New Ulm review., 1912-10-16

| care Of 1t soon takes all of his energy
Every waking moment 10 devoted I,
1t. He thinks of nothing else, dream
of nothing else, but money, and still
more money. It becomes an Obsessiol
the one subject on which he can tall
with any degree Of intelligence. HI
becomes stranger to his friends ant
often to his own family. His wife, /
she be not an exceptional character
must seek diversion In social display
And what Of the children? They grow
up strangers to him. He seems t
think that his only responsibility to
ward them is to supply them with al
the money they want. Many of then
are sent to the Devil on the double
quick.
Evil Effects Of Bad Example.
Those below him in the financial
scale are dazzled by the lavish dis
play of wealth and tempted to their
own destruction by the insane fever
of emulation. Extravaganza runs riot
and frugality is forgotten.
There is an effect, public in its char.
acter, which is quite as destructive
the effect on politics and government
Effect on Politics and Government.
Since the industries of the country
have fallen under trust control, q sin.
lister change has taken place in our
political morality. 1t 10 not strange
that this should be so. Every corrupt
act Of legislator or politician 10 the
result Of bargain. 1t may be ex.
pressed or it may be tacitly under
stood, but 1t is there every time. It
takes at least two parties to make q
bargain, buyer and seller. The
politician has votes to sell. The mon
opolies have use for the votes, and,
what is more important, they have
the money or the influence to pay for
the votes. This is condition which
all good citizens deplore. But they
are not agreed as to what would be
the best remedy. Some want to
strengthen and continue our system of
regulation. Others believe that regu-
lation has proved failure and that
public ownership of public utilities
must be resorted to. One thing is
certain, unless big business can be
driven out of politics and be prevented
from corrupting our government, the
people will demand public ownership
as the last resort and only recourse.
Public Utilities Commission.
But, whether we are to have one or
the other, a public utilities commits
sion is needed now. If we are to con-
tinue the present system, such a body
must be created, with ample power to
enforce its orders and to stop all forms
of discrimination and unjust charges.
It must also have full power to audit
the books and to investigate every de-
tail of the business, so that none of
the revenues can be used to control
our public affairs. If such control also
proves unequal to the needs of the
case, utilities commission will be
the proper body to take charge of
the utilities and operate them for the
people.
= *s}
We in Minnesota have had con-
siderable experience with our pres
ent form of railroad regulation. -
Not many years ago the railroad
commission adopted commodity
rates, and, through legislative ac-
ton, these rates were agreed to
by the railroad companies. But
no sooner had the legislature ad-
journed than the Federal courts
were appealed to, with the result +
that the cases are still pending. v
We have had. another expert
ence, also, in Minnesota, which is
somewhat unique. Passenger fares .
of two cents a mile we're estab-
lished by law, but, after adopting
nd ct II
period of time, the railroad CON-
panies experienced change of
heart, and, in violation of the plain
provisions of the law, raised the
rates back again to three cents a *
mile. Now, every time you buy a
railroad ticket, the law is violated,
and you are made to pay third
more than it allows. No such ac-
tion was taken in surrounding
states. Wisconsin on the east,
Iowa on the south, and the Da- y
kotas on the west, all enjoy bet
ter passenger rates than do the
people of Minnesota. Evidently
the companies have discovered
that Minnesota is IAN easy mark *
Bonded indebtedness.
The limit Of our bonded indebt-
edness should be raised so as to
permit the issue of bonds in pay
ments Of public utilities in case
it becomes necessary to own them
This should be contingent pro-
vision and should be adopted in
any event, for, so long as our
hands are tied by our present bond
limit, we have no adequate weapon
of defense against injustice and
discrimination. But when we give
ourselves the legal power to take Il
over the utilities and pay for them, 81
we are in position to compel *
some attention being paid to our
rights and our interests.
* y y 81
Get the Tools.
When you undertake to do job of
'ork of any kind, you first provide
ourselves with the proper tools If
ou want to dig a ditch, you get =
pade. If you want to fell tree, you
ct an axe. If you want to break the
oil, you get a plow. If you want to
uild a house, you get saw, ham.
Ter, and other tools. Every under.
aking needs it's proper tools or ma