The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-01-21
CITY COUNCIL NOTES.

ago
Bills amounting to S. 6S7.11 for cleo
trio lighting for six months were allow.
ed.
The council has set January 25. as
the date for the joint meeting of the
school boards, called to consider the bill
prepared by city attorney Hodgen for
introduction in the Legislature looking to
the simplifying of the adoption of city
school system.
Emil Schroeders career rs saloon
keeper was brief The council appoint
ed him to the position rs city sexton af'
ter he had been out two weeks the vote
being | | to 3 against the field.
A. G. Becker was named rs the first
incumbent of the new Office Of weigher,
his fees being % cents for each call
Chas. Bouril is the successor of the
late John Standt, for many years sealer
of weights and measures
The city might rs we'll be in Oklahoma
as far az John Ziarnik, JOS Machefsky
and John Gallagher are concerned, it
being dry to them by orders of the
council; nothing stronger than ginger
ale till further notice.
The tax for Huron street surface
drainage was annulled and the project
abandoned nearly every realty owner in
the district having signed remonstr.
ance led by George Kennedy. The taxes
paid will be refunded.
The council unanimously passed n
resolution demanding of the legislature
the repeal of the public utility law and
the vesting of the power to control rates
and service in the local authorities, with
all rates in force June 80. 1907 standing
as reasonable until the contrary L. shown.
Other cities will be asked to aid in the
movement. The action is a direct result
of the recent decision Of the commission
in the local gas case The report and
resolutions are as follows:
To THE MAYOR AND BOARD or ALDER
MEN OF THE CITY or MANITOWOC:
There is general dissatisfaction
throughout the state with the public
utility law and its operation. The people
of the various municipalities are better
DE to take care of their own affairs
than the Railroad Commission can take
care of these affairs for them. The
public utility law is not the creature of
popular demand. Experience with it
thus far has been unsatisfactory and
people are casting about for some relief.
One bill has been introduced in the legis
lature to create more commissions one
in each locality. The state is now suf.
fering from too much commission. Let
us get back to first principles and let
the municipalities run their own affairs
The following method of controlling
local public utility affairs seems to be
sound in principle and adequate to the
needs of the public aid the public utility
companies;
/. Repeal the public utility law
?. Re enact all ordinances, rate
schedules and local regulations in force
June 30, 1907, Immediately before the
public utility law went into effect.
3 Make all these ordinances, rates
and regulations amendable by the local
council but provide hat the regulations,
rates and ordinances in force June so,
1907, shall be prima facierea-onable and
that any public utility may within
limited time after the adoption of any
amendment or change therefrOm. rest
the reasonableness of such amendment
by a proper action and the burden of
showing that any amendment or new
regulation is reasonable shall be upon
the city or municipality enacting the
same.
Under this arrangement the local
authorities would have control of local
affairs as they should haveand the public
utility companies would be protected
against any unreasonable rate or regula-
ton.
1t will be urged that the local council
is composed of politicians and that the
clamor Of the populace would cause con
stant turmoil Have we 40 utterly lost
our heads, have we American people so
degenerated that we can not be trusted
to run our own affairs? We have heard
much in late years about bringing The
government back to the people. Let us
do something that will bring the govern
ment back to the people and there can
be no better place 20 begin than at our
purely local affairs.
We therefore recommend the adoption
of the following resolutions
Resolved by the Mayor and Board of
Aldermen of the city Of Manitowoc that
we approve the foregoing report and en-.
dorse the plan therein outlined and rec.
ommend its adoption by the state legis.
lature.
Resolved further that copies o. said
report and this resolution be published
throughout the state aud the copies be