The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-08-03

combination with lighting or heating.
The car line at Great Falls, Mont, col
lected $4,000 in fares, but went into
the hands of an assignee. The Mason
City line pays handsomely because it
connects that city with 5000 population
with Clear Lake with l.G00 population,
and has the city lighting The same is
true of Oscaloosa, Waterloo, Marshall
town and Muscatine.
If an electric railway was to be built
in Mankato, there would have to be II
liberal franchise. and something else be-
sides. The city lighting contract here
runs for seven years more. He had al
WAYS said that Mankato would never
get street railway line unless it was
in Il position to offer lighting contract
as an nducement. The present lighting
contract provides that it is to 90 to any
company building street railway line,
but gives the present lighting company
the option first to put in a lire. ut is
SO worded as probably to cut off the
only hope that Mankato has of having
II street railway line, for the company
can take its time about deciding
whether or not to build" said Mr.. HiX-
on. "The Lacrosse gentlemen will there
fore have to look over the interurban
proposition to St Peter"
The largest bonding houses in the
United States refuse to handle bonds
of any exclusive city street railway line in
cities of less than $4,000 population
unless coupled with city lighting or
| interurban project. He has been told
F! that in cities where the residence sec
! ton is congested in the center the best
that can be hoped is to hope for the flu
ture. 1t was not a matter of population
entirely The line at Ashland, Wis.,, has
$4,000 more receipts than the line at
Winona, which is the larger city. This
is due to the characteristics of the peO-
| pie, the lay of the town, etc. One man
said that if the line did not pay oper-
ating expenses on the start it had no
attractions. In nine out of ten cities
/ of the size of MankatO it does not do
this. Waterloo, Iowa, got line when
! it had 1900 population, and now it has
eighty miles of city and suburban
trackage, and 10000 population. The
Fargo, n. d., electric railway bonds sold
on the start at so cents on the dollar,
but now sell for $l.05. The stock, that
was practically worthless, now sells for
! 90 cents on the dollar. Moorhead is the
big source of revenue of the line.
If there is any doubt in the report
made by President Edwards, Mankato
will get the benefit. Mr.. Hixon said
that he would like to place the matter
before him in a better light than it is
now. If the city lighting contract could
be secured, it would make the proposi
ton look good deal better. If the
lighting company would furnish power
temporarily for running the cars, at cost
price, it would pay it to do so, for a
car line will make larger city here
and increase the business of the lipbtino
company. Probably this is not possible.
however. If the city was not "sewed
up in the lighting matter, Mr. Hixon
did not think that there was anv uues-
ton but that the street railway con-
tract could be signed this week.
| DIR. Andrews said that when the con-
tract was drawn it was definitely un-
derstood that the lighting was to 90 to
any company putting in railway line.
| If it does not, there ought to be a
change made i'll city attorneys, for the
matter was left to him to guard the
city's interests. The commercial ligk :
ing and heating is not bound to the old
company, and the city may not be
bound UP as much as thought
W. ID. Willard: Il think it is. You
have hit the matter right on the head
DR.. Andrews: why didn't he guard
it as per the instructions of the coun
cil?"
Mr.. Willard: ut is for him to an
swer. don't know
Mr.. Hixon said that if the coIrllau,
could get three or four year contracts
for commercial lighting it would offset
what the company would be bound to
lose and might offer an inducement for
the building of the line. Commercial
lighting is worth twice what the city
hghtlng is worth. 1t is doubtful wheth-
er there are ten residences in tbe CITY
lighted by electricity. In other towns
the residents have both gas and electri-
city.
Judge Plymat said ssThe commercial
lighting and heating are not tied nm.
and the bald statement that the citv'sI
interests have not been protected in the
lighting contract surprises us and falls
upon the ears of many of us with
doubt. We have seen the present CITY