The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-09-28
What Will the Council Do?

mcnt as the proposition recently mad
to The City Council for franchise tn
tic establishment of street railway
That an enterprise of this kind wOul,
he of inestim,h!c benefit /" our cit.
in pushing along The substantial boon
now enjoyed. cannot he denied, and tina
opposition should spring up is quit
natural. But is the opposition to Thu
scheme oi such nature and SO decl
rootc'l as 10 place IN embargo upon 1t.
conSumaiion We believe not anu
hope that such will not prove true.
The Council will meet on Thursday
evening of next week. at which time II
is expected this matter will come up
for consideration, and before any hast y
steps are taken either for or against the
enterprise, let us consider II tew of the
main objections advanced against grant
ing franchise To the company that has
already pctitioncd for the same, and see
If some alterations of the drafted ordi-
nance cannot he made to meet the de-
mands of the public and at the same
time encourage the projectors in their
commrndable enterprise.
The ordinance. ms submitted to the
Council, asks for three years in which
to construct one mile of tack. This
extended period is objected to by many,
and were Legislative action not neccs.
sary, is more time than should lie grant
cd. From the best information that we
| have been able Ia secure, however. We
unhesitatingly assert that this matter
can he adjusted pleasantly. II the
Council will indemnify the projectors
against litigation or loss. in case legis-
lation should prove necessary, they will
unIucstionably he perfectly satisfied
that the limit he reduced to ohs gear.
| With such an arrangement, there can
lie no further objection to this particn.
! lar feature.
Some one has said that to allow tar.
| III of seven cents per each passenger is
too great. This is an open question.
| II number at men form Il company
for the purpose of carrying on business,
at vital importance To the development
ct Il city such rs street railway, they
should be allowed reasonable compen-
sation for the money invested. Neces-
sarily, and tor some years TO come, the
travel on street railway in IL city with
the population of Mankata, will he linn
/ tied, and hence ii cannot he reasonably
supposed that the prices governing like
modes of travel in cities like st. Paul
Minneapolis, Chicago, and other large
cities, can no made to strictly apply
here. However, without discussing
this matter, there need he no difficulty
between the Council and the petitioners.
Make the sevcn-cent tariff for three or
five years, after which, So arrange the
ordinance that five cents shall he the
maximum limit.
1t has been rumored that it would he
a poor streak of poor policy for the
Council to grant franchise covering
all the streets within the city. Why
would it! Does any intelligent man
suppose for II moment that company
of business men would construct u line
of street railway consisting OF a single
mile upon Il single street. on the by
pothcsis that more would be granted on
application And if extended grant
would be allowed, why not include the
whole i'm one and done with it. There
appears no good grounds for any devia.
ton from the original ordinance i'm this
particular.
But withal, the city can afford to deal
literally at this time in order that Man
koto may enjoy the benefits TO be deriv
cd from street railway. The men
who propose to make the improvement
are among our best citizens. They have
large interests here. and of course are
rs eager to see our city prosper and ex-
pand as any one, and there Is every rea-
son why they should wish to do all that
e.. onl r..cnn,nl. IN tha r,,ttar
That they mean business i'm the move
ment, we believe no one has reason to
doubt, and if they do not mean bust
ness, they are not entitled to any con.
| sideration in this matter. But before
Judgment is passed, it would he well to
hear all the evidence IN the case and
| not take street talk as authentic, that
/ tue projectors aIe i'm the scheme simply
as speculation with no intention of do
in" any actual work. There is no
argument in this assertion; no foHnda.
ton in fact; and the Council will not
/ treat such flimsy rumors with any con-
sidcration. 1t is II very good policy
not to convict man until he is proven
guilty.
Now IN regard to the authority OF
the City Council to grant franchise
for street railway without first
having secured a special act of the
legislature, reference to which has here
toio:c been made in these columns,
there is variety of opinions upon. 1t
may not be out OF place in this connec
ton to cory Sec l OF chapter 9 OF tho
Charter OF the city of Mankato, which
says:
.'Thc Common Council shall have the
care, supervision and control of all the
highways, bridges. streets, alleys, levecs.
public squares and grounds within the
limits of the city, and shall have power
to build and keep in repair bridges, lay
out and open, alter and vacate public
squares, highways, streets, lanes and
alleys. and extend, narrow, widen, or
straighten the same, and to take grounds
for the site of public buildings. subject
to the assessment of damages rs herein
after provided"
II the Common Council have the scare,
supervision and control of all the high
ways, bridges, streets, alleys, etc. with
in the limits of the city, what is the
reason it has not the authority to grant
the construction of street railway 1t
is simply an improved mode of travel,
and to the average mind with fair in
depreciation of the Charter, it seems
very reasonable that SPECIAL Legislation
10 MT uerlal Howoypr this 10 81 mat