The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-02-25
LEGISIAT U RI
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Continued from page !
results, and to judge by recent expert
ence these, in comparison with the
contributions made, appear to many
to be Insignificant.
I must confess to some surprise,
however, that Mr.. Wells limited the
operation of his bill to corporations
which solicit contributions for political
or other purposes. Mr.. Wells is a
man of affairs, familiar with the pub
lie activities of corporations, and no
one knows better than he that those
corporations which are most active in
politics and exercise the greatest in
fiuence in public affairs and whose OPP
erations it is of most importance
should be officially supervised, are not
those which solicit contributions from
the public, but which far more GER
tainly secure them through the own
ership of public utilities, through
which they are authorised to collect
what practically amounts to tax on
all the people. If it is important that
the public should be informed of the
manner in which the Citizens league
or the Anti-saloon league or the Ship
pers' association expend the funds
raised for political purposes, it is far
more important that they be informed
of the political activities of the Great
Northern railroad, the Twin City Rap
id Transit company, the United States
Steel corporation and the Hamm Brew
ing company. / can see no reason if
the Citizens league and the Anti-sa-
loon league is required to file with
the secretary of State adetailed state
ment of the money they expend for
political purposes, why the railroads,
the steel trust and the breweries
should not be required to do the same
thing, and am sure that Mr.. Wells,
who is doubtless much better informed
on the subject than / am, on further
considering the subject will agree with
me. The bill if amended, as 1 have
indicated, would if honestly enforced,
prove of great public advantage and
afford the public mine of information
which has long been sought in vain.
AS might have been anticipated, the
proposition to establish a public utili-
ties commission has met with violent
opposition from those whom it would
be the commissions duty to supervise
and control. The telephone compa-
nies, the electric light companies, the
gas companies, the street car compa-
nieS and other corporations interested
make common cause. Being somewhat
at loss for arguments to show why
the interests of the people should not
be protected, they have recourse to the
plea that for the State to appoint a.
public utilities commission would be
an invasion of the principle of home
rule; that all these matters ought
to be left to the municipalities affect
ed. Even the services of Mr.. Mana
han tthe only ManahaD have been
solicited, / suppose, because he has al
ways taken extreme ground on the
right of the people to be protected and
represented by the different depart
ments of the government. He op-
poses the commission on the ground
that it is proposed to vest supervisory
authority in the railroad and ware
house commission, which, in his view,
has always proved itself unworthy of
trust and is not now deserving of con-
fidence. Mr.. Manahan's opinion is
that the only result of the proposed
enactment would be to give the cor
porations control of the supervisory
body. do not anticipate the passage
of the measure. The interests are too
strongly entrenched in both house and
senate for the people.to expect relief.
Something good will have come out of
the agitation, however, if the result
will be to strengthen the sentiment in
favor of having a railroad commission
appointed by the governor instead of
elected by the people. In the former
case the governor can properly be held
responsible for the appointments. In
the latter the selection is left to q
political convention in which the in
terests are only too apt to have suffi-
cient influence to dictate the nomina-
tion Of men chosen to supervise
their affairs.
The Broad SmIje