The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-10-24
League Of Munici-
palities Hold 1914
Session In Mankato
ernn Saturdays paily.

r -
turned last night from st. Paul where
he had been attending the first meet
ing of the Minnesota League of Mu-
inequalities. He brought with him the
second convention OF the league,
which viii be hald in this city DC
tobor q and %, 1914. Something
Ike 800 or 400 delegates VIII come
here to attend the convention.
Following a day filled with spirited
discussions OF the public utilities
proposition, tho report OF the resoiu-
lions committee, unanimously adopt
ed by the convention, put the munich
pal league on record as favoring a
law that would leave the cities right
TO grant charters to and control pub
lie utilities corporations.
Connect the Telephone Lines.
The report favored a physical con-
nection OF all telephone lines and the
retention OF municipal manager by
the 6ities In the state. 1t held that
the cities should be supreme in
public utilities questions wherever
possible, and that the problem is
not we'll enough understood by the
people os Minnesota generally to
warrent their voting intelllgently
upon It..
Tho league governing board will
hold district meetings during the year
in IN endeavor to famlliarize the peo-
pie with the public utilities question
and other municipal problems.
Two interesting addresses on the
public utilities problem. followed by
general discussion OF the papers. con-
cluded yesterday afternoon program.
Favored State Control.
State versus Local Control OF Pub
lie Utilities" was the subject assign
cd to Halford Erickson, member of
the Wisconsin Railroad commission.
lie was called to Washington, how
ever, and the subject was discussed
by ]. c. Mathews. statistician in the
public utilities department Of the Wis
ConRin commission.
The first step IN regulation Is the
determination OF the method of con-
troll which shall be employed" said
Mr.. Matthew'S We stand. as II we're.
in the presence OF two schools OF
regulation Doth agreed that the pub
lie utilities business Is one which
must be, controlled: the means which
these schools have TO offer differ
widely
Two Different Views
"One has reached the conclusion
that the community directly served
by utility should be vested with the
powers and dnties zoE control; the
other teaches that supervision of utll-
tiles is properly a function, of the
state. believe the facts which |
have TO present point Enthusiastically
toward regulation By the state as
Tho better means of controlling pub
lie utilities.
There are three principal phases
OF the utility business which should
be Under public control. ! believe
that il IS rather generally conceded
that the state Is the proper agency
for the control of security Issues go
t+Gt ltiots-Dls ii ~ ~ itSCSSSiiy ~
discuss this phase, The two features
of the utility business which most
vitality affect the public may DE class
lied under the heads OF service and
rates IN all lines of utility. business
there are standards OF service which
must be observed ii the public is 10
be honestly dealt with, and il the
consumer does not receive that serV-
ice he is treated Just as unfairly as
the purchaser OF short weight mer-
City Control is inadequate.
Referring 10 local control, he said:
Control by franchise is Inadequate
for control of either rates or service
ards OF service for public utilities
are undergoing rapid change. the
development Of business making the
standard OF service antiquated with
in few years. When We come to
the question OF rates we find that
franchise regulation again breaks
down. y public utility franchise is
the result OF bargaining between the
city and the. utility IN which the
principle or rates based on costs is
very largely lost sight of. Where
rates have been fixed by franchise,
ia the vast majority of cases the city
has not been In possession of any
authoritative facts regarding the cost
OF service enabling it To establish
reasonable rates and adequate stand
ards Of service. Tho changes in
the industry make the standard OF
service and rates entirely inadequate
before the expiration of the fran
elise end the grN-rth of the city ii
self changes the conditions unde,
which service Is furnished"
Removes Ownership Barrier.
The public utilities law OF Wiscon
sin expressly reserves, to the cities
the right to regulate service. pro
vided that their regulations, are no;
unreasonable. he said, but there Is
hardly q city In the state which ii
making any real attempt to exercise
the right !, hich it has. lie declared
that the greatest bnrrier TO munich
pal ownership has been removed
under the public utilities law.
The three main reasons why city
control Is not desirable" he said
ARE that the city cannot secure the
rzxz.s-....~,-.z-u..