The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-09-12


/ stalled.
"The city, or property owners, tt
erect posts and lamps and install
conduits and cables for the proposed
white way"
"This proposition was taken under
tadvisement by the Consumers Power
company, and in answer thereto we
have received counter proposition
under date of August 20, 1913, which
is herewith placed in your hands.
I No white Way"
1--WE recommend that this PROPOSE
| ton be declined.
I "We further recommend that fol
/, the present no white way" be es
tablished, and that the contract now
| in force with the Consumers Power
company be continued in force fol-
short indefinite period, and thai
Fin the meantime no changes be made
in our present system of lighting
except extensions as necessity may
/, demand.
"Our investiga tons lead us to be
lieve that a reduction in the cost OF
private or commercial lighting should
be made, but this, as you see from
| this last proposition, the Consumers
Power company decline to concede.
ION receipt of this proposition oul
first impulse was to suggest to the
city that steps be taken looking te
the installation Of municipal light
ing plant, but we hesitate to do this
just now for the following reasons
among others.
"a first class lighting plant, fol
public or municipal lighting only
would necessitate bonding the city
for approximately the sum of $4,000
And if private or commercial light
ing is also provided for then to near
ly if not quite the full limit of In
debtedness permitted by law, and
thus deprive us of the power to is
sue bonds or create Indebtedness fol
any other purpose, however, desir
able, or for any emergency which
may arise. We refer back to emer
gencies when it became absolutely
imperative that funds be raised al
once. Then to, even with such plant
we accomplish nothing in the way
, of a reduction in the rates on gas.
Since the matter of lighting rates
has been under consideration the
city has taken steps under section
107 of our charter to investigate
and regulate rates to be charged in
the city for public service, which in
cludes lighting rates, and it may
! we'll be that a fair adjustment OF
rates for private or commercial light
ing can be accomplished under that
provision of our charter.
Can Acquire Present Plant.
''Then, also, it seems that spe,
cial session of the legislature is about
to be called to consider the enact
ment of law providing for gen
eral utilities commission for the
state, with power to investigate and
regulate rates of all public service
corporations, whose duty it will be
to investigate all complaints, and to
regulate all rates and charges for
public service, which law, if enacted
may solve the problem which con
! fronts the city, with slittle or nc
cost to us.
| Again there stands on our statute
: books a law, Section 2843 of the
Statutes of 1905, which seems to
have been but little noticed, although
not obsolete, which provides a meth
cd by which cities can acquire, by
what lawyers know as condemnation
proceedings, or exercising the pow
ers of eminent domain, any gas OF
electric light, or power works owned
by private persons or corporations in
+. the city.
ct is open to the city to take
steps under this statute to take
,, over the lighting plant now here, if
| it hereafter feels so disposed, and
, thus avoid having duplicate plants in
! the city, with corresponding loss
} to some one.-A G. Meyer, Lorin
Cray, G. E. Wise, committee"
4