The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-02-20
TELEPHONE R&lES.

/ The legislature is giving no little
attention to corporations Of al kinds.
and that it should do SO goes without
saying. But great care and iuag-
ment must be exercised that measures
so radical and offensive as to be de-
structive in their nature do not gain
control Of the majority, and find place
on the statute books. tits an undisput-
ed fact that there isan element among
the membership Of both houses which
has but one ulterior object in view
and that the tearing down and utter
anniheation Of great corporate inter
ests in the interest Of So-calIed reform
This element seems to have gained
the erroneous idea that railroad cor
poradons have no rights which the
public is bound to respect: that they
belong wholly to the people and that
it is the province of the legislature to
pass just such laws as a few impracti-
cal fanatics may frame, regardless of
the vested rights of capital and the
inherent right guaranteed by the con-
constitution that individual property
shall receive protection from conffsca-
tion.
Practical and worthy legislation is
courted by men Of all classes. When
ever there are abuses existing andthere
are many it is the duty of the IegisIa-
ture to correct them. But in doing
olet it be borne in mind that the,
public is always more Interested I'm
good service than the difference of a few
cents in cost between that and poor
service. A bill is now before the leg
islature which calls for some attention
We have reference TO the measure
regulating the fees for use of tele-
phones. 1t is proposed to make the
bill general, l. to apply to small towns
as well as the large cities, and on this
proposition, the FREE PRESS desired
to say word. The bill proposes to
reduce the price to So per month To
the individual using one telephone
and So per month where one individu-
al employs the use of two Instruments
Fifteen cents for the first five minutes
is to be charged for communicating be-
tween cities, and five cents for each
additional five minutes. Now such
rates as these may, and probably
would be reasonable compensation for
service in cities like St. Paul, Mime
apolis and possibly Duluth But in
formation satisfactory to US, goes to
show that the enactment of a law OF
the nature above noted, would impair
if not wholly abolish the telephone
service in cities like Mankato, Red
Wing, Faribault, Northfeld and towns
/ of less eTpopuIati0n.
Is it wise. then, to enact a law
that is going to deprive business men
Of the great convenience, time and
/ money saving use Of the telephone2
We think not. The cost to users OF
+ telephones in Mankato is 81 per month
/ where only one instrument is en-
ployed by a single individual, and 81
+ where he isa subscriber for Two. Only
/ business men who require the use OF
+ these instruments Of communication
are affected by the cost. and there is
not one subscriber in MankatO who
would not rather have the rate in
+ creased than to be obliged to do with
out the convenience afforded by the
telephone. Ii the author Of this bill
wants to reach the cities Of St. Paul
and Minneapolis the rural patrons OF
telephones will file nc objection
But rather than cripple the service in
Manlato, which is now most excellent
and satisfactory, we will, at the risk Of
i adverse criticism by some ''reformer''
who does not pay u cent fer the great
i commercial convenience of this won
+ derful transmitter ofmessageS,r respect
fully ask to be excepted from the pro-
visions Of the bill. As a whole our
! people are not ayerse to paying 81 per
month for the service rendered, as
/ it is stated. and as we have reason to
/ believe, the reduction demanded by
the bill viii impair the efficiency of
+ the service or have the possible effect
Of depriying us of it entirely.
The telephone has become an in
dispensable adjunct to the business
men of live, progressive cities, and
while the charges are not unreasonable.
and in communities where no demand
ismade for a charge in rates, caution
should be exercised by our legislature
that it does not enact d law that viii
prove distasteful, obnoxious and IN
jurous.
It was Incomplete.