The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-04-25
TOCONSIDER
St. Peter Council Refers Street
Car Ordinance.
Move Started to Have the Mankato
Council Amend the Franchise
Recently Passed.

The city council of st. Peter held
an adjourned meeting wednesday to
consider the request of the Mankato
and st. Peter Railway and Lighting
Co. for the passage of an ordinance
granting it right of way into the
CITY. over such streets as the engineers
of the company land city might deter
mine.
=. President Hixon and Director Clark
and Wilhartz attended the meeting.
All six of the aldermen were present
and the matter was talked over in
formally for some time, no objection
being raised to the granting of right
of way. The ordinance was referred
to a special committee of three, to
consider and report at the regular
meeting next Monday night.
The charter of the city of st. Peter
contains very wise provision that no
ordinance can be acted on at the same
meeting that it is introduced. The
adjourned meeting last night was held
for the purpose of receiving the ordi-
nance and there will be time for the
newspapers to print the ordinance and
the people to digest it before it comes
up for final action.
It is believed that the council will
pass the ordinance. The one alderman
who was originally opposed to it
has changed his mind.
The following is from the st. Peter
Journals account of the council meet
ing last night;
The company will be satisfied with
franchise granting them the use of
Front street with the levee south OF
the river bridge to be used as depot
site. The council talked the matter
over at some length, and discovered
several paragraphs of minor impor-
lance in the proposed ordinance that
did not meet their view. Alderman
Borneman moved that a committee OF
three he appointed to act with the
CITY attorney and give the ordinance
a closer scrutiny and report at the
next meeting. The motion carried and
Aldermen Klien, Borneman and Burg
were appointed as such committee.
Mr.. Clark said the company would
like to have definite action taken In
the matter of the ordinance at the
next regular meeting of the council.
City Recorder Williams states that
he will not sign the lighting contract
at present. He desires that the council
hold special meeting and passa new
franchise, to leave out the objection
able features of the old, and has
spoken to the aldermen about the
matter.
He takes the stand that he does not
wish to sign anything that will tie
the city up for twenty years in Its
lighting.
Mr.. Williams has spoken to several
of the directors of the company about
the proposed changes and the most OF
them have given their consent
When asked what the attitude OF the
company and Mr.. Collins would be on
this matter, A. E. Clark stated today
that they would take the present fran
chise or nothing. They do not want
any amendments made or any changes
whatever. Mr.. Collins has copy Of
the franchise and is working with
capitalists on the basis of What 1T
provisions contain.
tits claimed on the part of the com
pany, or that portion of it.which op
poses any change being made in thu
franchise, that the franchise as it nov
stands does not tie up the city. 1t i
claimed that the city has contracte'
to take the street lights for ten years
| but that at the ends.of that period Their
is nothing to prevent its putting in
municipal plant if it wants to, or con
tracing for lights with some othe
company. 1t is claimed that the Man
kato Gas and Electric Light Go. is nc
operating under a franchise for
: definite number of years, but that
ia doing business under an ordinanc
which grants it license to do bus
: ness for an indefinite period, whic
can be terminated by the council
3 any time or no limit placed. Til
8 would ensure continued competitio
3 in electric lighting if the old CON
pany desires to remain in the field.
; is claimed that any other compan
9 which may be hereafter organized
8 do lighting can be granted license
operate in the city, which will ensul
competition in commercial lighting
The council is coming in for got
. deal of criticism for the haste wi
d which it passed the franchise. Fl
franchise was introduced one nigh
= was considered the following afte
:. noon, and was passed that night. II
newspapers were not given an oppo
tunity to publish its contents, 80 tn
the people could know what was bell
asked of the city. 1t is pointed o
that ut st. Peter, where only rig
D of way is asked, the matter is la
. over for a week, to be carefully CO
sidered.
nEhTu'S Roll CALL