The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-05-29
Praises Empire STATES Public
Utilities Act.
MAY DELAY EXTRA SESSION
Many Farmer Members Of the Legs-
lature Opposed to Assembling.
in October.
Especial Correspondence


the consideration of statewide con-
troll of the same, is about all one
hears at the state capitol these days.
The whole thing has the executive
department by the ears and efforts
are being made to inoculate other de-
partments in the building. Governor
Eberhart brought the bug with him
when he returned from New York
and he has already INDUCED in two
interviews on the subject, not to
speak of several conferences looking
to the PRONUNCIATION of a line of pub
licity that will bring the subject state
wide attention. His excellency spent
several days in the East and when
he was not addressing gatherings of
note he was interviewing members
of the New York public service COM
mission and studying the utilities
control law Of that state He says
the New York law is a good one and
he believes that it can be adapted to
the needs of Minnesota. Wisconsin
has public utilities act, but he is not
so conversant with it's provisions.
While in the East Governor Eberhart
intended to discuss the subject with
Secretary Bryan and President Will
son, but his time was limited and he
did not get to see them. He says
they are for statewide control and
advocated the idea in their respective
states. The session of the legislature
will be convened probably in Octo-
Der, though the call may be postponed
until January of next year. Many of
the farmer members of the two legis-
! lative bodies say an October call
would find them in the midst of their
farm work and would inconvenience
them considerably. For this reason
the call may not be until later.
!. !. !.
It can hardly be said that the state
Is on fire as far as the demand for a
public utilities act is concerned. In
fact few of the country papers have
given it any attention whatever, not
to speak of an almost total disregard
on the part of the voters. This fact
however, has in no wise 'dampened
the enthusiasm Of his excellency in
the matter, as he is confident that
when the proper publicity is sent
forth the voters generally will join
with him in a demand for the law
His veto of two bills covering phases
of the public utilities scheme and his
promise to see the whole question
embodied in one act giving genera
state control he thinks makes the
whole thing mandatory and that there
can be no escape from the enact
ment of public utilities law. Wher
he returned from New York Governor
Eberhart brought with him man!
pamphlets and books on the subjec
of state control of utilities and these
will be condensed into a number O
papers which will be given genera
distribution.
State control of public utilities
which include telephone, water plants
electric light works and street ca
|
ton of the subject is only question
of time, but any undue effort at Thu
date may give the whole thing set
back that may take years to bring
about a recovery. There no gettins
away from one thing and that is i
is the public utilities which want tn
law, not the people. Just now st
Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth con
Germs are behind it and naturally the.
do not want law that will curtai
their activities to any great extent
They want to get away from the ex
acting local demands and embar
RAISING touches on the part of thos'
| in control of the municipalities. A
) to the latter feature the people arr
just as anxious to get away from thi
: petty grating, but at the same TIM
they do not want to lose entire con
troll. Some think that there shout,
be at least two years good publicit.
on the subject, so that everybody cal
become conversant with the subject
: Eberhart is determined to call tn
Tberhart is determined to call tn
extra session and he is just as deter
mined that the proposed law shall
be put through. The best that I Cal
, wish him is that it will be a goo
law and that he will not be made tn
victim of lot of designing interests
!. J. !.
st. Paul is selling it's bonds, as al
| fh1, INV %h1 To- 81 lott
through the medium of it's depart
ment stores and the scheme ha
, proved so popular that other cite
may adopt the plan. In two day
one Capital City department store
which purchased $123,0O0 of st. Pau
securities, disposed of the entire 10
and it could have sold another 800
l 900 worth Of bonds if it had then
, The selling of bonds over the counter
Of the store like any other commodit,