Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-08-20
.EB ER HART URGES ] ! ! !
PUBLIC UTILITY Law !!

power outside the limits of the mu.
nicipality. Gas companies are extend.
ing their mains far beyond the city
limits. Street cars are reaching out
into the adjoining country. Electric
light and power concerns transmit the
currents from power plants located at
some waterfall many miles away.
Telephones, telegraphs, electric and
steam railroads are all inter-municipal
and cannot possibly, for lack of juris-
diction, be regulated by the municipali-
ties. "a - M, III
The Consumers Power company of
st. Paul furnishes light and power to
dozens of Southern Minnesota cities
and villages. In this case its most
important and valuable property a,
the water power plants at Cannon
Falls and Rapidan. How in the name
of common sense can any city or ",
lage dependent for light and power
upon this utility corporation deter
mine the fairness Of rate by making
a physical valuation of properties and
enforcing rules and regulations out.
side the limits of its Jurisdiction?
Granting, however, for the sake OF
argument, that this were possible,
how can such city or village determine
the fairness of rate dependent upon
the rates and service in every other
city or village served by the same
corporation? The same is true as to
Minneapolis, st. Paul, Duluth, am
many other cities in Northern Mime.
sofa, to which currents for light and
power are transmitted from power
plants located outside of their jurls-
diction. In the enforcement Of every
local regulation the municipal officers
cannot proceed beyond their jurisdic-
ton and the suburban and country
residents have absolutely no means of
securing adequate service or reason
able rates if the utilities corporation
is not willing to grant the same. These
are facts Of common knowledge which
should convince anyone that the reg:l-
lation of these public utilities is not
municipal 'roblem but state pro
lem.
2. Defir''c Fixing Of Responsibility.
The efficient regulation of public
utilities require the definite fixing OF
responsibility in the hands of as few
persons as possible. Under the old
system of ward government it has
been foun' almost impossible to fix
the responsibility for mismanagement
of city affairs. Whenever the advo.
Gates of more efficient government
started'a movement for change from
the ward system to the city wide COM
mission form, the ward politicians,
certain special interests and favored
consumers joining with them, would
Immediately, under the guise of "home
rule" proceed to defeat the movement
In spite Of such efforts, however, quite
a number of Minnesota cities have
adopted the commission form of gov.
eminent and the remaining cities will
unquestionably do so in the near fu
ture. The all important advantage OF
the commission form of government
is it's definite fixing of responsibility
for the operation of each city depart.
ment in one person elected at large
and held responsible to the people
through the initiative, referendum and
recall. In the regulation of a state
wide utility, which is always public
necessity and often monopoly, it Is,
therefore, of still greater Importance
that such regulation should be fixed in
the hands of a few commissioners, SO
that every department of such regula.
ton may have one commissioner al
it's head, who should be held respon
sible to the governor and he to the
people of the state directly through
the initiative, referendum and recall
The governor should have authority
to remove such commissioners fol
proper cause shown, but upon public
hearing so as to prevent the exercise
of undue influence or dictation by
executive authority.
8. Segregation From Political IN
fluence.-It is recognized as primar,
principle in the settlement Of every
controversy, that the acting Judges
should be free from bias and prejudic
and personally disinterested in tn
results. Let up apply this to the con
troversy between the public utility
corporation and the municipal official
In most cases he has been elected up
on an issue involving the public util
ity in question. He has often made
his campaign either for or agains
certain contentious of the utility cor
poration,. is dependent for his renomi
nation and reelection upon the set
Element of q controversy in a certain
way, and is, therefore, personally in
terested in the controversy. Should
| he be permitted to sit as Judge in ,
contest involving his own persona
and political interests? Every sens,
of fairness and justice will rebe
against such a conclusion. The ad
judication should be made after thor
ough investigation and report OF ex
perts by a competent commission
which has no personal interest in tn
controversy and is wholly Independent
of local conditions, politically or other
wise. ~:>
4. Expert Service and Equi.S en-,
Effective regulation involves also tn
best possible expert service. an
equipment. In testing the quality 4
well as quantity of light, heat, power