankato,
put On big military evnnt which wo''
be worth coming miles to see. On
motion of j. f. Brett the suggestions
Of Mr.. Tornpkins were referred to the
committee On arrangements
County Agent NJ. r. Benedict. chair
man of theleommittee for commune
~ picnic, reported that it would be
Impossible 10 holdsfh picnic before
these other event on the Fourth came
off and he recommended that the mat
ter RI postponed. tntil r'Ier "ver ~
possibly for another year. The opin-
ion was expressed that it would Oe
well to hold the. picnic this season.
Secretary Soaring reported on the
r1eeting Held at Owatonna relative to
stealing of cars and merchandise in
Southern Minnesota towns by organ
lied gangs of thieve1. NJ. SCORING
stated that there were representatives
Cf some forty Minnesota towns resent
at the meeting and some of the men
who We're robbed were present. He
told of speeches by Senator eastman
End Attorney Charles r. Pye of North
field in which both men claimed that
organized gangs of crooks carrying on
this work were protected
Mr.. Soaring stated many instances
were related where men failed to get
protection or co-opefation from the
st. Paul police. He said that an or-
ganization was formed which asked
Continued On Page Two.)