The Ely miner., 1913-08-22
GOVERNOR MAKES
KEYNOTE SPEECH
EBERHART ASKS FOR STATE
UTILITY BOARD IN
ADDRESS.
OPENING OF HIS CAMPAIGN
Determines to Push Measure Through
House Majority Scored and
Combination Charged to De-
feat Ii.

st. Paul.-In his Keynote" speech
Governor A. o. Eberhart outlined for
the first time the terms of the public
utilities bill which he will urge the
legislature to pass at the coming ex-
ira session. His plan, briefly, is:
Increase the present railroad COM
mission from three to five members,
make it appointive by the governor
for long terms, and give it control
of railroads and all other public utilI-
ties.
Adopt the Wisconsin law into the
Minnesota statutes, with some modi-
fications.
Give the five commissioners large
salaries and provide for staff of
experts and other employees, under
civil service. .. -
Retain a certain measure of local
control for the municipalities.
Before Office Men.
Tie address was delivered at q
meeting of the st. Paul Association
of Office Men at the st. Paul hotel.
1t was a prepared speech and had
been advertised as the opening of the
governors campaign for the enact
mens of public utilities law at the
extr- session, which he says he will
call in October.
In saying that the railroad commits
sion should be appointive, and two
more commissioners should be add
ed," the governor was believed by
his hearers to forecast the appoint
ment of the present three railroad
commissioners.
Some reply was made to the at
tacks on his position. The governor
stated that the talk about the public
service corporations favoring state
control is to arouse prejudice.
Assressive Towards House.
Governor Eberhart took an aggres-
sive stand toward the house organiZa-
ton, which defeated the Wallace
Knapp utilities bill at the regular ses-
sion, and passed the Nolan and Min
nette bills over the executive veto.
He asserted that it was through the
most powerful public utilities corpora
tion in the state" that the state con-
troll bill was beaten in the house.
With a threat to take the issue in
to the next legislative campaign, if
balke6 by the present legislature, the
governor closed.
Chief Arguments Advanced.
Some of his chief arguments for the
Utilities board were:
Municipal control of public utilities
has been a failure, as shown by the
growth of municipal ownership.
The tendency is toward state regula-
tion, because it is superior as to eff
cheney. economy and Uniformity.
Many utilities are intermunicipal'
and regulation of one company by sew
eral cities is an absurdity.
State commissions are more efhcient
because of centralized responsibility
and continuity of service.
State commissions restrict stock and
bond issues, which municipalities can
not do.
Determination of rate questions by
issue in politics is unfair.
state commission supplies expert
service for making valuations and 9TH
erwise assisting municipalities.
Cities are relieved by state commits
sions of the cost of hiring experts,
which is prohibitiye in Minnesota for
all but the largest three cities.
State regulation removes public util-
Uniform accounting makes for better
regulation, and can only be enforced
by a state commission.
Municipality owned plants are helped
by state commissions to become efti-
cfent, and to get on the right financial
basis.
Wisconsin's system has worked well,
and with some changes should be
transplanted to Minnesota.