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. i
Special to The Journal.
Fergus Falls. Mimi, Jan. 16.-The
debate between the Fergus Falls ana
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 1adies-Bertha
Quigey, Cora Olson and Maud Ben
ton. East Grand Forks had the
affirmative.
It was agrede at the outset that the
term public utilities should be 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 norma ma
Superintendent A. G. 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'anu
the entire high school, s sd III II, 'ne
balcony, occasionally joined IN
chorus calling upon the team to defend
and retain it.
The debate was opened by Miss
Maud Benton, who touched 'brleny on
the establishment of free government
and The tendency of monopolies to cor
rupt and destroy. She held that CEN
+ralization was as natural as grav1-
tation, but that the problem OF tne
present age was to take tnese nv
nopolies from the hands or the lew
and, bysplacing them under govern
direct benefit to all. The tendency or
the big corporations to corrupt city
councils, or buy officials, to de1y ana
evade laws, was clearly polnteu ou.'
and In contrast with the average ring
ruled municipality, the speaker placed
such cities as Edinburgh, Glasgow ana
birmingham, where the mumclpal
governments own practically all OF the
public utilities.
3 Fergus Cuts Loose.
Bert Boon opened for Fergus Fai,s
and was greeted with sIl ell"oA'
chorus, beginning Win
. You are our own, our DaDy'
Well bet on you each time.
Mr. Boen dwelt on the greater ell
. Cheney that could be secured under
private management, the knowledge OF
business which private manager
gained thru years OF service, any 4
which a scheming politician was nus
which cities were robbed in the pur-
chase of supplies, and cited Instances
Of failures under munlc1pal owner
ship. .,..,,s sn..ker
Miss Olson was the third speaker
and her presentation OF statlstlcs, skill
fully arranged on large charts, gave
municipal ownership a wonderfully az
tractiye appearance; column aIle'
column Of figures were preseite'l
showing in every instance tnal
change from private 10 pupiic 49, 49,,
ship had resulted in trenneI9 u ~,
saving to consumers tremendo,u
reduction in prices-partlculaflyl IN III
line of charges for water service, ~
fact. when the speaker had nnlsne'
this presentation she stated Una. i. W e,
of the ACCESSIBILITY OF Controllln
Ivaterworks systems was no longer
subject for debate, the figures were
overwhelmingly in favor OF municlpa
ownership, and that fifty years men az
The advantage of municipal owner
shin of other utilities would be equal
" apparent. The outlook for Fersu
Fails at this juncture was dark
, "Jakey Has the Floor"
The audience was by no means ols
couraged, however, ana the sonU.
broke into a wild chorus, ~
Jacobson advanced to the front Oh III
stage. .f
( 'n When ~ he gets thru, -
Grand Forks will be no more,
And won't they all feet sore
When Fergus ge.s. The score. . IN ,ior
There'll be a hot time III the oia Town WING
This address fully justified the e.
nectations Of the students, as MI
Jacobson lost no time in attacking tf
arpuments of the speaker VINO ma
nreceded him, He asserted that M
nicipal governments had no rlght
risk the public's money In douoti
M II
enterprises, and gave nui nt ~. Uus !, q
( stances Of private service that was be
ter than that furnished by citizen
One of these instances was the Nv
City Rapid Transit companys sefvlc
which was referred to on two or thr'
occasions during the evening as be
& Tor than any municipal service four
anywhere.
chorus.
In the good debating time.
/ In the good debating time
Thinking of victories
Makes us feel SO fine.
We fear defeat will come to you,
I And that's very good sign
In the good debating time.
Several young ladies joined in so1
III milder and more pleasing selection
all tending, however, to stimulate e
thusiasm
Miss Quigley pointed to the colost
fortunes heaped up by those w
q owned ana COnCEOlleu puDilC uilli
ties-fortunes to which all classes
I citizens were continually contribute
I TO thetremendous power of t
men who held this wealth to t
4 fact that they nominated a
I elected the officials in many cities a
the utter disregard of the corporate
for public safety.
Mr.. Hogan; I'M reply, held that 7
4 responsibility for such q state OF
1 fairs did not rest with the plutocra
but with the city government tt
/ permitted them to charge such ra
/ as they pleased, and held further tt
4 dishonest councilmen, were dishon
K in dealing with other phases of G
4 government as we'll as with pub
I service corporations; and that TT
/ were not likely to become any mt
4 honest if given full control of str
B railways and waterworks.
4 Decision for Fergus Falls.
4 When 1T came to rebuttal, the F
4 gus Falls team surpassed it's oppt
/ ents. owing in large measure to
l continual training which the stude
4 receive in their high school debat
societies. The young ladies who r.