Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1913-02-21
Pass The Minnette Bill.
C. P. Carlson.


Mnnesota's experience with commissions is not such
to warrant any great yea: for their multiplication
Apart from that the proposition before the legsa
ture that municipalities shall entrust to commission To-
Gated at ST. Paul duties they have every facility for dis
charging for themselves is contrary to every principle
of sacred public policy.
It is mere truis to say that the the
is to the people the better it is This not only
that the people better governed By active personal
participation in local government they rendered
capable of taking intelligent part in the government
of the nation The educatve influences of home
rule by the least of its advantages.
The proposition which appears to be favored by the
Duluth News Tribune and which is seriously proposed in
two bills before the legislature goes absurd lengths
in the matter of centraizng in the state
ita 1t is only proposed that every corporation owned
public utility in every in the state shall under
the control and direction of commission but that
such commission shall be given the right interfere in
the details of the management of public utilities owned
and operated by the municipality itself To that
such commission will have the interest of the people of
the municipality the interest of public utility owned
by the people heart than the people themselves
is ridiculous To assume that it will be Jealous that
other public utilities well managed is to be stupidity
and stubborny blind to all past experience.
It is only when the people attend themselves
any public utility that the enrustng of its supervision
to anyone less interested than themselves is warranted
Ordinarily this is the with electric light plants.
waterworks, and 1t is the case, however, with
modern telephone service The operation of telephone
companies in their practical everyday is statewide
municipality have control service that
tends beyond the city limits Therefore is obliged to
rely on other authority which has jurisdiction.
1t is for this that The News favors the Min
Rockne public utilities bill and is opposed both
the Wallace and Murray public utilities bills NEEDLE.
some and mschievous. While it is called public utii
ties bill telephone companies the only public utilities
the Mnnette bill is designed to regulate. The bill does
not create commission 1t makes of machinery
already in operation 1t gives supervision the railroad
warehouse commission whose work is along related
| lines.
In many respects the service demanded of telephone
panes is similar to the service demanded of railroads
important that there should be physical connection
telephone lines The railroad commission requires physica
connection between railway lines. Telephone houlC
be just and equal. This is insisted on in regard t.
railroad rates Service should be prompt and continuous
Railroads required to transport freight and
without unnecessary delay. Other parallels might b.
shown. Therefore the conclusion of the authors of thu
Minnee-Rockne public utilities bill to designate thu
railroad commission the supervisory body Of eephon
companies is in the interest both of economy and eff
cheney 1t was the logical thing to do.
The bill clothes the commission with such additions
authority is necessary. gives them in the matter
to the extent that consistent with private or
ate rights. free hand. 1t has been the subject 0
careful and prolonged study deberaon and consultation
The News believes that its adoption the defeat of
other public utilities bills would be in the nnhlie
Mortified News