The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-05-19
MUNICIPAL FRANCHISES
Should They be Public or Private
Property.
Judge Severance Talks to the S. S. Club
on the Subject.-0fficers for
Next Year Elected.

The last regular meeting of the Social
Science club was held at The Saulpaugh
Tuesday evening and was we'll attended
There will be, however, two special
meetings, one on Monday evening, and
and another on Tuesday evening, the
Both, for papers which have been missed
during the winter.
1t was decided last evening to close
the years work with lecture, and
Graham Taylor, of Chicago, who is the
leader of a sociological movement in
the slums of that city, will doubtless be
secured, and it is now thought the GATE
will be Thursday evening, June list.
The club elected the following ofic-
ers for the next club year:
President. B G. Taylor
Vice-president, Rev. S. D. Works.
Sec'y and Treas, DR. J. S Holbrook.
Members executive committee, w. d.
Willard and G. H. Cooper.
The subject for discussion was the
Municipal Ownership of Public Fran
chises," and was presented by Judge M.
J. Severance. He held that the matter
of sewerage and water was such that
there should be no question as to the
disposition of the right to handle them.
They were actual necessities and were
closely connected with the public health
and should at all times be controlled by
the municipality. In the matter of
gas. electric lights and street railways,
while they were in a sense necessities,
they were rather conyenieuces which
it is pleasant to have. In one sense
they are Injuries In general he
thought they could better be provided
| from a private source. The great
trouble, he thought, originated in the
fact that two little attention is given to
the granting of franchises. The inter
ests of the people are not guarded close
ly enough. Our municipal governments
as whole, are too corrupt, the people
pay too little attention to the select
ion of competent men in city affairs
too much is left to divine providence
and the ward heelers, and the latter
generally get it. The matter of grant
ing franchises is an important one and
should be exercised carefully. The
right to regulate, amend or change, as
the interests of the people require ought
always be reserved He did not like
the idea of municipalities taking up toe
many lines of business, as some inter
ests of the people are likely to be neg
lected. If they could furnish lights OF
run street railways cheaper than the
private individual, then they ought tc
do it, but he did not think they would
All public bodies are more or less ex
travagant. From congress down mil
lions of money is spent for which there
is no return in benefits to the people
He had known congress to take $50, OO(
of the peoples money to bury dead
congressman, but upon reflection
thought this was not wasted but well
used He knew no remedy for the state
of affairs which confronted the mu'
inequalities of the nation. If matters
are improved, it must result from the
people taking greater interest in public
affairs and selecting better men for Of
fetal positions than have been and are
now conducting the municipal affairs of
the country.
A very general discussion followed,
covering many of the points presented,
and was participated in by many of the
members present.
A meeting of the club will be held
next Monday evening, May 22d, when
Prof A. w. Varney will read paper
on Systems of Banking