The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-16
GIRL-TEAM BEATEN
Fergus Falls, Strong in Rebuttal, Gets
Unanimous Decision.

Fergus Falls, Strong in Rebuttal, Gets
Unanimous Decision. Il
Special to The Journal.
Fergus Falls, Mimi, Jan. 16.-The
debate between the Fergus Falls and
East Grand Forks high school teams
took place at the Lyceum theater last
evening, before a large and ire
mendously enthusiastic audience.
The Fergus Falls school was repre-
scented by Caleb Hogan, Harry JACOB
son and Bert Boon and East Grand
Forks by three young lad1es-BeItna
Quigley Cora Olson and Maud Ben
ton. East Grand Forks had the
affirmative.
It was agrede at the outset that the
term public utilities" should pc con-
strued to mean street railways, sewers,
waterworks systems, lighting systems
and telephone systems, and each de-
batter was given ten minutes Tor MS
opening argument and five minutes Tor
rebuttal. The judges were Professor
c. A. Ballard Of the Moorhead n. nor ia
Superintendent A. c. Army of the Bat
tie Lake schools, and O. A. Felt an
attorney of Evansville. The Journal
cup, the symbol of the state champion
ship won by this city last year. was
prominently displayed on the stage a tha
balcony, occasionally joined IN a
chorus calling upon the team to defend
and retain it. ,,.
The debate was opened by MISS
Maud Benton, who touched pr1eny Oh
the establishment Of free government
and the tendency of monopolles TO cor
rrpt and destroy. She held that CEN
tralization was as natura! as sraHi-
tation, but that the problem or the
present age was to take ehese fn io
nonolies from the hands OF the rev.
and, bysplacing them under govern
ment ownership, to make them q
direct benefit to all. The tendency VI
the big corporations to corrupt clly
councils, or buy OFFICIALS TO uehy a ant
and In contrast with the average ring
ruled municipality, the speaker placea
such cities as Edinburgh, Glasgow anu
Birmingham, where the munlClpal
governments own practically all or the
public utilities.
Fergus Cuts Loose.
Rert Roen opened for Fergus Fails
aud was greeted with strenuous
chorus, beginning win
You are our own, our DaDy,
Well tibet bet on SOc you each timo.
Mr.. Boon dwelt on the greater eff
cheney that could be secured undef
private management, the knowledge VI
business which a private manager
Gained thru years of service, and
which a scheming politician was no. 10,
at all likely to gain; the ease W..
which cities were robbed IN the pua
chase of supplies, and cited lnstaIcss
Of failures under municlpai o"ne
/ ship. 4.;,.a sne.Ler
I and her present tion of STATISTICS, skill
fully arranged on large charts, CAV
f municipal ownership Wonderlully o. q.
/ tractiye appearance; column aite
I Column Of figures were presented
t showine in every instance that I
! change from private to public owner
J shin had resulted in tre1lleIleo ~
! saving to consumers tremeiiuo ~, u
! reduction in prlces-pal.lcu ,,,aa. l.
4 line of charges for water service,
4 fact when the speaker had hnlsne
4 his presentation she stated that II wa
. generally, admitted that the ques1iio
Y of the ACCESSIBILITY or controlinii
4 waterworks systems was no lo JIG 6
4 subject for debate, the figures were .
4 Overwhelmingly in favor OF munlclps
ownership. and that fifty years memo
+ tha advantage of municipal owner
shin of other utilities would be equa
" apparent. The outlook LOT q
Talls at this juncture was uarh'
.Jakey Has the Floor
rbe audience was by no means Oil
outraged. however, and the scno
broke into a wild chorus, as 80 ~
Jacobson advanced to the lroiit VI -
stage. so,r
4 When he gets thru, +.
Grand Forks will be no more.
And won't they all feet sore
When Fergus ge.s, The score. . MOI
rharaI1 he a hot time in the old town to-his
This address fully justified the e
nectations Of the students, as AZ
{ Jacobson lost no time IN attacking =, -
arguments of the speaker VINO liz
recedad him. He asserted that m
picipal governments had no right
risk the public's money in douoti
enterprises, and gave numerous l
stances of private service that was Of
fer than that furnished by c1tlze1
Sna Of these Instances was the TW
City Rapid Transit companys serVl'
which was referred to on two or thr
occasions during the evening as pt
4 ter than any municipal service lou
any The school broke into anoth
chorus.
/ In the good debating time.
In the good debating time,
! Thinking of our victories >s.'
We fear defeat will come to you,
And that's very good sign .so,d
That you're not up to the standard
( In the good debating time.
Several young ladies Joined in sol
milder and more pleasing se!ect1o
all tending, however, to stimulate
thusiasm.
Miss Quigley pointed to the colos
fortunes heaped up by those w
4 owned and controlled public unit
4 ties-fOrtuneS to Wnlcn all Classes
citizens were continually contribut
to thetremendous power OF
men who held this wealth to
fact that they nominated
elected the officials in many cities
the utter disregard of the corporatl
A for public safety.
Mr.. Hogan, I'M reply, held that
responsibility for such state or
fairs did not rest with the plutocr;
but with the city government t
permitted them to charge such ra
as they pleased, and held further t
dishonest councilmen were dfshor
A in dealing with other phases of (
"A government as we'll as with pul
service corporations; and that t
were not likely to become any m
honest if given full control of st1
railways and waterworks.
Decision for Fergus Falls.
When it came to rebuttal, the F
gus Falls team surpassed it's opp
ents. owing in large measure to
continual training which the stude
receive in their high school debat
societies. The young ladies who r
SIS