The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-02-04
FAVORED BY y FARMERS
Exchange Reform Measure
Fully Discussed
HEARINGAT THE CAPITOL
Bill To Admit Producers In
Chambers of Commerce
Is Approved

81. raul, FeDruary Z.-MemDerS Oh
the house and senate marketing
committees, holding a public hear
ing at the capitol last night, were
told by speakers that the bill now
before both houses of the legislature
to declare grain and like stock ter
minal selling exchanges public mar
kets meets with the approval of the
farmers in Minnesota.
At the same time with the COM
nitted members were assured by
representatives of the Minneapolis
Chamber of Commerce and the Du-
luth Board of Trade that both OF
these organizations will and do ad-
NIT to membership Operative as
sociations which will conform to
rules of the chamber.
A crowded house chamber, which
listened, to nearly four hours of fer
vid oratory for and against the bill,
was given one number not on the
orator of the legislature" was in
vited to address the assemblage. He
did that very thing for about twenty
minutes.
Measure Is Explained.
Colonel R. A. Wilkinson Of Lake
limo explained the bill for the COM
.nHtee of ten which sponsored it.
when the farmers began to eX-
Lmine the grain marketing situa
tion," Wilkinson said, they found
that every local elevator is public
market Every transportation agency
is under state regulation. When the
To hn n n
market it still is under state regula-
ton. 1t is weighed and inspected.
: Then that grain is taken out of
the public market into a private mar
IT. The people now say they want
every unit of that marketing system
public. 49,
'The issue might not have become
so acute if ii had not been for dis
elimination against CO operative orr
ganizations based on the subterfuge
that in co operative enterprises there
is another system on which profits
are paid than on the basis of capital
dividends as rebate, barred by the
rules Of the Cha~her Of Commerce,
4 they have held up that word re
bate as something horrible"
Said BY Potter.
L. E. Potter. president of the Min
nesota Farm Bureau Federation, said
copies Of the bill had been sent to
local units of the organization and
that the response had been unani-
nous in favor of the bills passage.
"All the. farmers want" Mr.. Potter
said. sis square deal. We have not
thought 1t necessary to bring the
farmers here to support the measure
but we could bring thousands of
them If IL were nnceSSary"
Thomas F.. eastman of Owatonna
said "the Chamber of Commerce is
about the only institution that is not
regulated by the state. There is no
good reason why we should be kept
out of the chamber"
''It may be argued here that this
is national rather than state
problem" said V. E. Anderson, treas
urer of the Farm Bureau Federation.
to take the front rank in progressive
legislation of this character"
Believes In Measure.
= 1.-THE Equity is for this legislation"
said BENJAMIN Drake. attorney for
the Equity Co. operative Exchange.
"All we want is fair opportunity to
show that CO. operative associations
can stand on their own feet and COM
pete with others in public market"
J. H. McHugh. secretary of the
Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce.
urged that no bill be enacted until
the judiciary committee of both
houses have had an opportunity to
study the draft.
1.-THE police power of the state does
not permit of the abrogation of con-
tracts nor the confiscation of
property" McHugh said. reminding
his hearers that the Chamber of
Commerce is organized under
Minnesota law and that it has de-
veloped big property holdings under
that law.
agencies as members of the cham
our regulations and they enjoy the
same privileges as other members"
Chamber Is Upheld Also.
M. H. Rath, president of the Farm
ers' Elevator Selling agency, was in
troduced by Mr.. McHugh to prove
his statement and in a brief speech
he said his experience with the
chamber had been satisfactory to the
farmer members of his organization
Charles F. Mcdonald Of the Duluth
Board of Trade said .i there was nc
members y of that organization "if
they come in on the same basis as
others and do not ask special pri-
vileges."
/. L. Seekins and James Monkman
of the St. Paul Live Stock Exchange
pointed out that the exchange now
is public market" asserting the
packers will buy from any one who
has live stock to sell.
1t is probable that another public
hearing will be held on the public
markets bill. A hearing will be held
at 1880 p. m, today in the house
chamber on the bill to prevent deal
ings in futures.
Was Vessel Blown Up?
CAscociafad proSc nicnotcb