The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-06-11
REPORT OF IT'S LABORS
BUSINESS DONE BY Z THE
COMMERCIAL CLUB
FINE RECORD IS MADE
Secretary e. F. Soaring Reviews
Past Years Work; Finan-
cial Statement

AiCoOoACl IL L. oCoAihS,
Of the Mankato commercial club from
March /, 1919, to June 5. 1920. which
was submitted to the ofncers and ex-.
ecutive Committee of the club on
Saturday.
To the President and Executive Com
mite, Gentlemen: As you will remem-
Der, / informed you several months ago
OF my desire to withdraw from Com
mercial club secretarial work, and the
time has now come for me to ask for my
release. AS you will notice by my fl
'nancial report. the accounts balance. The
auditing committee has checked them up
and attached its report thereto, approx
ing them. My month will be up June s,
and would ask that you release me on
that date. and inasmuch as the affairs
of the club have been brought to point
where the club can be dissolved II will
be possible for you also to take action
giving up possession of our headquarters
on the same day. and turning the clubs
property over to its successor, if you
should see fit so to do.
In closing my period of service with
you, covering fifteen months from the
time that you took office it Is no more
refer to some of the things accomplish
ed during your administration of the
clubs affairs. The time has been filled
with activities that have resulted bene-
will have lasting results. Several major
undertakings have been carried through
to success. Perhaps the biggest has
been the organization of Civic and
Commerce association to succeed this
club and possibly one or two of the
other business organizations of the city.
AS fourteen years ago the Commercial
club was organized to take over the
work of the old Board of Trade, so now
an organization framed along more mod
ern lines will succeed our club and car
ry on and extend its various lines of
activities.
The homecoming for the 9, returned
service men and others who answered
the country's/ call during the war, which
was combined with Fourth Of July
celebration. was one of the biggest ev-
ents of that nature ever held in Man
kato, and inasmuch as the club has been
held to a financial accounting for it, it
may well take the credit. also.
The maintenance of the United States
Employment Bureau for a period Of
three months from March %. 1919, after
accomplished by the club and resulted
in much good at a time when it was
badly needed
The extension of the street CAR line
mer was a direct result Of the efforts of
the club.
The effort to secure livestock sales
pavilion for Mankato. to encourage the
building mp of the purebred stock inter-
ests Of this vicinity. is about to result
in the building of the pavilion. Without
the assistance of the club this move
could not have been financed.
Auto Tourist Business.
The club has been active in prong
ing automobile tourist business. working
to this end in conjunction with the
Mankato Automobile club, which con-
tinued to share this clubs headquarters
and to divide the expense not only of
road improvements but of sign board
ing and map service. The Commercial
club Carried through contract with the
Rand McNally company. of Chicago
whereby about 5000 new and up-to-date
road maps were delivered and given
wide distribution. The net cost to each
club Of this work was only $2S.16. The
road work undertaken by the two clubs
lis referred to in the financial report.
but that reference by no means repre-
Se The al Clubs b Efforts for the city's in
dustrial advancement have led to
large amount of correspondence and ne,
locate in jManlSato during the pest year
have been a branch shirt factory by
Johnson & Co. of st. Peter. which has
already so grown as TO require its NOV
and hide house. by Oshman & Sons Co.
,of Ca5ar Rapids Iowa: ard a wholesale
plumbing goods house by W. A. Roose-
welt & Co. Of La Crosse. Wis. HID the
Fl. A; Patrick company vacated the
sp'nring mill pronerty, as II PLANNED.
Mankato would have undoubtedly by
now have had a large shoe factory To-
l.,ated in the pI'nt. eroniovine 2H0 bands.
Negotiations. also. looking to the estab
lishment Of a beet sugar factory.
branch Of one Of the biggest farm and
barn equipment factories in the country.
a branch factory to make sagless gates.
ord factory to rebuild old automobile
trucks, have been carried on. and all NJ
, these our club will turn over to its
successor with more or less hopeful
prospects. ..
Give, FINANCIAL Assistance.
AS the financial report indicates. our
club has durin~ tho vea- given Hn"nci"'
assistance to the Ten Thousand Lakes
of Minnesota association which has for
two years past been successfully capt.
talizirg and exploiting the scenic end
vocational resources of the state: has
contributed townrd propaganda fund in
behalf Of constitutional amendment No.
I: aided in finnn"ing the band concerts
last summer: aided in the school gar
, danfng work: and helnad three conven-
lions to brine their hundreds of men,
bers to the CITY. .a
| The commencement Of your term Of
office saw the legislature in session
watched pnd looked nfter. much Of
which devo,ved upon the secretary. -
During the year correspondence has
been had from time to tire and ner-
soral efforts %de with the various
with a view r. battering train service
and securing other betterments at their
1 hands.
The taking of the census devolved
upon one Of orr, committee r1uch labor
! and responsibility but it's work proved
helpful to the enumerators. and we look
! forward with no misgivings to the APP
preaching announcement of the city's
| official population.
The club got back Of the project for
building new armory and community
building, which is now in the hands Of
the city council on proposed bonding
project.
The club used its influence toward
bringing about the complete enuinping
of the fire department with motor APP
! paratus and other modern fire fighting
The publicity work of the club has
gone ahead as usual, resulting in To-
eating many families here, and many
more would have been located had there
been places for them to have moved
into.
The work of the censorship and other
The Minneopa park
committee saw to the proper and eco
nomical expenditure Of the state appro-
priation for last year.
The clubs advertising booklets, now
eight years old, were all disposed of re-
Gently aud the account closed, with =
balance of $134.28 in favor of the club
club. besides, has the cuts. that cost
J $500.
Committees have been investigating
the feasibility of a central heating plant.
an airplane landing field, and other
, needed things.
! Members Of the Club,
! During the year Of your administra-