The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-01
PRESS qVEA:B(DY BLOW
SENATOR THOMPSON SAYS PAPERS
ARE FULL tOF MISREPRE-
SENTATIONS
ASKS FOR TRUTHFUL REPORTS
Careful Reading of His Bill, How
ever, Fails to Show Where
He Got the Worst
of 1t.

An aftermath Of Wednesdays discus
sion of the Burns-Thompson bill in the
senate, was the action of Senator
Thompson in arising to a uues-
ton of personal privilege yes
terday and scoring the press reports of
the debate upon the measure The gen
tleman from Fillmore rebuked the press
In general and paid his compliments in
particular to the Pioneer Press He
characterized reports of the debate as
misrepresenting and unfair. He said
that the country papers rely largely
upon the press of the city for their in
formation with regard to the actions OF
the legislature, and that if these reports
were unfair, the lawmakers suffer He
thought that the senate should devise
some means OF obtaining fair reports.
''If the reporters have rot brains
enough, he said ito give honest re-
ports (Which I think they have, they
generally mean to be fair) we should
employ other means of getting fair
treatment"
A careful reading of the reports re-
ferred to, in every paper represented at
the legislature, shows an exact and con-
scientious regard for the truth The de-
bate was reported as it occurred. There
were running comments in certain cases
and but no Misrepresentation of fact
In nutshell, the Thompson-Burn
Oil EXTENDS TO private lnQlVlQudIS the
same rights now enjoyed by corpora
lions, to erect telegraph and telephone
POLES and string wires from them on
the roads and byWays of the state The
recent decisions of Judge LochreE, Of
the United States Seireuit court and Of
Judge Cant, of the district court at Du-
luth, interpret the words roads and
byWays' legally TO ocinclude in their
meaning the streets, avenues and alleys
IF oitx oiti
been disposing of their franchises to
companies or denying them permission
to use their streets, through their COM
mon council. The -necenr decisions affect
this privilege on the cart of municipali,
ties. as the law-~hoM reads and is in
terpreted. telephone and telegraph COM
pa1lies may enter "a city and usurp any
of it's streets witAbuts permission of the
city's governing pobNeE
JUST y FARMERS MEASURE
The Thompson-Burns bill extends this
privilege beyond eorperations to provide
individuals and aggraVates the helpless
ness of cities in the halter. The Bald.
win amendment offered Wednesday pro-
vided that in cities of $4,000 inhabitants
or over consent of the common council
or governing power of such cities should
be obtained before entrance of the com
Pany, for purposes of using the streets.
should be permitted. Senator Thompson
protested that his bill is a farmers
measure pure and simple. Everybody in
the senate and those who were in the
chamber at the time of the debate.
agree that the measure is to Senator
ThompScn'S mind. purely as he states it.
He frankly admits that he wants to
avoid a squabble between companies
He says that they have threatened to
Kill his pet measure if it is mill-stoned
Xit on diva TO-
Baldwin tried 10 make it clear to him
and to others that the proposed amend
rnent would not affect the bill in any
way except for the protection of cities
already placed too much at the mercy of
corporations by the law, as interpreted
The amendment would not at all have
interfered with the bills provisions rel,
atlve to the rights Of country folks to
string wires all along country byWays
and public roads. Senator Thompson
has one idea, which he reiterates 1t Is
that wants to save his bill He is
wiling to support any separate bill Civ
ing to cities any of the privileges they
want; he simply doesn't want any
amendments such as that proposed by
the Duluth senator tackled on to his
measure; he doesn't want to incur any
enmity; he is willing to support any
other measure; but wants his measure to
pass unamended. -or..
Inc Dill, which is a. very brief one, is
given for the information of the many
who are interested in It,, and is unim-
portant, except when viewed in the light
OF the recent judiciah decisions. 1t fol-
lows: tsa--
A bill for an act to amend section 2641,
title one %, chapter thirty-four (34),
General Statutes 1894, relating to the use
1 Oh puolde, roads BY telegraph and tele-
Be it enacted BY the legislature of the
state Of Minnesota: n
Section THAT section 2641. title III.
chapter thirty -four (34), General Statutes
OF 1894, be amended so as to read as fol-
Section 2641-AnH ctelegraph or telephone
corporation organized under this title
and any person -orS persons have power
ana right to use the public roads and
highways in this state on the line of
their route for the purpose of erecting
posts or poles on or along the same to
sustain their wires or fixtures: provided
that. the same shall be so located as in
no way to interfere with the safety or
convenience of ordinary travel on or
over the said roads or highways. and
provided further, that in the construction
and maintenance of said lines such cor
poratfons person or persons shall be sub
!ect to reasonable regulations to he
imposed by the supervisors of the village
or city wherein said road or HIGHWAYS
may be situated
Sec. 2This act shall take effect and
De IN force from and after ire oocoo oro