The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-29
NEWS OF THE CITY
TROLLEY VO0DcAyeeEE
MARKED BY MEMBERS
Senators and Representatives
Plan Quick End of Code
Provision

That the statute revision commission
had attempted to confer on street rail-
way companies the right to condemn
private property for corporate pur-'
poses came as news to the greater.
number of the members of the legis-
lature.~ Yesterday there were pro-
nounced opinions by the members who
had remained in town for the recess
as to the commission and its radical
provision.
While there was difference of opin-
ion as to the wisdom of giving street
: railway companies the right of eminent
domain outside of municipalities there
was but one view of the comforting of
the right inside the corporate limits of
municipalities
The opinion was decidedly in the
negative.
To aid in the building of rural elec-
tric lines the condemnation right is
practically a necessity, but none could
be found to defend the extension of
the right to cities and towns.
That the right to the use of the
streets and alleys by, a street railway
is left TO the discretion of a city coun-
ell was not considered a valid defense
of the presence of the offending provi-
sion in the code.
Provision Is Condemned
The condition that a public service
corporation could condemn and take
private land for its public uses was
sufficient in the eyes of the legislators
to condemn the provision.
There were rumors that the Twin
City corporation had secured the in
PRODUCTION of the provision into the
code for specific purpose in the man.
agement of its Minneapoli terminals
The report could not be verified but
there. were emphatic denunciations of
the commission for its attempt to in
troduces original legislation into its
code.
- 1t was said that the action con-
ferring street railway privileges was
the more culpable inasmuch as repeat
ed attempts had been made to secure
the passage through the legislature
of the identical provision conferred by
the code.
Senator Morgan outspoken
-, while 1 have great respect for
Judge Daniel Fish" said Senator Henry
n. Morgan, of Albert Lea yesterday,
Il must differ with him. He says that
the condemnation right should be in
cluded in the code as applied to street
railways. say it ought not to be In
the code. 1t is enlarging corporation
rights to the detrlment of the public.
BY what process of reasoning the
conclusion can be reached that street
railways are entitled to take private
property by condemnation proceedings
/ do not know. These corporations be-
long on the streets and alleys, and
their presence there is to be determined
by the city council alone They have
no business to go On private property.
md hn Of hoc mr. hI1 irac tn <riyy q
them that right.
THE provision was not in the old
code; it is in the new. The code COM
mission has given us original legisla-
ton, something for which I do not be-
lieye it was created"
Senator F. E. Putnam of Blue Earth
City, said: Street railway corporations
ought not to be given any additional
powers. unless these are properly safe
guarded"
Glad Measure Was Exposed
Representative John L. Oleson, OF
Chisago county, was glad T h e
G 10 b had exposed the woodchuck.
He said:
IT am glad T h e G 10 b e has shown
this nefarious measure up. The legis-
lature ought to be unanimous in strik-
ing out the provision before the code
is passed. and 1 have no doubt it will
acl quickly Wneil the OIIeIlulIlS pTOVl-
sion comes before 1t for final action
Senator E. B. Wood, of Long Prairie
said:
If the provisions of the revised code
add anything to the powers of the
street railway companies or to any
other corporation in the taking of pri-
vate property for corporate use, I am
opposed TO them. / am against adding
anything by that method to the pres
ent powers of corporations
"The sole authority for the occupan-
cy of the city streets should be in the
common council" said County Attor-
ney Kane last night. IF the right OF
eminent domain conferred on the
street railway companies of the state
by the statute revision code extends
their powers to any point beyond that
now given them in taking possession
of any street, am opposed to it. The
powers of the council should not suf.
fer any diminution in this direction