The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-02-24
ACTION TAKEN BY THE CONNER
ClAL CLUB.
Blue Earth County Delegation Is In
ls structed to Vote Against Meas
ures Affecting Electric Railways
Six Thousand Dollars for Roads
Legislators Believe in Open Mar
ket; Free Trade is Favored.
From Mondays Daily.

Legislators Believe in Open Mar
ket; Free Trade is Favored.
From Mondays Daily.
! The Commercial club held a meet
ing Saturday night and transacted
considerable business. The club took
action against three street car and
inrerurban measures now before the
legislature, and also in favor of the
annexation of North MankatO 10 this
city, and considerable other matters.
Considerable enthusiasm was mani
tested, and the meeting was a good
one. although not as largely attended
as the previous ones.
The meeting was presided over by
Vice President Veigel. although the
latter tried to have George M. Palmer
elected chairman. Mr. Palmer re-
fused to stand for it.
= A letter was received from Repre-
sentative Just, saying that he was
opposed TO bars of any kind between
states, and feared that to confine the
state TO its own products in erecting
its public buildings would result in
other states barring Minnesota prod
ucts. However, he promised to vote
for the bill as requested by the club
, He did not think that the bill would
survive the committee!
| Representative Kelly, in letter
said that he would vote as requested
! by the club, but he believed in an
open market and open competition
among the states. The bill referred
to is that combining the material used
! in public buildings TO Minnesota prod
'uctS.
Opposed to Three Bills.
| The committee appointed TO CON
slider the three street car bills that
were brought up at the last meeting
presented report, recommending
that the Blue Earth county delega-
ton be instructed to oppose the bills
the stock and bond bill, the bill re-
/ lating to the transportation OF public
school scholars by street railway and
/ interurban electric railway companies
at half fare. and the bill to compel
street railway companies to sprinkle
streets, alleys, etc. The report was
as follows:
Mr.. II. A. patterson, President,
Mankato Commercial club, City. Sir:
+ Your committee appointed to con-
! slider the bills now before the state
Legislature, as S. F. No. 1856 known
as the stock and bond bill. S. F.. No.
172 relating to transportation of pub
lie school scholars by street rail
way and interurban electric railway
companies at half fare, and S. f.
No 215 a bill to compel street rail-
way companies to sprinkle streets,
alleys, etc, report as follows:
s. f. No. 1876 relating 10 issue and
sale of stocks, and bonds and other
evidences Of debt and giving the rail
road and warehouse commission au-
thority to regulate same, in our
Judgment, VIII restrict the develop
ment of electric roads in the state,
because it undertakes to arbitrarily
fix the price and terms of securities
offered in the market and attempts
TO fix by legislation the price a buyer
Of such securities shall pay if he
beneficial to the older and more fully
developed states and would probably
be approved by the steam railroads
which would favor any legislation
tending TO retard the extension of
the rural electric lines, but in our
opinion, it would be seriously detr-
mental to states like Minnesota which
are just commencing to develop in
terurban electric lines throughout
the rural districts. 1t must be borne
in mind that interurban electric
lines are the only competitors of
steam railroads and nothing should
be done to retard the development
of electric lines in state like Min
nesota in which they are just COM
mencing to be operated and any
measure restricting the legitimate
sale of bonds and securities in the
markets, where such are saleable,
will discourage investors and may
mean a serious set back to the eX-
tention and development of interur-
ban electric lines which lines we
believe TO be of great benefit to the
people Of the state.
S. F.. No. 172 this bill undertakes
to compel all street railway com
panies to carry students at half fare
between schools and their homes.
regardless OF their age or the cost
TO the transportation company. While
this might be done by some railroads
without loss in thiclly populated dis
tricts it could not be done by the
street railway and interurban com
panies in small towns, like Mankato,
or in country districts without loss.
Presumably the maker of this bin
intended the same to apply to the
street railway companies of the
larger cities, but of course, if passed
it will apply equally to all the small
er towns and communities where
electric lines find it already difficult
to maintain themselves, at the rate
OF fare now in effect. Under a re-
cent decision of the United States SUI
preme court it was decided that the
rate of street car fare in the twin
cities cannot be changed for many
years, so that any measure passed by
the Legislature contemplating re-
duction in street car fare, would ap-
ply only to cities and towns outside
Of the twin cities. This would be
an additional burden on many street
car lines which are being operated