The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-04-12
FhaSe been put iii the hands of the com
mittee and the city attorney.
Mr.. Hixon Replies.

mittee and the city ATTORNEY.
Mr.. Hixon Replies.
| Mr. lIixon said that Since the ordi
nance was introduced everybody hat
/ had chance to read it. NJ. G. NNillart
lfpublfsied his objections and compared
the ordinance with his franchise to thu
disadvantage of the new one. "He has
honorcd me for some time past with his
displeasure,," said Mr. Hixon. "Ihc mat
ter is personal one. A deliberate at
\ tempt has been made to knock our fran
chise out, and no matter how it might
read the same attempt will be kept UP
tHave the other franchises, that have
been pointed to as models, produced re-
suits, whel, they have been hawked all
Eovcr the United States If anybody else
tin Mankato will build the, road, dollar
for dollar, we will step out, and / viii
ttsubscribc toward it. We will admit that
There afc certain sections which if
changed would make it more favorable
FLO the city, but his;fwould detract from
Fits value. It does not seem as though
Ethc criticisms are Just and fair If l
could build the line myself / would
fgladly put myself in your hands, know
Fling you would do the right thing, but
unfortunately, we have to 90 abroad
to get most of the money, and to do so
must have an attractive proposition.
The interests of these" investors cannot
be left to the awliins and beck and call
of future councils. Duluth can give
out franchise that is better and safer
than NLankato can give because it is a
tlargcr city, with large railway bust
ness, and u franchise there is valuable,
while one in Mankato has no value. L
could not have gotten one dollar ION any
of the franchises that have been pre-
| viously passed here. We submitted Mr..
lWillard's franchise to our people and
asked whether they would take a re-
|
could we get A road would double the
business of every merchant on Front
lstreet and they ought to be out shout
ing for it, but the reason why I'VE cail-
l'not get anytlling in Mankato is the
spirit of opposition to every public i'm
provement, which was manifest in pick
Ting out this and that, hot in good faith
very often, but from other motives. We
Fare willing to accept amendments of
| fered by those who are well disposed
toward having a road" Mr.. Hixon an
swered the criticisms Of the franchise in
detail, and said that they We're ground
| less or else the changes proposed would
hinder the promoters in getting eastern
money y ftfs-.
Rather Trust Aldermen. =
| Mr.. Funk said Ptilat Mfr. Hixon was
not consistent, claiming that no exelu-
1sivcs franchise can be granted, yet OPP
posing striking out this feature. The
Successors of the council will sbe'Felected
| by the people Of Mankato,, while the
successors Of Mcssrs. Hixon and aHance
viii be pitt forth by The trusts. He had
as much faith in the Representatives of
the people as in the corporations. AS
| far as lie was concerned, It was untrue
that there was any organized attempt
ItO defeat the franchise. He believed
that Franchise could be granted and
line put I'M that would be fairer to
lal. He would rather have no horse
| ut all than one with blind staggers,
ring bone, etc, and it would be better
| TO wait little than TO tie up the city
for twenty five years with franchise
that does not meet the wishes of the
did not side with any other franchise.
tff it is thought that The franchise is
fair and does not give away rights and
there are no ringers in the wood pile
| it should be granted. However, he
thought that there were objections. 1t
was true that the city is not large and
| that the franchise should be liberal to
be an induccmcnt for capital, which for
| five years is not likely to realize more
titan two per cent. The last clause,
about trolley lines, should De stricken
out. The council is ignored by it, and
The trolley lines would have to humble
themselves before the local company.
Mr.. Hixon said that he did not i'll
clude Mr. Funk in the organized at
tempt to defeat the franchise. He, pro-
posed that Mr. Funk draw up section
that would include his views. He said
that no exclusive rights on the streets
We're granted, amy more than telephone
companies had. ''''e ''' ''ss
- Had Wrong Ordinance. h
Mr.. Daley denied that the city's
legal department Had been moving slow
~ or attending to something else Last
Wednesday was tile first time that the
ordinance had been brought before him.
Tile ordinance flat had been presented
to- him first had turned out be the
wrong one. &
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