The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-05-01

welfare is well looked after by fine
schools, a public library, and churches in
which are pastors of exceptional ability
All of these advantages and many more
in the absence of large competitive cities
near by, proves to me conclnsively our
trouble is internal and productive by dis
cord in our own ranks There is lament
able lack of harmony among cur citizens,
and particularly our business men. The
growth of public spirit in our men of
wealth has been stunted by bitter en-
gendered feeling of hostility, which mani
tests itself in some cases even after
death. ! want to say to you gentlemen
of this board, that our city can never be
carried past the betwixt and between
stage of its growth except by the slow
natural increase of births over deaths,
unless this strife, contention, jealousy is
eliminated or very much modified When
men of means, outsiders or not, make
large legitimate investments with us
they should be encouraged to increase
their expenditures and not given cause to
regret they came here. / was pleased
while away to notice in the papers which
reached me regularly, evidences OF more
uniform action among the commercial
bodies and also in the citizens generally
by the organization of the Civic Improve
ment League, whose purpose is to beauti-
fly the city. There is a large field in
deep-rooted. If they succeed in bringing
closer together the man of moderate
means, who is essential to the solidarity
of community, and the man of capital
who has it in his power to offer those
inducements which manufacturers seek
ing new fields will grasp, they will have
accomplished great things to which Man
kato's instant stride forward will attest.
The Lighting Plant
There is, gentlemen, in this connection
one grievance concerning which l ask
your indulgence for moment, but
which ] approach with temerity for it is
loaded. The question to which 1 refer is
light. As a member of the Mankato Gas
Electric Light company l wish to pre-
sent a side of the question with which
the public is apparently not familiar
by citing two or three eventful periods
in the history OF our company. Eight
years ago its officers, local citizens and
taxpayers, offered to build, maintain,
and operate five miles of street railroad
in our city, without bonus, subscription
to stock OF inducements of any nature
other than a five year street lighting
contract This board with the late John |
a. Willard as its president, worked dill
gently for an acceptance of this PROPOSE
ton without avail. Three years ago the
directors of our company realizing that /
their plant was old and sinadequate to
the needs of our city, unable themselves
to furnish the large amount of money
repaired for the contemplated improve
ments undertook to interest outside CAPT
tai. Efforts in the direction were final
~ successful when Mason, Lewis & Co.
of Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia, one
of the largest bond houses in the United
States, agreed to finance the proposition,
only, however, after every man connect
ed with the old company gave his person
al and repeated assurance that the citi-
zens of Mankato would be loyal to the
new corners. These We're given in good
faith for the directors believed a cessa-
ton of hostilities shown the old COM
pany would take place in return for the
large expenditures of money IN our city,
with the improvement in SER
vice and cheapened cost of light, all of
which we expected to and did give after
the new plant was successfully put in
operation. How well our assurances to
the big bond house We're justified was
shown last year when an outside pro-
moter of doubtful purpose secured not
only long contract for street lighting,
large subscriptions to stock, real estate,
donations, etc., but nearly all our COM
mercial business. The council readily
granted what we asked for in vain seven
years ago. Would any of you have hei-
tated to defend, the large outlay of capt.
tai which was furnished by innocent pur-
chasers of bonds on your recommends
ton as was done last summer? We
need street railway company to develop
our suburbs and otherwise improve our
conditions. But in order to elicit out
side aid we must first bestow confidence
for capital is wary and not looking for
trouble
To further complicate the situation a
municipal lighting plant, which is ex-
cellent in theory and may be all right in
practice, is recommended, but have yet
to hear the man say: "We will try to
buy the modern new plant of the COM
pany now doing business and paying
taxes here, at fair valuation" Do the
people want municipal plant or do
they want to cripple one of their own
number? The city of Winona is freely
quoted in this connection, but think we
should emulate the example of live grow
ing towns instead of the only one in oul
state which by the last census showed
a decrease in population and furnished